Today at work, I came across an interesting link I thought you might like to see. This website has become a "mecca" so to speak for blogging mommies to debate the pros and cons of vaccines... namely, the newly-minted swine flu vaccine.
There is a LOT of information out there about the swine flu (aka, H1N1 flu), the vaccine, and the dangers of both. People have different opinions about whether it's a good idea, and whether they'll get the vaccine either for themselves or their children. In fact, my TV station recently surveyed viewers about their choice, and a whopping 70% said they probably would not vaccinate their kids against the swine flu. I don't think it's a matter of taking this illness seriously-- with nine children dead in the past week from the virus, it must be taken seriously. Rather, I think it's a debate over whether the vaccine itself is safe.
As for me, I'm not sure what to think. Every day at work, I see literally dozens of stories about this disease. I hear about kids dying-- but then, in the same breath, caveats claiming the majority of those young victims had other, underlying health care issues. Then, I hear scary reports about side effects of the vaccine itself. It makes me wonder-- what is more dangerous: the swine flu? the swine flu vaccine? or a misinformed public?
I've waffled on the decision to give G this vaccine from the very beginning. First of all, let me say, she has had all her other vaccines-- Tdap, HIB, MMR-- on schedule. I do not-- I repeat, DO NOT-- want to get into a debate on whether or not you agree with that decision. However, the startlingly quick turnaround of the swine flu vaccine for mass distribution did give me cause, and pause, for concern. At first, I vowed I would not give her this vaccine. But recently, I've started to change my mind. The result? I'm in vaccine "no-man's-land" so to speak, searching for answers and opinions.
So, what do you plan to do? What do your friends plan to do? What factors guided you to your decision? What, if any reservations to you still have? I'm interested to hear what you or your friends or your blogger contacts have to say about this. But remember-- let's be civil here, no criticizing anyone else's choice!
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I can only speak for myself...Drew is getting it. He has a compromised cardiac system and I simply cannot risk him getting H1N1. It will be very bad for him if he does. He is going tomorrow for it, in fact.
That being said, this is a personal decision...and the quick turnaround on the vaccines freaks me out. I will be a nervous wreck...but the alternative is something I can't face. We do classes 3x/week, including play time with other children inside the classes and outside. We're complete hand sanitizer fanatics and use wet wipes religiously. Our hands are raw from washing them all day long. Still, I can't take any chances with all these reports about how large it's going to be or the kids dying.
At this point Michael is not getting it. Besides a few colds and croup he has been healthy. If his doctor recommends it, I would consider it. Also, if someone at his school or someone he has had contact with gets swine flu I will rethink. The side effects and long term effects are not known. I know doctors that aren't bothering with it and never get flu shots. I personally see no point at this time to be worried about it that may change. I know several people who are getting vaccinated and having this kids. There is also a group that wouldn’t even considered it. My cousin’s four girls had flu vaccinations a couple a years ago and they were all sick on and off for about 6 months because of the vaccination. He no longer gets them vaccinated and they are fine. You have to do what you believe is the right thing to do with the information you have at the time, once you make a decision you can’t regret it- you did what you thought was right.
I'm also up in the air about flu vaccines in general for myself - I'm pregnant and while the doctor advised me to get one, she recommends the mercury free flu shot which I can't find anywhere.
I'm also alarmed at how quickly the H1N1 vaccine was created and that makes me nervous. I understand that this is an outbreak in our country but why haven't we heard about the deaths from the "normal" flu that's been around for years? Supposedly (and I sadly haven't taken the time to research this properly), more have died yearly from that than this epidemic of swine flu.
I'm torn as to what to do about myself and torn about how to vaccinate our unborn daughter when it's her turn when it comes to the swine flu ... thanks for the post, Liz.
This has been a topic of discussion in my household for the past few weeks. I am so nervous about getting Gracie vaccinated, for the same reasons you listed. Sean does not want Gracie to get the shot, I guess I am "waiting" for some comfortable answer to the questions surrounding this particular vaccine. Gracie goes in for her 18 month appointment in November, I will be curious to have this conversation with her pediatrician, who has a 2 year old of her own, as well as an infant. I don't think I'll do anything until then...I do think it's a personal decision, and a tough one!
As much as I have enjoyed the last three days off work, I have not enjoyed this Swine Flu. Olivia gets the seasonal flu vacc., but will not be getting her the H1N1 vacc. She has been around me non stop since I was diagnosed and CROSS FINGERS has been fine so far. I am also a school teacher and have had numerous cases in my classroom. I am not normally a vacc. guru, but the turn around makes me a bit nervous as well as the turn around. As others have said, since my child is a healthy child, I will not be getting the vacc. for her. Now, if I was in Mary's shoes, my heart would be in a different place with different thoughts. But really, the most news reports are the ones with underlying health problems. HTH.
I definitely have had mixed feelings with this too! Grace is 6 months old (can't believe it!) and she has been very healthy. She is an only child, does not go to daycare, and none of us have regular direct contact with other children or even other people with children. Besides the fact that the vaccine has not been around long and in my opinion has not been tested enough, I don't think my child is at a very high risk at this point. However, I have had some newer thoughts running through my mind. 1. If Grace gets sick and dies and I could have done something as simple as a shot to prevent it, I would never be able to live with myself. never ever. she is the best thing that has ever happened to me. 2. I am not confident enough in my new role as a mother that I would be able to take care of an extremely sick infant if I am also extremely sick also. I worry that I would miss a sign that she's taken a turn for the worse... or that I didn't recognize my own downturn. On that note, Grace is barely old enough to get the vaccine which isn't available here. The only thing available here is the nose spray which is weakened virus, not dead virus. I would rather risk going without than purposefully infecting with a weakened virus. I have decided to withhold my final decision until the actual shot vaccine is available here. Well, on a final note, the most devastating thing to have happened in my social circle the last few weeks was the wife of a coworker, a new mother my age, passed away unexpectedly. She had been "sick" and they couldn't figure out what it was. Finally a few days before she died, a new doctor diagnosed her with pneumonia. She went on drugs, but passed away two nights later. She left behind a 10 month old little girl and her husband. A doctor I know was her doctor in the hospital, and he told me they have no idea why she died. The autopsy is due to come back in two more weeks. From what I have heard about secondary pneumonia infections killing people already sick with H1N1, and the things that her family told me about her last hours, I think she had undiagnosed swine flu. This is definitely a topic close to my heart. It pains me to see an infant girl not much older than my own who will never remember her mother. I still have a lot of thinking to do, but I am leaning toward the vaccine. +peace, Amy
I have waffled back and forth, as well. I just posted some info on the blog frog post on mckmama's board that you started!
I'm still in no man's land right along with you. The school where I teach is offering it to our students and so far, about 50% of our students have returned consent forms to get it. I got a regular flu vaccine (always have since I started teaching) and Cate got a flu shot last year and this year. I don't fall into the "high priority" category of getting the H1N1 vaccine. Eric does because he has asthma. At this point, Eric is for sure going to get it. If it becomes available to me at school since I'm not high priority for the first round, I'll consider it. My sitter's children are getting it at their school and I think my sitter plans to get it as well if she can. I kind of feel like that is enough protection for Cate. Our pediatrician left the decision up to us, but ultimately said that if we're smart about hand-washing, where we take her in public (no Santa at the mall this year), and make sure she's getting enough sleep and vitamins, she should be fine. But the jury's still out...a kid could sneeze on me at school and I could bring it home to her. I'm curious to read other momma's decisions.
I think you and I are pretty much identical when it comes to the whole vaccination thing. I do plan to get our son vaccinated against all those things you listed. Mainly because he has to be in order to attend school. Do I love the idea of giving him a ton of vaccinations all at one appointment? No. I may try to spread them out some, but we'll see. Anyway you said you didn't want to discuss that :-)
As far as the swine flu vaccine goes, my parents have been driving me INSANE insisting I HAVE to get the vaccine since I'm pregnant. But my doctor's office doesn't have it yet (they've only released the one kind, which pregnant ladies can't take), and I doubt I'll actually be pregnant by the time they do get any of it in the office. I wouldn't get the swine flu vaccine for me, while pregnant, because I feel like it hasn't been tested enough. It's still too new. And they only tested it on like 100 pregnant women, and what sort of historical timeline do they have to back up that it's safe? A matter of months. Not enough historical data for me. Unlike all those other vaccines that have been around for years, at least. As far as getting baby vaccinated? He can't get it until he's 6 months old anyway, so if there's still a craze about it when he's that age, I'll think about it then, and have some more time to see the outcomes of all these children that are getting vaccinated now and how they turned out.
As far as if I were in your shoes...I probably wouldn't get it for G. Still too early in the game and I am not a fan of just doing something because the medical field says we should. I think more time and research needs to go into it before I would be comfortable.
Wow I wrote a lot :-)
While I love being a mother, absolutely LOVE it, I hate hate hate that I have to make choices on these things. I dont know weather Mason will be getting it either. His 1 year Check up is on monday and this will be discussed. But I am very nervous about him getting the swine flu AND geting the shot. I really wish there was much more information about it and it had been studied longer..
I had appointments set up to get both of my children vaccinated for the regular flu next week. I received a call yesterday canceling the appointments. Apparently, doctors are running out of the vaccine because so many parents are having their children vaccinated this year.
Originally we were not going to have them get the H1N1 vaccine, but now we are stumped! I agree with Ashley when she said that making the choices on these things is so hard! We really don't feel at peace with either decision. And really don't want our children to deal with the consequences either way.
Can't we get some kind of manual on this parenting stuff??
Jennifer
Don't let precious G turn into a lab rat for GlaxoSmithKline and be part of a class action settlment 20 yeas from now when they all have kidney failure or some other bizarre long tern side effect no one saw coming!!
DH & I are opposed. I am in no mans land... distraught by the quick time frame. However, as my DH points out, they haven't changed much in the vaccine formulation other than that it is for the H1N1 "recognition factor (read epitope)". So essentially, it is no different than a regular flu shot in compounds. I haven't done the reading on it, and keep planning to. But I've just hear that we've been bumped off the priority list (preggos & those under 6 months are the new priority)... so perhaps it is a question I need not contemplate to heavily.
Thus said... i spoke with a woman pregnant with twins, she refused the vaccine, got the H1N1 flu, and weathered it just fine. She pointed out, what is the risk that our children (not immuno-compromised and in great health) really have from this virus versus what the vaccine COULD do?
I am in no-man's land. Thus is the plight of a middle of the road, see every side type of girl. :-p
I came here from Mama M's blog and I'm just poking around here enjoying your blog! I hope you don't mind! I did want to throw out my two cents on the vaccine. My dh works on Capitol Hill and has been privy to some info that has solidified our decision to not vaccinate. I've been doing research on the ingredients in it also, hours at night, to get to the bottom of what it is...not what people "think" it is. I wrote a blog, so feel free to read my opinion if you would like...
http://fourcannons.blogspot.com/2009/10/h1n1-vaccinedont-poison-yourself.html
A lot of people point to the CDC as the place where they get their facts. It is the worst place you can go for facts, because it is a government run, agenda driven agency. It has been covering up documents, and being secretive about true findings...I posted an article about that...
http://fourcannons.blogspot.com/2009/10/cover-ups-on-part-of-cdc.html
I hope this helps in your decision making process...there are many sides to this debate, but I found this info to be helpful in our decision making process. GL!