H1N1/Swine Flu Vaccination

Kristi - posted on 11/05/2009

Quoting Kelly:

wow, I am very surprised by these mothers! I think you are very uninformed! I have already recieved my vaccine shot. It is safe and makes me very sad to see you play chances with your childs life. To know we are fully protected is a good feeling. If they wanted us alll dead they wouldnt have made a vaccine! They would let H1N1 kill us! I hope you make a good decision for you and your family! good luck! :)

I think you should be careful how you judge others, Kelly. I can tell you that I am VERY informed about my decision NOT to vaccinate my child, and I am not "playing chances with my child's life". I don't believe that "they" always make decisions that are best for me, my child, my husband, or the rest of my family.

As I said in my previous post, I think this is a decision that each of us have to make for ourselves and our families, and we shouldn't be judging each other's decisions ... if you don't agree with people who have chosen not to vaccinate, don't spend time with them.

I choose not to let "them" make all my decisions. I do my own research and make sure that it's the right decision for us.

Lynette - posted on 11/03/2009

i just got the vaccine through work, unfortunately i couldn't get my daughter done with me, but i think it is completely safe. i am taking my daughter to get the vaccine tomorrow and have no worries. Once i recieved the shot i felt so much better knowing that i would not be bringing the virus back to her. I think, especially since she attends daycare, that it is important for her to be vaccinated. Good luck with your decision!

Christie - posted on 10/29/2009

Melissa,

Yes thousands of people die from the seasonal flu each year HOWEVER if you look up the stats it is mostly the elderly and the flu tends to hit retirement/nursing homes and kills mostly there. So that being said although it is awful it is not publicized as much. So maybe its not blown out of proportion as it is not the elderly that are dying its children. Healthy children with no other illnesses who were fine 2 days earlier that are DYING. Although its awful that the elderly have died from the other flus it is because of their health and low immune systems so the seasonal flu that most can get over end ends up killing them. This is the reason why we need to protect our children because this flu is KILLING children unlike the seasonal flu. Im not sure where you live however here in Ontario a 14 year old boy died this week from H1N1 he was a hockey player and in great health. That is the reason why I chose to get my 1 year old daughter vaccinated. If a healthy athletic child can catch the H1N1 and die from it how is my child going to survive if she catches it? Im going to do everything I can to keep her healthy.

This as well is just my opinion

Melissa - posted on 10/28/2009

Kelly..

Just because you have got your shot does not mean you are fully protected. Only 85% of people who get the shot will build up immunity. You can still get H1N1 after having the shot, it's just a much milder form.

Parents who choose not to get their children vaccinated against the H1N1 are not taking chances with their kids lives. There is no evidence to support the notion that the H1N1 virus is any worse than the regular seasonal flu. Yes, people have died from the H1N1 virus but thousands die from the seasonal flu every year, they are just not publicized as much. I think this whole Swine Flu has been blown way out of proportion by the media. Swine Flu was first publicized months ago yet you rarely hear anything about it in the past few months until now.. now that the vaccines are out and the pharmacuetical companies are ready to cash in. Just my opinion.

Sara - posted on 10/28/2009

I think some people are misinformed about the link between childhood vaccines and autism...specifically the fact that there isn't a direct link between the two. This has been a misconception that has been spread around for years.
I completely agree that everyone needs to make their own decision on what they feel is best for their family. Do your research (but don't believe everything you read on the internet and watch in the media- a lot of that is biased), talk to your doctor and weigh the pros and cons.
My personal thought...the risk of not getting the shot and getting H1N1 and something serious happening is greater than getting the shot and something happening down the road.

Kelly - posted on 10/28/2009

wow, I am very surprised by these mothers! I think you are very uninformed! I have already recieved my vaccine shot. It is safe and makes me very sad to see you play chances with your childs life. To know we are fully protected is a good feeling. If they wanted us alll dead they wouldnt have made a vaccine! They would let H1N1 kill us! I hope you make a good decision for you and your family! good luck! :)

Jenifer - posted on 10/24/2009

I work in a hospital, so NYS decided to mandate all health care workers to get both the regular flu & H1N1 vaccines. I did the regular one and was very hesitant on the H1N1, as I'm concerned about the effects it might have on my children (am I going to be contagious?), and should I have my kids get it too? So, I did some research and heres what I found out...
The flu shot is changed every year to reflect what the most common viruses are for that year, so it is always a new vaccine when it comes out.
The H1N1 was created in the same way the regular flu shot was.
The multi-dose vial of H1N1 containes mercury - making it have a longer shelf life - the individual doses do NOT have mercury - therefore making them safer as mercury in past vaccines, has been linked to autism in children.
The nasal H1N1 is a live virus!

NY has since lifted the mandate for health care workers to have both shots, so it's now a personal choice.

Kristi - posted on 10/24/2009

I totally agree Katie! I probably should have said something at the time, but didn't because I was flabbergasted ... I don't understand some people. Hopefully his one year shots on November 12 go better!!! Although I will probably still cry!

Katie - posted on 10/23/2009

Ooohhhh my... Kristi, I don't know how or why you would put up with a [pardon my french] twat like that! [I'm sorry if I offended anyone with the use of that word, but I do believe that it was warranted under the circumstances. ]



I'm not familiar with protocol or procedures in your area, but I have no doubt that if you were to mention her inapropriate behaviour to someone higher in the ranks than her that she would be reprimanded and at the very least you would be referred to someone different. Honestly, who actually *wants* to see their child in pain REGARDLESS of how much good it will do them in the long run? It's not as if you said you'd rather he didn't get the vaccines.

Crystal - posted on 10/22/2009

No.. don't! You are better off, just making sure your little one is pumped full of vitamins..D & B especially.. Do some research. The side effects are far worse than the actual flu. In 1976 they had the same vaccine and it killed more people than the actual flu did. Although this is a personal choice, you asked, and I say do the research and make an educated decision about the vaccine. From the research I have done, I would rather take my chances with the swine flu. Also to let you know, more people die from the regular flu than have ever died from the swine flu.. The reason people die from the flu at all is because they don't go and get help soon enough.. (thanks to our lovely healthcare system).. Just please make an informed decision.. and your post here was a start!

Kristi - posted on 10/22/2009

Yep - that's what I thought. My husband, who's a jokester, but in situations with people he doesn't know is very quiet ... looked at her like she had three heads. I almost laughed out loud. I don't think 99.999% of us make decisions that would hurt our children on purpose, we just want information ... or in my case I just wanted someone to understand that I FEEL BAD for making my kid cry, even though it's good for him!

Natalie - posted on 10/22/2009

What a bitch.. lol

Kristi - posted on 10/22/2009

Hi Katie - the reason that I am a little bit worried about the health nurse saying something, because when I was taking Wes to his 4 month shots, I said "gosh, it makes me sad to see him cry from something I am causing" - I was simply saying it's sad to see my baby cry - and the nurses response to me was "Do you want to see pictures of what happens to babies who DON'T get vaccinated?" What the heck was that all about?! I told her that No, that wasn't necessary, as I understand the necessity of vaccinations, I was simply telling you that it made me sad to see my kid cry ... she said nothing and got on with her work. Sometimes people don't think before they speak - and that's ok with the general public, but a nurse? What if I was a young mom who didn't have a lot of esteem in my abilities as a mother? I would have walked away from that experience feeling even more unsure!

Morgan - posted on 10/22/2009

I havent gotten the flu shot since i was a teen since everytime i get it i get really sick. Im still iffy on my daughter and i know my fiance wont be getting it. We live in Clovis, California and i know the H1N1 has already entered the area. A little one has already passed in a different city this past week.

Katie - posted on 10/21/2009

If it comes down to it, just tell the nurse or doctor that the flu/H1N1 vaccine goes against your personal belief system.



Let me clarify: this has NOTHING to do with ANY religion. Your PERSONAL BELIEF SYSTEM are things that YOU personally believe in. This can include yourself, the tooth fairy, and your PERSONAL views of right vs. wrong, etc.



That being said, because there can be a fine line between one's personal convictions and one's religious convictions, most people will not ask for any elaboration beyond "I am opposed to it", as that opens the door for claims of discrimination.



I hope that helps!

Kristi - posted on 10/21/2009

We have had our son get all the "normal" vaccines (with the year one's coming up soon) ... and I am ready for a fight with the health nurse that will likely happen when we go in on November 12 for Wes's year shots about our decision NOT to get Wes the flu and H1N1 shot

Katie - posted on 10/21/2009

I think that this is one topic that paranoia/uncertainty is more than allowed on either side of the coin. Everything surrounding H1N1 is so new that it's virtually impossible to say what might happen.



Good luck ladies, I hope that whatever you decide it works out for the best! :)

Natalie - posted on 10/21/2009

I haven't had the flu shot since I was a kid...
I got my daughter all her vaccinations but I agree that it's a very personal topic..Just was interested to see if there are other momma's out there as paranoid as I am about this vaccination lol ;)

Kristi - posted on 10/21/2009

Oh, I live in Drumheller, Alberta (about 1 hour and 15 minutes East of Calgary)

Kristi - posted on 10/21/2009

This is a completely personal decision for all of us, and our families. I have never gotten a flu shot, and I very rarely get any kind of sickness (I get a cold about every other year - and this year is my lucky year) and I don't plan on starting this year. I will not be getting the regular flu shot, and I will not be getting that shot for my son either. My husband doesn't get the shot either. I don't think that there has been enough research into the H1N1 flu shot, so I am definitely not getting it for me or my family.

Katie - posted on 10/21/2009

I really don't know what to make of it... According to The National [Global], one version is going to be available in some parts of the country as early as Monday [10/26/09] and a second version that is supposed to be preferable for pregnant women will be coming shortly thereafter. They interviewed a doctor from Health Canada and he said that they will be constantly monitoring for any long-term effects of both vaccines and while they have every confidence that the second vaccine [I can't for the life of me remember what they were calling it] is safe, there is much less experience with that type of vaccine so it was almost as if he dodged the question about potential issues with it. While I want to believe that it will be more beneficial than not to get the vaccine... that interview really didn't instill much confidence. ESPECIALLY the part about not knowing what if any long term effects there are.