H1N1 Advice

This is a bug, a flu, a cold. It is not something that's going to wipe out the planet. While we have (and will continue to) vaccinate our kids as recommended throughout their childhood, we did not get this for any of them. My husband is the rescue lieutenant for the local FD and has hardly seen anything other than sniffles and mild symptoms attributed to H1N1. It is actually good for kids to build up immunities to germs. If they have no underlying health issues this should hardly affect them. Kids that have respiratory distress should be admitted but other than that the media has blown this way out of proportion. Disclaimer: my opinion :)

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I have 4 children 9, 5, 4, and 2 and none of them recieved the vaccine and they will not. I feel this vaccine was made to quick and they are finding new ways of making faster. Not to mention the recalls that have happened. Plus when I was 3 years old my mom ended up with Gillian Barre Syndrome and about died because of the mass swine flu vaccine in the 1970's and it took almost ten years for anyone to admit that is what caused it. My mother was paralized from the waist down for over a year and in and out of multiple hosp. and til this day she still has residual weakness and prone to dropping things and falling. If you look on the form you have to fill out that is one of the questions you have to answer. It's on there for a reason just like the signs on the highway that say wrong way it's becaused it has happened. SO my decision was very easy. Plus any flu shot can cause this syndrome and they don't know who it will effect and won't and you can die from it. Just something to think about it.

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I think you need to examine how you feel about vaccines in general. The H1N1 vac is a lot like a regual flu shot. Does your family get flu shots or do you prefer to take your chances and ride it out if one of you gets infected? The H1N1 outbreak hasn't been as terrible as originally predicted but the vaccine side-effects haven't been as severe as originally predicted either. As an RN, and mom of one wonderful 2 year old, I think it's wise to think about your overall philosophy about vaccines rather than to cave into fear regarding this particular infection, and this particular vaccine. There are fear-mongering campaigns on both sides! Keep in mind your child will most likely need to get two shots (spaced one month apart) to get full immunity from the vaccine.

i totally feel for you. a very hard descion. my 6 month old son just had both the reg flu and h1n1 on thursday. i was torn. But he was very sick when he was 12 days old. he "caught" a virus from someone and we took him to the hospital right away. It was horrible. he survived thank god, but i had huge issues. A sick baby is not fun. And it is not intentional. And it could be by someone you dont know. If feel if we can protect the babies, we need to. My son had to live in a "protective bubble" for the past 6 months. My older children were very confussed as to why the baby went back to the hospital. And i did not sleep,eat,ect wondering if he was going to make it through each night. You dont know what people around you are doing, I just feel it is best to protect what you can when you can. Good luck, and mkae the choice that works best for you and the baby,..

My opinion is, what if you DON'T get your kids the vaccine, and then they actually get it and something does happen to them? Maybe I'm overly cautious, but I like to know that I have done everything I can to protect them.

I have a friend pediatrician and always ask him to be honest with me. His kids are grown, but he has grandchildren and he has given it to his grandchildren. So I gave it to my daughter. Ask your Dr, if he has kids if he's giving it to his kids, if he is than it must be safe.

Dr Oz got the shot (health care worker) but he said his wife and children were not getting it. I decided against it. But my son is 7 with no other sensitive issues.

well my neighbor gave it to her daughter, and i didn't give it to my daughters (same age). then the recall happened and made me realize i made a good decision.
so no one can really tell you what to do, it's not a pandemic, but they say if your child has underlying health problems (which always p.o.'s me because what does that really mean) you should give it.
the reason i didn't is because it's so new to the market. it's a hit or miss for next few years, also because we have gotten the flu shot before and ended up getting the flu still, and this year i gave my kids the flu mist (first time ever) and they got the flu from it. so i am done with our manufacturers and FDA nad FDC and all those acronyms. i have stocked up on purell and that is it

My son got the H1N1 shots, He had no side effects at all. All flu shots are "new" they are all created the same but the difference is the strand of flu that protect against.So in reality this shot is not made any different except what it protects against. If there is something that I can do to keep him healthy I do it. My son is in day care, and so far he has been pretty healthy.

If you do decide to vaccinate just make sure that you do the Shot vs. the mist. The mist is live but weak form of the virus. THe shot is dead form of it. That is what I got my son. My Brother in law also got it and had no side effects. My son is 17 months and my BIL is 13.

From my understanding this is a one time deal. No need to repeat it next year. So in that sense that it is similar to the chicken pox, where you get it once (if a bad enough case) you do not get it again. Same thing with the H1N1.

Good luck with your decision!

My sense is that people have a wrongheaded sense of where the risks lie with this vaccine. As my pediatrician has explained and every reputable medical site I have read, the risks posed by the vaccine are far less severe than the risks posed by the virus itself. Of course, there is always a small chance that someone will have a bad reaction to a vaccine. But the chances are much greater that your child could actually become infected and get really sick, putting him at risk for scary complications. I have two friends with children in the hospital with pneumonia right now, one with a collapsed lung. I have vaccinated both my girls (4 years and 8 mo) to try to minimize the risk of such a scenario. Of course, I'm a scientifically minded person, and I think vaccinating in general is important for public health. If it wasn't obvious, that's my bias. Some people are going to be anti-vaccine no matter what the science says. Personally, I think advice for giving kids supplements instead of the vaccine is totally irresponsible.

both I and my daughter got the shot two weeks ago. We have had no side effects whatsoever. I even had no pain at all at the injection site.

My advice and opinion is to vaccinate. I have friends in the medical field who all highly suggest it, as did my pediatrican, whom I adore. I have 15 month old twins who have already received their first dose of the vaccine. My kids, like your child, is not in daycare but there are so many other ways to contract the virus.... through a parent who works outside the home, a vistor(s) in your home, a playmate etc. Not trying to scare you and ultimatly, of course, it is your decision and you should do what you are comfortable with. Best wishes!

I think the best thing to do is research it. I personally would be more fearful of the vaccine than the actual H1N1. BUT, only you can decide what is best for yourself and your family.

A few links to consider:
http://www.nvic.org/vaccines-and-diseases/h1n1-swine-flu....
http://drtenpenny.com/swine_flu_hype.aspx
http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1FLU/
http://swineflu.mercola.com/sites/swineflu/home.aspx

Good luck!

Read some articles on mercola.com before you do anything

don't make your decision based on what other people tell you. everyone around us wasn't doing it either. but think of this, your child can die from swine flu, h1n1 and the likely hood of your child of dying from h1n1 is higher than complications from the shot. trust me, I did all the research, my husband and I talked, and went over and over it, but in the end, they got the shot, two times each, and they are fine. not one side effect. they had the 2nd shot a month ago, and they are fine.

but make this decision on your own, dont' let anyone do it fo ryou.

and think of this, your child may not go to daycare, but you go out, to stores and places, your husband goes to work, your child could pick it up from anyplace even from your family.

best of luck

Just wanted to respond to some of your responses: Maureen H is correct about most of the stuff she wrote, except that this is a one time shot. The flu virus mutates so rapidly that every year scientist have to try to predict which 2-3 strains may cause the most problems and those are the ones we get vaccinated for. Next year, we will probably be back to only one shot and H1N1 will be one of the strains in it. The reason H1N1 caused such a scare is because H1N1 is the same strain that caused the "spanish" influenza in 1918...google it if you want some scary facts. So as far as C. D's comments...it's just the flu. The flu in 1918 killed over 50 MILLION people in less than one year.

I would do it. I actually went and had mine yesterday and all of my children (ages 4, 7 & 14) all had it when the shot/mist was first available.

This strain of the H1N1 is so scary because it affects each person in a different way. I know a boy in my town had it, got better then ended up with a rare strain of pnumonia that put him in the hosptial.

It's not worth the heartache of having to go through that with a sick child at any age. I didn't want to take a chance on the possiblity that my children could die if they got sick and I could never live with myself if I took the wrong choice.

None of my children had a reaction to the vaccine -- just a little tired and that was it.

I wouldn't do it. Too many problems with recalls and the quality of the vaccine, and that's before we get into side effects. The panic over a flu bug is unnecessary. The people who developed serious cases largely had other medical problems or a compromised immune system. I would work at strengthening your child's immune system thru a great nutritional supplement called Reliv Now for Kids. All the people I know whose kids are on it (and who themselves are on the adult product) have not gotten the vaccine, have not gotten sick, and barely get colds or any type of flu. These are people who have been doing this for years. I can give you more info if you want, but none of us ever even considered the vaccine. Trust your gut.