Comments on: Fretful

By: Rae

Rae — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:14:14 +0000

Had my kids vaccinated with H1N1 nasal mist and exactly 7 days later they are very, very ill with heavy flu like symptoms. Ped says they cant cofirm its H1N1 and they think it’s a coincidence. I think not. I was uneasy about the decision to vaccinate and now I greatly regret that we did. I think the hype and push to vaccinate is only creating more sickness.

By: Courtney W.

Courtney W. — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:56:57 +0000

So, totally forget what I said in my previous comment. While my GP told me not to bother with the H1N1 vaccine, my OB was absolutely adamant that I get it. Now I’m on a waiting list. The kid is getting it too. And you know what, I’m totally okay with it, I can’t afford to get sick and hope that I’m doing my best to avoid it by getting the vaccines.

By: ladybughugs

ladybughugs — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:33:07 +0000

I’m taking the wait-and-see approach. I will probably have to get the girl the regular flu vaccine…NJ state law requires it for children under the age of 5 in daycare or preschool.

My pediatrician has been very hesitant to recommend the H1N1 virus. He remembers the last one. He doesn’t agree with the states requirement to have healthy, not-at-risk children get the regular vaccine, so I’ll wait…and see how this flu season develops. The girl’s 4-year check-up is in early December so I have time.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:47:08 +0000

I know that I am late to this discussion, but I want to put my two cents in none the less. I am a biologist and it troubles my greatly that people are so distrustful of scientists. We are not perfect and certainly do make mistakes, but we have a system of review in place that does a pretty amazing job of making sure that research is accurate. Therefore, why wouldn’t you get vaccinated if every respected scientist says that you should. There are absolutely no (I repeat, zero) credible reports of vaccines causing autism. I can cite you a dozen anecdotes, but can find alternative explanations for every one. In my opinion, the risk of getting a side effect from the vaccine is 1 in 100,000 or 1 in 1,000,000. The risk of getting seriously ill from H1N1 if you are not vaccinated is more like 1 in 1000. Why wouldn’t you risk a one in a million chance to prevent a one in a thousand chance of getting sick? My kids (2 and 4) had their flu shot, and will get their H1N1 as soon as we can. I hope that everyone else will as well, so that in the spring we can all laugh at how worried we were about this when it H1N1 was so minor, because we prepared for it.

By: Kate

Kate — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:46:21 +0000

As far as I’m concerned, I don’t believe in vaccinating against things that can’t kill you. (I’d be happy to see links to any information that confirms otherwise, but as far as I’ve heard, no one who wasn’t already immuno-compromised has died from H1N1) I guess it’s conspiracy-theory-esque, but I often wonder if vaccinating against everything is part of why all these viruses are mutating and become more persevering. I got the first round of the chicken pox vaccine for my oldest son, and he got full blown chicken pox. I’ve gotten two flu shots, and each time I got the flu so badly within two weeks that it persisted into pneumonia. I won’t be getting the chicken pox vaccine, flu or H1N1 shot for either of my boys.

(besides, what if it creates ZOMBIES? THEN HOW DUMB WILL YOU ALL FEEL?)

By: K

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:11:31 +0000

My dad does a lot of work with the CDC and just got back from a week out there. He called and told us to get the vaccine as soon as possible.

He has never recommended a vaccine before. We spaced out our infant vaccines and were very careful.

But we are getting this one, after talking with him.

I think it is simply a case of comparing risks. I think that every vaccine has *some* risk. And every illness has some risk.

So, each individual needs to figure out which risk is worse to them. My dad is coming down on the side that this flu strain is not behaving as they expect and there is a risk that it could be really, really bad this winter. It could turn out to be nothing, too. But we don’t know that right now. So, we are left with weighing the risks and making the best decision we can with the information we can get.

By: Jonniker. » Pity and Fear

Jonniker. » Pity and Fear — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 01:30:48 +0000

[...] with that, I will contradict myself MIGHTILY and mention the swine flu vaccine issue, which Sundry hosted a really awesome discussion about earlier this week. Truly, I was riveted by all of the comments, and in full disclosure, I [...]

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:32:50 +0000

Our peds think it’s unethical (medically speaking) the way the H1N1 vax was fast-tracked without appropriate testing. They are not ordering any or recommending it. They do recommend the FluMist nasal vaccination for kids over 2 since it is 90+% effective and offers some overlap protection for swine flu because of how it works through the nose rather than through the bloodstream like the standard flu shot.

Recent research about live virus issue and concerns about shedding have lifted a lot of the restrictions form eligibility. Kids with asthma can have it now, as long as their asthma is well controlled.

Our peds are super conservative about vaccines, and this is the first year they have even stocked FluMist — they wait that long for ample research to be compiled before they make it available to their patients.

And no, I am not a marketing drone from FluMist. Just a mom who went to the ped today for a well baby visit for my 2 month old and chatted about flu shots for my 3 year old. My doc has never given her own 3 year old a flu shot, but will be goin’ nasal this year for her.

By: jeanie

jeanie — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:37:27 +0000

Over here in Australia, they are not releasing the shot to any children under 10 because it has not been tested enough on that age group.

It is also not recommended for anyone with egg allergies.

As the company that is supplying us is also supplying half of the US market I figure you are getting the same vaccine – but obviously our health authorities sing of different song sheets.

I am 30 weeks pregnant, but am waiting until at least birth before getting the shot because I want there to be SOME MORE research – but I am also lucky in that (a) I live in a regional centre and (b) we are at the other end of the season to you, so I am betting on the roll of the dice to not get so hugely worse until next year.

By: bkwyrm

bkwyrm — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:45:38 +0000

Got my flu shot yesterday. Fish (age 2) got her flu shot on Monday. If the H1N1 is available to us, we’ll get that too.
Fish does not go to daycare, but we live in a large city, and I have a sister-in-law in college who’s over a few times a week. Universities are hotbeds of flu/piggy flu/various illnesses. So all the folks refusing the vaccine because their kid is not in daycare….y’all need to stop and think for a minute. You leave your houses, you go to the grocery store, you have playdates and go to the park and the library and maybe to Gymboree. What’s more, people who come into your house have all been different places and you don’t KNOW that they’ve washed their hands and sanitized their clothes, etc.
My aunt is a public health nurse. Despite the fact that no one in my family is really high risk, we get vaccinated because we know we can at least contribute to herd immunity. Taking one for the team, as it were.