Quick response please! H1N1 vaccination??

[somethingshiny]

I can take my 3.5 yr old for a H1N1 vaccination today. I need to leave in about 15 mins if we''re going. I really don''t know if we should or not.

We have several confirmed cases in our town. The school is about a block away and I have a daycare next door. JT attends preschool one morning a week.

Advice, opinions??

 

[TravelingGal]

SS, what does your gut say?

And also, will your son be able to get it for sure? My understanding is pregnant women and kids under 2 are priority. Kids over 2 can do the nasal spray vacc.

Personally, I would. There is a lot of it going around and I believe in vaccinations. I would feel more even more comfortable with an older child.

 

[somethingshiny]

My gut has been flip flopping. I don''t think it''s been around long enough to know the efficacy or safety, but we don''t currently have insurance. I know for sure that he can get it today because of the "outbreak." I found out that only 4 parents are giving it to their children today.

 

[TooPatient]

Personal choice.

B isn''t getting one but that is only because he has an infection and shouldn''t get it.

I''m not because I am terrified of needles (and have no insurance)


If I was in school right now or had a kid in school (especially at that age where they REALLY share germs), I''d probably go for it.

 

[packrat]

Our kids got their mist last Friday, and only b/c I work at the office. My dose was used for someone else so I have to wait until the next shipment comes in. The people we''ve seen at the office that have been positive for Influenza A have had little symptoms..tho there has been 1 child that I know of hospitalized, but I think the child has asthma. I wasn''t planning on it for myself or the kids, but some of the news stories (and I know they''re overhyped on purpose) about kids fine one day and super sick the next day scared me. Better to be protected than not, I figure. Especially since this seems to be so much harder on kids.

 

[icekid]

Date: 10/26/2009 3:57:47 PM
Author: somethingshiny
My gut has been flip flopping. I don''t think it''s been around long enough to know the efficacy or safety, but we don''t currently have insurance. I know for sure that he can get it today because of the ''outbreak.'' I found out that only 4 parents are giving it to their children today.

Honestly, I am not concerned in the least about this vaccine being unsafe. As a physician, I am at high risk and had the vaccination without problems. No kids for me as yet, but if I had one I would not hesitate to vaccinate against H1N1. Obviously, this is my opinion and not medical advice; you should discuss with your own physician if possible

 

[somethingshiny]

Thanks for your opinions. I called his dr and he was very noncommittal about it. They just said "whatever you feel is appropriate."

My dad is a first responder and I have a few health care workers in my family and they''ve all gotten it without a problem. The little boy next door has been sick for 4 days and is now on breathing treatments after getting the vaccine.




I just took JT''s temp because he was getting sick last night. He has a fever so he can''t get the shot today (finally, a clear answer!). I think it''s just a cold. fingers crossed.



My gut told me two weeks ago (when we first had a confirmed case) NOT to get the shot. After talking to a few panicky moms, I was very unsure. Thanks for making me stop and think.

 

[Skippy123]

I hope your son feels better soon. I went to visit my sister today and I was talking to her about the shot. My nephew actually already got the H1N1 shot and he is fine; he is going to be 4 on New Years (he is 3 right now).

 

[somethingshiny]

Thanks, skip.

JT had a bad reaction to the flu shot he had to have to start school. That''s why I didn''t want him to have this new vaccine. Then I started feeling like a bad mom because all these people are panicking and I wasn''t.

I hate the media.

 

[Mara]

it seems like depending on where you live, the criteria is different in terms of who can get it. i was just called last thurs to let me know that preggos can now get it at my hospital. before that it was just kids under age of 2 and health care practicioners. and now i believe they have only added preggos, so kids over 2 aren''t eligible i don''t think here just yet. but i have heard in other areas that a lot of people have been eligible. kinda confusing!!

i am pregnant and i will be getting it this week. i am fairly nervous, i am not a fan of vaccines in general...and i typically don''t get a seasonal flu shot and if i get sick i get sick and i deal with it. but now that i am preggo, it''s kind of a diff thing. i want to protect myself as much as possible but also i worry about the baby. i got the regular flu shot this year.

it''s hard not to worry about the h1n1 because of what you see in the news. it seems like so many pregnant women who have gotten it have serious complications and/or die and most of them lose the baby...from what you see or hear bout. but also one of our own PS preggos got it a few weeks ago (or so her dr thought) and she said she thought she just had a regular flu and she was barely sick! so it makes me wonder just how many people actually have gotten it and might not even have known? it makes me wonder if we really know less about it than we think because all we know is what the news and the dr tells us...which is the ''worry'' part.

fwiw, my dr told me that for preggos she thinks that the risks of NOT getting outweigh the risks of getting it. (whatever those are)

 

[MustangGal]

My pregnant SIL and her 3 year old got the shots (or maybe the nasel mist?) last Friday. SIL was complaining of some symptoms, but then she complains about everything. Her son was fine, no symptoms at all. I already got the seasonal flu shot, and plan to get both for my 8 months old next month when he has his regular doctor's appointment. We have 4 confirmed cases at work that I know of, and there's probably more. One co-wroker's 22 year old cousin is on life support after getting H1N1, he has asthema, and they're only giving him a 50/50 chance of making it.

 

[steph72276]

I got it today. I am 26 weeks pregnant and thought it was just too much of a risk to go without it. I have my son (4 years old) on a wait list with his doctor to get it when it comes out. I struggled with the decision, but I kept thinking, what if something happened to me and I won''t be there for my son. Then I was thinking about Andrew getting it and thought, what if he gets it and it turns bad really quickly...I would never forgive myself for not getting him the shot if anything happened to him. It is a personal decision, but if there are lots of confirmed cases around you, I would be worrying and would get him the shot.

 

[taovandel]

I received my shot almost a week ago and I feel fine (I also received the regular flu shot). I''ve never gotten shots in the past. But being pregnant I figured I should.

I''m not listening to the media hype about the shot at all. The flu shot is a new strand each year also, which means it''s a new vaccine with no history on it.

 

[swimmer]

SS, Hope your son is better quickly!

I got the H1N1 vac last week, the regular flu shot in the other arm that same afternoon (I''m 12 weeks preggo). No side effects at all, just thrilled to be vaccinated as 4 of my students are out with it now. The H1N1 is new just like the flu vaccination is different every year, trying to figure out what will be going around this time. The preservatives no longer contain anything even remotely close to mercury, there are a million things to worry about; I figure that this is a no-brainer. If I didn''t get the shot I would need to figure out a way of teaching and riding public transportation while wearing an Oxygen mask and rubber gloves.

 

[Pandora II]

I will be getting one for Daisy as soon as they''re available here.

My husband has no spleen and is in a high-risk group because of this, plus we live in central London. I''m a huge believer in vaccines and how lucky we are to live in the 21st Century and be protected against so many terrible diseases. Daisy has all her shots on schedule.

 

[neatfreak]

Anyone who worries about the safety/efficacy shouldn't be worried if you are ok with the normal seasonal flu vaccine. It's made by the same processes, with the same testing, and same safeguards. The regular flu vaccine is new every year too.

My kids are on the list for their doctor's office but they don't have it yet. So yes they will be getting it. If you get H1N1 the complications possible from it are just so much worse than possible side effects from the vaccine IMO.

 

[vespergirl]

Definitely do it. Statistics show that hundreds of children have died from H1N1 this year, and hundreds die every year from seasonal flu. Statistics also show that not a single child has died from the flu vaccine or H1N1 vaccine.

One of my friends had her 1.5 year old son hospitalized with H1N1 last week. He was in the hospital for 3 days. Conversely, I had my son vaccinated on Saturday - he cried for 30 seconds, then went back to being his usual chipper self, playing, singing, having a ball. He didn''t have a single side effect.

The only evidence that you will read on the internet against receiving the vaccine is not written by actual doctors. Any real doctor will recommend that children of that age should be vaccinated.

 

[sparklyheart]

SS, I hope your son gets better soon! I''m guessing your doctor''s office was giving very generic answers because a lot of providers are on the fence about the vaccine. There was a big outbreak of H1N1 a few weeks ago but now it''s slowing down.. Of course they say it''s coming back in a couple months.. but the regular flu will be here in full swing by then too. If he is able to get it, I would have him get it.. of course that depends on what you mean when you say he had a bad reaciton to the regular flu shot.. that would be something to talk to your doctor about. I''m amazed by how flu shots were distributed.. Here they just started giving the shots TODAY...but the news has been showing all of these long lines in other states for days. The mist has been around for a bit but I can''t get it (asthma).. so I wait..

Also, I believe the H1N1 vaccine is free, regardless of your insurance status.

 

[somethingshiny]

Thanks for all the responses.

I''m concerned about the safety of the vaccine because I''ve ended up in the ER both times I got a seasonal flu shot and JT got very ill when he got his first flu shot this past summer. Like 3 days of severe vomiting, diarrhea and fever. I brought up the insurance because if he does get sick whether from side effects or H1N1 it would be difficult to get him seen at the doctor. I did find out that he will qualify for state coverage until our insurance kicks in in a couple months (DH just started a new job last week) so that eases my mind a bit.

I''m also wondering about the efficacy down the road. From what I can find, kids this age are supposed to have a second vaccine in about a month. SO, if he can''t get the booster (due to the "shortage") is he still protected? at a greater risk? etc? And, is getting the vaccine this year going to make it so he needs it every year? (and therefore possibly causing more side effects) Most of the people I know who started getting the seasonal flu shot have to get it every year now because of how sick they get if they don''t. Or is it all in their heads??

Any more info would be appreciated!!


btw- Thanks for your get-well wishes for JT. He''s been waking up every couple hours last night and tonight just screaming. He''s got a fever, sore throat, and runny nose. These are the same symptoms he''d have every time he got tonsillitis. He had his tonsils out a year ago.

 

[makemepretty]

Both my kids are getting the mist tomorrow. I figure it''s no different than the regular flu vaccine, it''s just for a new strain that wasn''t included before. Flu vaccines have been around for quite some time and this is what the H1N1 is, just another flu. One year I couldn''t get my kids the vaccine and that was the year they actually did catch it and we ended up at the ER. We have 20 schools closed today and over 50 last week. I don''t want to have to worry about my child dying.

 

[KimberlyH]

I recieved the vaccine yesterday w/o issue; I''m 20 weeks pregnant and feel as Pandora does about vaccines in general, I am also very bothered by the media hype surrounding this and the misinformation being spread as a result. I can understand your fears given that you have both had poor reactions to the vaccine, and in your shoes I may have had a difficult time making the decision, but having never had a poor reaction to any vaccine I can''t imagine not protecting myself and the baby.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 10/26/2009 5:33:51 PM
Author: steph72276
I got it today. I am 26 weeks pregnant and thought it was just too much of a risk to go without it. I have my son (4 years old) on a wait list with his doctor to get it when it comes out. I struggled with the decision, but I kept thinking, what if something happened to me and I won''t be there for my son. Then I was thinking about Andrew getting it and thought, what if he gets it and it turns bad really quickly...I would never forgive myself for not getting him the shot if anything happened to him. It is a personal decision, but if there are lots of confirmed cases around you, I would be worrying and would get him the shot.

Yup, I think it should be a no brainer for pregnant women. ESPECIALLY pregnant women with children.

In the state of california (unless it has changed since I was preggo), it is illegal to give pregnant women and children under two a flu shot containing thimersol. We can thank Arnie for that one. When I was pregnant, not all docs seemed to be aware of this. I sought out a thimersol free flu shot for myself...they are out there (I think they are just single dose, so therefore not containing the preservatives.) Not sure how that applies to the H1N1 though.