Are you getting your kids the H1N1 Vaccine?

CoffeeQueen · Guru

RE: Are you getting your kids the H1N1 Vaccine?

CoffeeQueen · Guru

happylib wrote:

I voted no way, but that's not exactly what I think. If I had different circumstances and Elizabeth had not all ready caught H1N1, I might feel differently. She seems to be fine now and I spoke to the nurse at the ped's office. She said they are recommending that even if she had the flu to get vaccinated. I told her that i was not sure I wanted to do that. Our friends' daughter had the vaccination and still got it. The nurse said that it is because it takes several weeks before you have any immunity. Well, by then I have doubts if it will really be necessary.

Having gone through it with E, I have to say it is scary. The high temps are always that way. But I also think that it isn't any worse than she has been a couple times before. Don't get me wrong, I do NOT want her to suffer through being sick, just that it doesn't mean an automatic hospitalization.

Here is my internal battle. I can say for me that this is Oct. I think this is going to be around all winter. That is why I am doing it. At first I thought why bother since it does take time to have full immunity, but seeing it first hand here I am going to get it.

Juanita · Guru

CoffeeQueen wrote:

muffy wrote:

CoffeeQueen wrote:

Well, I have been on the fence, but I am going to get it for all of us.

Wish me luck.

Going today at 5. I cannot have Mia sick with it and it is really bad here right now. I mean every other person I know has it. Many have been in the hospital and not doing well.

fwiw - i think you are making the right choice for you. especially with all the sick kids you are potentially around.

I know this sounds stupid, but I still do not feel good about doing it. I just have this gut feeling though that I need to and I cannot shake it. I have honestly changed my mind every day.

My friend has it and is very ill. I worry for her. She does have asthma and is not well.

I know you didn't ask but here's what I think biggrin

If you've prayed about it like you said you have, I believe that gut feeling is the Lord giving you your answer. If you're still unsure, keep praying for a sign that will be unmistakable to you. If you do that, you won't be unsure of your decision.

Juanita · Guru

I just checked the weekly flu thing on the CDC website, just because I was curious, and they haven't updated since the week ending October 17th..

Wonder why? That was 2 weeks ago

daisy · Guru

still on the fence (as usual...i'm on the fence about EVERYTHING..ug!!)
i talked to R's ENT who did her surgery and he's been recommending it, as is her pediatrician, so (today anyway) i'm leaning toward getting it. i have to amke sure on the thimerisol and all that first.
apparently my pedi isnt getting it till next week anyway.
i am sure i'll change my mind 10,000 times till then.

Supafly · Guru

daisy wrote:

still on the fence (as usual...i'm on the fence about EVERYTHING..ug!!)
i talked to R's ENT who did her surgery and he's been recommending it, as is her pediatrician, so (today anyway) i'm leaning toward getting it. i have to amke sure on the thimerisol and all that first.
apparently my pedi isnt getting it till next week anyway.
i am sure i'll change my mind 10,000 times till then.

Kelly, IDK about the vax where you are, but our pedi's office has been very upfront that ALL of the H1N1 vax doses they have and will be getting ARE prepared with thimerosal.

Even though we most likely have it here, I am STILL on the fence about the vax, lol!! We probably will not get it though. It doesn't feel right to me.

RedHawk · Senior Member

I feel like it's so hard to know what to do. We all want the same thing. For our kids to be safe and healthy. I'm afraid that if we do it, something will go wrong. I'm afraid that if we don't do it, something will go wrong. confuse Most people here have gotten their kids the "regular" shots, but those have been around around a lot longer than the H1N1 shot. Also, there is the history of the '70's and all the deaths from that. I do think that vaccines are safer now then back then. Things are done differntly and they have the reasearch from then.

RedHawk · Senior Member

Supafly wrote:

daisy wrote:

still on the fence (as usual...i'm on the fence about EVERYTHING..ug!!)
i talked to R's ENT who did her surgery and he's been recommending it, as is her pediatrician, so (today anyway) i'm leaning toward getting it. i have to amke sure on the thimerisol and all that first.
apparently my pedi isnt getting it till next week anyway.
i am sure i'll change my mind 10,000 times till then.

Kelly, IDK about the vax where you are, but our pedi's office has been very upfront that ALL of the H1N1 vax doses they have and will be getting ARE prepared with thimerosal.
Even though we most likely have it here, I am STILL on the fence about the vax, lol!! We probably will not get it though. It doesn't feel right to me.

The thimerosal bothers me a lot too. I would probably try and get the live Vax, just to avoid it. But, there can be probs with live ones, so... IDK! confuse

Alison · Guru

RedHawk wrote:

I feel like it's so hard to know what to do. We all want the same thing. For our kids to be safe and healthy. I'm afraid that if we do it, something will go wrong. I'm afraid that if we don't do it, something will go wrong. Most people here have gotten their kids the "regular" shots, but those have been around around a lot longer than the H1N1 shot. Also, there is the history of the '70's and all the deaths from that. I do think that vaccines are safer now then back then. Things are done differntly and they have the reasearch from then.

I think I read somewhere (couldn't tell you where, as I'm a wee bit sleepy these days) that it is still unknown, or at least unreleased, why so many people had severe side effects to the 1976 vaccine. That worries me.

Also, if they are recommending that people who have already had H1N1 get the vaccine anyway, how do we know that the vaccine even works? If they are saying that immunity supposedly isn't conferred by getting the illness, how can it be by getting the vaccine?

Supafly · Guru

Alison wrote:

RedHawk wrote:

I feel like it's so hard to know what to do. We all want the same thing. For our kids to be safe and healthy. I'm afraid that if we do it, something will go wrong. I'm afraid that if we don't do it, something will go wrong. Most people here have gotten their kids the "regular" shots, but those have been around around a lot longer than the H1N1 shot. Also, there is the history of the '70's and all the deaths from that. I do think that vaccines are safer now then back then. Things are done differntly and they have the reasearch from then.

I think I read somewhere (couldn't tell you where, as I'm a wee bit sleepy these days) that it is still unknown, or at least unreleased, why so many people had severe side effects to the 1976 vaccine. That worries me.

Also, if they are recommending that people who have already had H1N1 get the vaccine anyway, how do we know that the vaccine even works? If they are saying that immunity supposedly isn't conferred by getting the illness, how can it be by getting the vaccine?

My pedi said today that he still recommended the vax because they aren't testing these for H1N1-they are just running on the assumption that because most of the type A flu that HAS been tested in our area has been H1N1 (he said it was near 99%), that anything confirmed as type A right now is H1N1. His POV was that it doesn't hurt to get the vax jic this wasn't actually H1N1.

Now of course, I don't tend to agree with that, and even though I know my preschool friend's kids had only had one of the recommended 2 doses, it still hits home to me that they had the vax yet still got sick. And had the exact same symptoms as my kids.

Maybe if they KNEW all of these cases definitely were H1N1, they wouldn't advise for the vax, IDK-but I bet they still would based on saying that the strain could change during the season, kwim?

allvowels · Veteran Member

I am not.

It's weird---I have felt so at peace about not getting the vaccine, and I really never wavered in my decision.

daisy · Guru

Alison wrote:

RedHawk wrote:

I feel like it's so hard to know what to do. We all want the same thing. For our kids to be safe and healthy. I'm afraid that if we do it, something will go wrong. I'm afraid that if we don't do it, something will go wrong. Most people here have gotten their kids the "regular" shots, but those have been around around a lot longer than the H1N1 shot. Also, there is the history of the '70's and all the deaths from that. I do think that vaccines are safer now then back then. Things are done differntly and they have the reasearch from then.

I think I read somewhere (couldn't tell you where, as I'm a wee bit sleepy these days) that it is still unknown, or at least unreleased, why so many people had severe side effects to the 1976 vaccine. That worries me.

Also, if they are recommending that people who have already had H1N1 get the vaccine anyway, how do we know that the vaccine even works? If they are saying that immunity supposedly isn't conferred by getting the illness, how can it be by getting the vaccine?

alison, seriously we're never going to have ANY answers about the efficacy of this damn vax bc the numbers are a MESS. it's incredible. next year we're going to be equally uninformed and possibly even more confused. EVERYTHING is based on suspected cases, unconfirmed this and that, blah blah - WHO KNOWS.

apies · Guru

the more i read, the less i want this vax anywhere near my kids.

i was about 80% sure they were not getting it, but i'd put myself around 98% now.

daisy · Guru

apies wrote:

the more i read, the less i want this vax anywhere near my kids.

i was about 80% sure they were not getting it, but i'd put myself around 98% now.

i'm feeling the same way. a HUGE deterrent for me is that cara has never had a flu shot which means she'd need a booster with it. which is - what, 3 shots? not even counting seasonal flu (2 more) = too much.

Juanita · Guru

allvowels wrote:

I am not.

It's weird---I have felt so at peace about not getting the vaccine, and I really never wavered in my decision.

me too!! I haven't wavered a bit. But, I prayed and prayed, and prayed, and prayed about it too, lol

RedHawk · Senior Member

daisy wrote:

apies wrote:

the more i read, the less i want this vax anywhere near my kids.

i was about 80% sure they were not getting it, but i'd put myself around 98% now.

i'm feeling the same way. a HUGE deterrent for me is that cara has never had a flu shot which means she'd need a booster with it. which is - what, 3 shots? not even counting seasonal flu (2 more) = too much.

Andrew hasn't had a flu shot either. I don't think I've ever had one either. I was going to get one when I was preggie in '04-'05, but there was a shortage.

So, he'd need 5! shots? That's pretty heavy. That swings me back to thinking we won't do it.

daisy · Guru

RedHawk wrote:

daisy wrote:

apies wrote:

the more i read, the less i want this vax anywhere near my kids.

i was about 80% sure they were not getting it, but i'd put myself around 98% now.

i'm feeling the same way. a HUGE deterrent for me is that cara has never had a flu shot which means she'd need a booster with it. which is - what, 3 shots? not even counting seasonal flu (2 more) = too much.

Andrew hasn't had a flu shot either. I don't think I've ever had one either. I was going to get one when I was preggie in '04-'05, but there was a shortage.

So, he'd need 5! shots? That's pretty heavy. That swings me back to thinking we won't do it.

i'm TOTALLY NOT SURE that i have that fact right. for real. ask your doc. it's just something i heard and i was like - REALLY?!???? but i have seriously no idea.

CoffeeQueen · Guru

RedHawk wrote:

daisy wrote:

apies wrote:

the more i read, the less i want this vax anywhere near my kids.

i was about 80% sure they were not getting it, but i'd put myself around 98% now.

i'm feeling the same way. a HUGE deterrent for me is that cara has never had a flu shot which means she'd need a booster with it. which is - what, 3 shots? not even counting seasonal flu (2 more) = too much.

Andrew hasn't had a flu shot either. I don't think I've ever had one either. I was going to get one when I was preggie in '04-'05, but there was a shortage.

So, he'd need 5! shots? That's pretty heavy. That swings me back to thinking we won't do it.

No, if you just get the season flu shot it is only two for the first time he gets it. Then after that it is one. Same goes for the H1N1.

Elvey · Newbie

I wasn't going to get my kids vaccinated, but then one of my former students just passed away from h1n1 complications and it totally freaked me out. He had no underlying medical conditions before getting sick. My pediatrician's office opened up a flu shot clinic last week and I brought my kids right away. I just felt that there was more of a risk if they actually get sick than from the vaccine, especially since they are both in daycare full time and are constantly exposed to germs. I just hope that I made the right decision. It's a scary thing.