H1N1 Vaccination

We're not doing it. Until I see Dr. Sears's review I won't even think about it. He expects to have enough info on the shot to post his recommendation in November.

my uncle is a pediatrician & is recommending it. But also... my husband works with some first responders & was told that a friend of his got the vaccine for work, but his family did not... they got it, he did not... so, that helps me a little.

I am a RN and I know that for the health of me as well as my family, I will get the vaccine. My children are 3 and 17 months. They attend day care 4 days a week. I am terrified but I feel that if I do not get them vaccinated and something happens to them, I will not be able to stand myself. I am not thrilled that this is a new vaccine but considering that my kids are in the second highest hit category of "attack", I feel I don't have much choice. I know that this will not guarantee that they won't get H1N1 but at least the effects should be less.

Just a note I read this morning that 36,000 people die a year from the flu in the United States! I think the total from the H1N1 is 2,000, so I think that the media is just pushing this way out of proportion! I have 7 children, ranging from the age of 18 to 1, and I have decided that the risks are just not worth vaccinating them, don't worry I have had plenty of people telling us how irresponsible we are but we stop vaccinating after one of our daughters had a seizure after one shot! My children from ages 9 on down to one have never had shots and are the healthiest kids around! They rarely ever get sick! Many do not agree with us but it is our choice and the choice of the children, I feel like they have no choice when it comes to shots, we just do it and don't think about consequences down the road! I trust the good Lord above in protecting them! So call me irresponsible or whatever but my children speak for themselves! Hope this helps!

http://www.rocklintoday.com/news/templates/alternative_me...

Here are some of the ingredients in the vaccine:

Ethylene glycol (antifreeze)
Phenol, also known as carbolic acid (this is used as a disinfectant, dye)
Formaldehyde, a known cancer-causing agent
Aluminum, which is associated with Alzheimer's disease and seizures and also cancer producing in laboratory mice (it is used as an additive to promote antibody response)
Thimerosal (a mercury disinfectant/preservative) can result in brain injury and autoimmune disease
Neomycin and Streptomycin (used as antibiotics) have caused allergic reaction in some people.

Here is one woman's reaction:
http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/health/101309_woman_disabled_b...

Research the information, don't do it blindly.
Many blessings,
D. Easthon CD(DONA), LCCE, ELCS, CHBE
Waterbirth Credentialed
www.heart2heartbirthmatters.com

my two girls (ages 3 & 1) will just be getting the regular flu vaccine. i have friends--2 families, including kids--with confirmed cases of h1n1 already. i have been told by both it's not as bad as other flus they've had. i think the media has hyped this strand up a bit & it seems that yes, most people will get h1n1 but only those at high risk should be concerned. & my kids are on top of all their vaccines, so i'm not just a non-vaccine person, but i truly think this is a overblown media problem.
hope this helps!

I can only offer my personal experience, and what I have read on so many somewhat confusing new reports and medical articles...
I plan to get my 2 sons vaccinated. I will also get vaccinated once the priority groups are taken care of. I started getting a flu shot each year when I was pregnant with my first son, and I don't believe the H1N1 vaccine is any different. It is made in the same manner and with the same ingredients. The vaccine is nearly impossible to come by in my area, and I have both sons on a waiting list with the county. My youngest (15mos) has had some respiratory issues lately, and I am particularly anxious to get him vaccinated.
I, personally, prefer the shots to the nasal spray, as the nasal spray has more potential for MILD flu like after effects. (And my littlest guy is too young for the nasal anyway.) I've never had any ill effects from the flu shot, nor has my family (knock wood) but my son did get a cold and not feel well when he had the FLUmist last year.
I will also be attempting to get the thimerosal free shots. The multi-dose vials of shots are being produced w/ the mercury based preservative. The single dose vials and nasal mist are thimerosal free from what I have read. Although there's no hard and fast evidence of issues from thimerosol and the FDA and CDC approve it, it makes me nervous and I'd like to avoid it.
One other reason I'm going for the shot (not the spray) is that I worry about the chance of my older son getting the nasal spray which has some of the live vaccine and passing it on to my youngest if he hasn't gotten his shot yet, or hasn't developed the antibodies yet. I have no idea if there's any medical founding behind this, just one of those things us moms think about late at night. I have a vague recollection of reading about an extremely slight risk of transmission from Nasal flu mists, but I can't remember where.
Good luck with your decision. I know I've agonized over mine, as I'm sure millions of moms and dads are doing.

One more thing - I just want to thank everybody here for their measured, thoughtful, respectful and generally sane opinions. After visiting Dr. Sears' page that someone posted below and skimming through the comments (not by Dr. Sears, but by other site members) I was horrified at the amount of unsupported paranoia and general nastiness and disregard for other's opinions. In all the answers I skimmed on Mamapedia(and admittedly, I skimmed them, not READ them) I saw several different opinions, some concern, some advice, but everyone was level headed and repectful to everyone else. I'm fairly new here, and its nice to have a place to go where I know I can get some help and not be lambasted because I might not think the same as someone else.

E.
In my opinion I think that this new Vaccination is too new and untested to be subjecting any one too. Your children are not in school yet so have a limited chance of being exposed to this virus. As with many virus it can be avoided by keeping your hands clean , off of your face and keeping your nose and throat cleaned daily.I read that using a salt water neddy daily for your nose and a warm gargle can protect you just as much as the vaccination.No one knows what this vaccination may bring on later down the road. I say NO don't give it too your children.

The H1N1 is no different than the regular flu (yes people die every year from the flu). If you don't typically do the flu shot, no need to do the H1N1. Those most at risk for the flu are those with other medical problems. The ingredients of the vaccine are more disturbing han the flu. If you do immunize, make sure you get the thimersol (mercury) free version. They also put aluminum, formaldehyde and other chemicals in there. Formaldehyde has been proven to cause cancer, that is why the have removed it from the imbaumbing process. Like other posters said, research ingredients and side effects. Personally my child, nor my pregnant self will be vaccinated.

I asked my 13 mo. son's pediatrician about this last month. He said that scientists have been making the flu vaccine for years, and the H1N1 is just a variation on that. It is safe and he recommended my child should get it. That is our plan. My husband and I also plan to get it. We all have had our regular flu vaccine already. Note - the nasal vaccine is live and the shot is a dead vaccine. Good luck in your decision!

I personally think you just have to look at your family & figure out what is best for you. Personally my son is high risk bc he has asthma & other respiratory problems. The H1N1 affects the respiratory system so we cannot take a chance of him getting it. He was vaccinated yesterday & has not had any problems from the shot (I recommend the shot over the nasal mist bc it is a live virus with more side effects). My son receives all his vaccines along with the regular flu shot so I couldn't imagine a reason to skip this one. The regular seasonal flu shot is new each year in meaning that they take the previous seasons flu & make a new string of the flu vaccine. So if you give your child the seasonal flu vaccine each year then you are taking the same chances with that as you are with this H1N1 vaccine. You just have to weigh the pros & cons & if you feel the side effects of the H1N1 virus are greater than the vaccine, it should be a no brainer.

Good Luck on whatever you decide.

having just gotten over the h1n1 and now having pnemonia as a result I would highly suggest that if you can get the shot you do so. It comes on fast and completely compromises you immune system. The flu itself was not so bad but the secondary infections set in fast. Two days after getting the flu I had a sinus infection and several days later it was pnemonia. This has completely knocked me flat on my back. If you have allergies or asthma you need to get the shot. I can't seem to recover and I am alergic to penicillin which makes treating and curing the secondary infections worse. Please get the shot.

H1N1 vaccine is being made exactly the same way as the seasonal flu shot vaccine and the strain would have been included in the seasonal flu shot this year if it had been caught and produced in time. I have gotten my kids (7 months and 2 1/2) the seasonal shots, with no ill effects, so I'm planning to get them H1N1 when it's available. I don't love the idea of getting them one more vaccination, but the H1N1 is an unpredictable illness so far, and it's pretty scary what can happen in a really short amount of time to kids who get hard-hit by the virus. It's hard to weed out misinformation, but as an RN, I'd recommend checking the health dept. and CDC websites for up-to-date facts. Good luck this flu season!

I don't have small children anymore...empty nester here...but from what I've read about this vaccine, I won't get it for myself and I'd be afraid to give it to children! I don't feel as if they've tested it enough and have read that they have bypassed some of the safety testing just trying to get this out to the public so quickly. I've also read that for some God forsaken reason that it contains mercury. Now WHY would they put mercury into a vaccine? THAT one I don't understand.
I'd be leery about taking it myself let alone giving it to my children.
To help prevent it from myself, I take my daily vitamins, gargle with salt water or listerine at least twice a day (nose and throat are the way for the flu virus to get in) and try to drink warm liquid (tea or just hot water w/ lemon and honey) as any "flu viruses" that may have made past the gargling, will be washed into the stomach area where they won't be able to survive through the stomach acids. On top of all that, constantly washing my hands or using sanitizer.
Hope this helps in your decision. God Bless you all.

I too am very torn about the vaccine for my children and myself (as I am a health care provider). At work, I am required to get the vaccine or wear a mask, no matter if I or my patient have symptoms, from December 1 until further notice.
My colleuges are also torn. Many of them have children being offered the vaccine at school and are still very torn. We have talked to ped docs, residents and nurse practioners about the vaccine. Many of them are for the vaccine, and there are a few handfuls that are not.
Personally, I may wait until the first wave of people get their vaccine. See any information that comes from that and go from there.
Keep in mind, this is the same vaccine they started back in 1975 when the swine flu first went through. They took that vaccine off the shelves and improved it to make it better and safer. Last I heard, it is a category 3 for pregnant women. Meaning it has not yet been tested on animals/pregnant animals to see if there are harmful affects to the unborn child.
I'm interested in seeing other responses also.

we had a clinic at our school... I helped there... saw a lot less kids got the free innoculation than I thought would. We had our two younger children vaccinated! They say there is a 10-14 day window where they will be building up antibodies.

We hear stories that aren't good in getting the innoculation - most of those people have underlying conditions... I have heard doctors say that if you can get it, GET it! It is safe. A lot of doctors offices can't get it in and WANT to. The reason they say not to get it if you are allergic to eggs, is that the vaccine is made with eggs. I always wondered how they make the antidotes... and how they make SO many. Hopefully this helps... right now I can't think of what else to say... if you have any more questions... send them my way and I'll try to help... I called the health department and they were really good about answering all my questions about the H1N1 and the shots.. or nasal mists.

R.

I've chosen not to get it at this time. We are very low risk and haven't had any reported cases in my area. This is such a tough decision for everyone. You'll find mixed reviews everywhere!

Hi E.,

I just asked this question a few weeks ago about flu vaccines in general and received some pretty good answers. Up until recently I've been inclined to believe the media was hyping H1N1 a little more than it deserved and it would just turn out to be the flu like any other. I've grown more concerned now that researchers are discovering having this particular influenza can do permanent damage to the lungs and that at least in my area (MN metro) a good number of children have already died, which is a higher number than has been seen sometimes in an entire flu season, much less by early October.

I will be having my 16-month old vaccinated when it becomes available here. My husband and I will have the vaccination too. I've read/heard it's not likely to be available before Thanksgiving for children who aren't deemed high risk so I may limit his exposure to higher risk areas like germ filled play lands and swimming pools until then.

I think it is most important to keep your kids immune system healthy and prevent illness.

lol ok, I will try keeping this tamed down since family has told me I'm too outspoken on this but on the permission slip for my kids to get it through school, in black sharpie I wrote "DO NOT ALLOW! NO VACCINE!" I don't feel this one is safe at all & I'm not going to allow any of my kids to get it. my reasons (& granted they are only my opinions so talk to your kids' doctor first): 1. its not been tested very much at all before getting pushed through FDA. 2. seasonal flu kills far more ppl each year then the H1N1 ever dreamed of doing. 3. its not a very weakened form of the virus so no ifs ands or buts, I honestly believe that the recipient will get the flu itself once given the vaccine. 4. I just don't like that the media raises these panic alarms every couple of years (also thinking of equine flu, killer bees, Nile virus, .... ).

the health dept is coming to my sons middle school and giving this vaccine to those whose parents have authorized them to do so. I signed for my son to get it. Yes I am leary of possible side effects that are yet unknown. But the known that H1N1 causes is alittle more scary. I know this makes you very sick and is causing the most who get sick to die. I will take my chances of having to take care of a child with side effects then not have one.

I see you have received support on both sides of the issue. Although I believe it is a personal decision to vaccinate, I also think as parents, we have to make sure we have all the information we need to make the best choice for our family (and not just what we are hearing from news and media). There are doctors and experts who are warning about the safety of the H1N1 vaccine because it was rushed through approval without proper testing and according to Dr. Holtorf, an infectious disease expert, the H1N1 vaccine has 25,000 times the level of mercury proven toxic if it was in food or water. There is a growing belief that we can avoid or reduce our exposure to the flu, other viruses and infections by naturally building our immune system. Good luck with your decision.

You can see the interview of Dr. Holtorf and suggestions to boost our immune system naturally on my blog...
http://greenmoms4kids.blogspot.com

Hi E.,

I just took my 5-yr old for her well check. The pediatrician strongly recommended the flu shot (she did not offer the h1n1 vaccine). She felt it would help ward off the flu this year and possible chance of h1n1. She felt that if there was a year to get flu shots, this was the one. I've never had any of my kids receive them, but am considering it now. It's been 4 days since my daughter got her shot. She's been fine since.

If I find the sheet with the vaccine info, I'll be happy to forward a copy to you somehow.

C.

hey girl - I will not be getting my children vaccinated. I will be getting them the regular flu vaccine, but I simply do not trust the h1n1 vaccine - i don't think they have had enough time to test it, they don't know the full side effects it will have, and the strain although it spreads very easily, is not even close to as deadly as the regular flu virus (the regular flu kills over 35,000 a year, h1n1 has killed less than 300). my understanding of the fear of the h1n1 virus is that it will mutate into a more deadly form of the virus, and if that does happen, the vaccine won't protect you or your kids anyway.

just my 2 cents :) good luck with your decision :)

hugs!
~T.

http://MamaWorksFromHome.NET
http://FamilyBenefitsLive.com

Dear E.,
I have been told that it is bad for children. Do research on vaccinations in general (pro & con) for yourself. Google side effects for various immunizations and you will find your answer. L. J

I agree that it is your choice to get vaccinated BUT i understand wanting to way the pros and cons..We know what the doctors are saying about being careful because it was rushed to get to the public BUT in the same conversation they are saying yes,get it! So it is confusing.My husband is in the army is all for getting this vaccine.So even though i am not to sure about it,my kids will be getting the shot..If this helps you at all :)

My girls got the seasonal flu mist.. also, my girls peditrician recomends the H1N1.. and I will get that one in the mist form.. I like the mist better than the shot my pediatrician thinks it is more effective and last longer than the shot. there has already been the swine flu at my youngest daughters preschool.. and serveral kids had to go to the hospital for high fever and breathing problems... they are all ok now.
Lenc

Good Morning E. & all other moms that may be reading this. H1N1.....that is saying a lot. There are a ton of things that go thru my mind everytime I hear those four characters!!
My daughter is 9 yrs old and has asthma. She will be getting the regular flu shot & a pnuemonia shot. I usually get the regular flu shot because I am the mom and God forbid if the mom gets sick!!
My husband works out in the public, he is a Manager at a car dealership, he is around a lot of different people all of the time. He got his regular flu shot & pnuemonia shot two weeks ago.
We have decided not to have our daughter vac for the H1N1. They have not tested it on anyone let alone children - especially children that already are at a disadvantage due to asthma. I am sure there are a lot of people out there that disagree with our decision because of her asthma but it's different when you are talking about your own child.
I know it feels as if the weight of the world is on your shoulders right now trying to make your choice. Good Luck and I hope all goes well.

Wow tons of advise. I am for the vaccine. I always get the seasonal -- I have asthma, am pregnant and have to small kids and am a RN. We will all get it (when we can). It basically is the same as the seasonal -- every year they try to get all strains of the flu in one vaccine but rarely can do so, so if this epidemic would of occurred a year ago it should of made it in the seasonal. Preventing illness is something I am totally for and I see this as one step towards doing so!

Hi E.,
I am struggling with this decision myself as I guess a lot of Moms are. My boys are 9 and 2. The 2-y-o was actually diagnosed with H1N1 this past week. Fever of 102-105 even with Tylenol and Motrin in him. And it lasted about four days. His fever went away Monday and came back so that's when we went to the doctor. The H1N1 was gone but he had double ear infections, one was really severe. I took the 9-y-o back that afternoon for the H1N1 mist.
To make my decision even more difficult, I'm 21 weeks pregnant myself, the highest risk group of people. I went to my OBGYN that same day and they had just received their supply of H1N1 shots and were starting to administer them the following day. That's when I started doing the research. I have read that there haven't even been tests done on pregnant animals and some of the shots have mercury in them. I also read that hospitalization and death occur when the flu is not caught early and treated (with Tamiflu, I think it's called). After reading many, many articles (there are some good ones on NPR's site), I think my decision is to have my family vaccinated but not myself. We have no respiratory conditions and only got the regular flu shots the year the 2-y-o was born and so far (knock on wood) none of us has had the flu minus little guy's H1N1.
I also feel that being exposed to his H1N1 and not getting it strengthens my decision to not get myself vaccinated. I am struggling with the decision as to whether to vaccinate him though since he has been exposed to it.
My husband does not agree with me by the way. He thinks if our doctor says I should get vaccinated I should listen to them. I have a hard time thought because we called our family doctor (different than son's ped) and all they would say is, "it is recommended that everyone get the vaccine, especially pregnant women". No opinion, just following the government's recommendation.
It's a shame we live in a time when we have to deal with these decisions and rely so much on what we're told, not knowing if it's right or wrong. The best we can do is to do the research and make the decision you feel is best for your family. And you're already doing the research so I think you should feel good about that. :)
Good luck.

Hi E...I just wanted to say I may be in the minority but me and my husband have chosen NOT to vaccinate our kids for the H1N1.yes we do quaify(we have 2 severely handicapped children)but our reasoning is this...This vaccine came at so fast..no long term studies have been done on it..what can happen long term and risks involved to our children,in the future we may chose differently but right now we don't trust it. They will however recieve the regular flu shots(mist)Good luck~K.

I VERY MUCH recommend you check out http://www.askdrsears.com/thevaccinebook/ This is Dr. Sears' website (author of "The Vaccine Book") and he does a thorough analysis of the risks of the H1N1 vaccine. I very much like Dr. Sears because he does not take a stand on the vaccine debate (he says he believes strongly in vaccines but is not critical of parents who rebel against the very lax scientific safety standards).

Basically, what he says is this (but I still think you should visit his site): Though this vaccine has not been sufficiently safety-tested, it is made the same was as the standard flu shot, and he has no reason to believe it will be less safe than the flu shot. However, one risk no one seems to be considering is that NO safety tests have been done to see what the effects of having four flu shots are (two for the standard flu, for young children, and then two for the H1N1), and that amount of those ingredients is "unprecedented." Does that make it dangerous? Not necessarily, but no one knows.

I am still debating within myself about vaccinating my 8-month-old son. If I had thought about this earlier, I might have given him the H1N1 vaccine but not the standard flu shot, but he has already received the standard, so that makes my decision harder. My husband and I have played with the idea of getting the H1N1 shot ourselves but not the standard flu shot. Then we will not be able to bring home the H1N1 to our son, and if we bring home the standard flu, he is vaccinated against it (I am a SAHM, so my son is not exceptionally high risk). However, we have not made a final decision, and we do not even know if the H1N1 will be available for our age group.

I wish you the best of luck weighing the advantages and disadvantages to each.

I spoke with a family member who has been a doctor for 30+ years and is the medical director for a major university.
He said that the swine flu is not new and has been around since 1976 when they developed a vaccine for it. He said that a vaccine was able to be produced this fast because we had the exact virus to make the vaccine from. It was made by the same companies and with the same process that the seasonal vaccines are made. There have been a lot of clinical trials over the past 2-3 months, and they have measured individuals’ antibody production, and they know that it will work. He said that the long term effects are similar to any other flu shot. He recommended getting the thimerosal free version of the shot. He said that the single-dose version and the nasal spray are both thimerosal free. He said that the H1N1 vaccine is just as safe as the normal flu vaccine. He said that the main question that you should ask yourself is "Can you afford not to vaccinate?" He considers vaccination for diseases such as meningitis, which kills in 8-24 hours, as a necessary vaccine but it sounded like he did not have a high opinion of the other vaccines.
I hope this information helps you.

"Many do not agree with us but it is our choice and the choice of the children"....

Children from age 1 to age 18 should not be making a choice of whether or not to get vaccinated. How in the world is a 9 year old or 1 year old supposed to make an educated decision on that!? You are the parent.