H1N1

Tiffany - posted on 12/05/2009

There are risks to ALL shots/vaccines/etc.
Every person is different and has different potential risks.
Personally, my husband and I decided to get vaccinated (we come into contact with a lot of people at our jobs).
I got the shot, he got the mist.
Neither of us personally had any side effects or felt sick at all.

It's a VERY personal decision.
We decided for us that the risks of my baby getting H1N1 if I accidentally contracted it, and if he got very ill/died.....were worth my possible discomfort for me to get vaccinated. Because I felt at least we tried our hardest to prevent it. If I didn't get vaccinated, and he got it, I would probably have felt guilty forever.
And I didn't take it lightly, because I had NEVER even gotten a regular flu shot before.

Toni - posted on 12/05/2009

I breastfeed my son and got the H1N1 nasal vaccine from my son's Dr. the same day he got his 4 month shots. She said that since he is too young to get the injection hisself it was important for me me to be vaccinated especially with my job and being in contact with so many people. She said that some of the antibodies my body build up should filter through my breastmilk to the baby but it was perfectly safe.

Shelly - posted on 12/05/2009

Yes breastfeeding Mom's can get the shot. I was given both the seasonal flu shot and the H1N1 vaccination. I'm glad she was too young to receive them only because then I could take the hit and she still benefits by getting all of the antibodies my body builds against the virus through my breastmilk.

PS - It is a new vaccination however the way they make it is the exact same as the seasonal...other than the type of virus added of course!

Allison - posted on 12/05/2009

i'm not gettin my child the shot because it seems ever time i've gotten the flu shot i get the damn flu so i think its better to just go with out

Rebecca - posted on 12/02/2009

My son is 2yrs and my daughter is almost 5 months and about a month and a half ago my son got H1N1 and pnemonia and the Dr's said it was just a cold...i took him back to the Er 2 days later where they diagnosed him with the flu and gave him meds. I too wasn't sure about this flu shot but after he came down with it and i saw how sick he got we were both waiting in line to get the shot 2 weeks later. My husband is military and aws gone at the time but he was in Alberta at the time adn it was offered at the base there so he too got it. I plan on getting it for my daughter as well when she is 6 months old. I thought to myself, if something were to happen to my child over this flu would i be able to live with myself knowing ther was soemthing to protect him. And i couldn't. The flu shot was only available for 4 days before we were in line and i don't regret a thing! However, i am not sure about the second shot for him. I do not feel a child that young should get the same dosage as an adult. If there becomes a third wave of this then i might consider it but we aren't around alot of people anymore. I used to do childcare and found out that the kdis i was watching didn't even get the regular immunizations..i'm not talking about any type of flur just the normal shots you see your Dr for. I let the family go after finding this out becasue my daughter was only 2 months old and i felt it was wrong for the parents not to tell me before.

Good luck to everyone and it is a tough decission to make.

Kerri - posted on 12/02/2009

I have 2 older children, 1 in preschool and a 2 yr old. Our whole family got vaccinated except the baby. The CDC says that if you're breastfeeding you can pass on the antibodies that your body makes to the vaccine onto the baby. Having said that, all 3 of my kids got the flu over Thanksgiving and are still recovering. Amazingly the baby handled it the best, she only ran a fever for about 24 hours and the highest it got was 101. My 2 older kids got it much worse, high fevers for a few days. I'm still glad I got vaccinated and I'm very picky about which vaccines my kids get, the only reason I got vaccinated was the baby. The older kids are due for their second vaccine now...don't think I'll be doing that...don't see a point now. But very glad my husband and I were vaccinated because I can't imagine how it would've been if we ALL got sick and I was coughed and sneezed on many, many times over the past week! Good luck!

Romina - posted on 12/01/2009

I vaccinated my almost 3 year old, my husband is a paramedic so he got vaccinated, and I got vaccinated also to prevent getting it ourselves and sharing it with him. I avoid walmart or any shopping place and if I must go, I put him in a sling close to me. the vaccine will not give you 100% protection you can still get the flu. take the extra 5 min to wash hands and sanitize stuff. avoid crowds indoors. good luck.

Amanda - posted on 11/22/2009

I am a breastfeeding mother and I got the shot, just so that I can protect my son. He just turn four months old on the 16th and of course he is too little to get any type of shot other then his immunizations. So to protect him I got a shot along with the rest of the family. It is just a matter of what each mom wants to do.

Cassie - posted on 11/22/2009

There are always going to be side affects and concerns about any medication or vaccine. I work in a hospital and have seen our fair share of swine flu cases. The babies are the worst cases, it hits them hard and fast. I know that the it was best for me to get it to protect my four month old son. I have had both vaccines and I was told by my OB/GYN that the important antibodies will be passed through my breast milk. Do what you think is right for you and your family. I have patients that have decided not to get and to just stay in as much as possible. REMEMBER to wash your hands often and for 20 seconds. Get your kids who are older to sing the ABC's while doing it.

Annie - posted on 11/20/2009

There was a video on youtube (now removed) about a woman that had a bad reaction the the new vaccine. There are children who got the regular flu shot last year that now suffer from brain swelling! Both of my girls have all their vaccines but we chose against the h1n1 because there is not enough research and the virus is mutating anyway and most strains (according to CNN today) will not be stopped by the vaccine. Children under 10 need two shots. That's two shots too many for my child who hates shots and has a bad reaction to most anyway. You just have to do your research and do what you think is best for you and your family.

Amanda - posted on 11/17/2009

My doctor's office called me and asked me if I wanted to get the H1N1 shot due to the fact that I am caring for a child under the age of six months, which was a complete brain fart on my end. So I picked my daughter up from school that day and we went and got the shot.

YVONNE - posted on 11/13/2009

We decided not to get the H1N1 vaccination. There just isn't enough research to know whether or not it is safe. However, I do know of a product that does not contain harmful chemicals that will kill the virus in your home & it's safe enough to use on your baby's toys, etc. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Tammy And Maynard - posted on 11/13/2009

yes you can get the shot even though you are breast feeding it has no effect so i have read.

Nermeen - posted on 11/13/2009

the means of infection with that virus or any flu virus is through droplets.so stay away form any one who sneezes or coughs. When you're out shopping, wipe the cart handle with clorox wipe before touching it, and if you need to do something to your baby while in the carseat, make sure to use antiseptic first, and try to cover the carseat with a soft blanket to act as a shield. once you get home, wash your hands for about 20 sec,wash your face and neck,and change your clothes, the virus tend to stay on hard surfaces for almost 2 hours.

good luck...

Tanya - posted on 11/12/2009

Here in Alberta, parents with kids under 6 months are now eligible to get the h1n1 shot. If I didn't have my 4 month old I wouldn't bother getting it at all but I feel I have to do what's best for her so I'm getting it and so is my husband. I'm also limiting her interaction with those I know have not had the shot. I feel like you just can't be too careful right now but you have to trust your own instincts. Mommy knows best after all!

Michele - posted on 11/06/2009

infants 6 months and older can recieve the injection, and the care giver (i.e mom,dad,) of the infants below 6 months are encougard to get the shot to protect there baby. You can the shot if you are breastfeeding, you just can't get the "flu mist" which is the nasal spray kind. If you go to the cdc.gov website you can get a lot of information on the shot. If the swine flu came out just a few months earlier it would have been part of the "regular" flu shot. I will say, yes it has not been around for a long time, but the regular flu shot is different each year too and tons of people get that too. Plus, I will say working in a peds clinic and being around the "swine flu" it sure has saved me so far and my family. But everyone has there own opinions and the cdc website has a lot of info on it. Hope that helps. :)

Brandi - posted on 10/29/2009

Hi I feel the same way about the shot it is very new and i worry about that I also worry because I have 2 older kids and I dont want to get them the shot because it is so new but I also worry about what if they catch something at school and bring it home to the baby.