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[C.Ann]

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[ScotsMinnie]

To be honest I have not really made any preparations at all. If we catch it I will deal with it as I would have dealt with flu any other year. The schools here go back in 2 weeks so who knows what will happen then. If the vaccine becomes available and I am eligible then I probably will get it.

Just making sure hands are washed etc and hoping for the best.

 

[C.Ann]

To be honest I have not really made any preparations at all. If we catch it I will deal with it as I would have dealt with flu any other year. The schools here go back in 2 weeks so who knows what will happen then. If the vaccine becomes available and I am eligible then I probably will get it.

Just making sure hands are washed etc and hoping for the best.

Our schools don't open until after Labor Day (which is late this year), so by then quite a few schools in the south and other areas will have been in session for awhile and it will give us some kind of idea how fast (or slow - fingers crossed - LOL) this thing will resurface..

 

[cart-mom]

Okay, I'll start. I took my two oldest in for their check-ups in June and the Pediatrician suggested making an appointment then for their flu shots (all four of my kids will be getting them). I too will be getting one as I volunteer at their school and sub at a pre-school. As far as planning or taking precautions at this point - I haven't. I'm still going to Disney in 24 days and we're going to live our life normally to a degree. I'm on my kids all the time about washing their hands. They cough into their elbows and not their hands. They carry tissues in their backpacks and hand sanitizer. They know not to share anything they are drinking. When we go to soccer practice, I make sure I bring extra in case another kid has "forgotten" their drink. And they are taking daily vitamins.

This is the stuff the doctor's have been saying around here. Just keep to these kind of daily practices and you should be fine. If anyone starts showing signs of the flu they will stay home. Like my Gran always says "An ounce of prevention".

 

[C.Ann]

Like my Gran always says "An ounce of prevention".

My mom's favorite saying as well - even at 90 years of age - soon to be 91 in September..

 

[jen2207]

My DH owns an engineering firm and we had two employees test positive for H1N1 last month. While the knee-jerk reaction is shocking - truly both cases were successfully treated with with medication and there were no real dramatic instances. The key to this flu seems to be paying attention to early symptoms, staying home when you are sick to keep from spreading and treatment with medication (Tamiflu, I believe).

That being said, yes I will most likely have each of my kids vaccinated. I am contemplating another pregnancy in the next few months so I would like to be on the safer side for all of us. But I'll heed my Doctor's advice.

 

[C.Ann]

These are very well thought out responses.. I know they believe the "key" is in getting children vaccinated ASAP (when available) because of the spread through schools and then bringing it home to other family members.. Makes sense to me..

 

[allyphoe]

I had a flu-like illness this summer (4+ days of 101F+ fever, exhaustion, body aches), but standard of care in my area wasn't to test for H1N1 unless you were hospitalized. So I think there's a reasonable chance that I had it, and should be lower-priority for immunization, on the grounds that I likely have some natural immunity now. OTOH, I spend the entirety of flu season driving around town doing home visits on people with kids, so have lots of opportunities for exposure (and passing stuff on in the time between being infectious and developing symptoms). So if there's no vaccine shortage, I'll probably get the shot for myself, along with my normal annual flu shot.

DD6 is prone to respiratory things, and is in the recommended age group, so will get both H1N1 and seasonal flu shots.

 

[kacaju]

due to the fact that my husbands company (public utility) has already supplied our whole family with tamiflu (about 2-3 years ago when they were worried about a bird flu outbreak). I am guessing they may make this vaccine available to my family if needed. if not, yes we will get one anyway. Dh has some health issues that make him high risk and so does one of our dd's.
A few years ago when the flu shot was very limited my girls all got theirs before the shortage. dh was able to get it through their Dr. since he was so high risk at that time (was going into the hospital for major heart surgery) once they lifted the ban I was able to get it (through the kids Dr.) due to my living with dh and possibly exposing him to it.

We always get flu shots so this would not be a big deal.

 

[ScotsMinnie]

It seems as well that many people are choosing not to take the Tamiflu when they have confirmed cases of swine flu. It only shortens the period you feel unwell by about a day and it causes terrible nausea. Most people should be able to fight it off themselves. Obviously not everyone can. I would be unsure whether to take the treatment or not. I would obviously heed the advice of my doctor.

I am starting a teaching qualification in 2 weeks so will be in different schools all year. We have no word at all about when the vaccine will be available.

 

[CandleontheWater]

Since I'm pregnant (and about to enter my 3rd Trimester) I'm planning on getting vaccinated as soon as possible. I'm not going to do anything differently, although DH has suggested I stay home more and avoid mass transportation (secretly I think he wants me home so I'm not spending any money, lol!). I just bring my hand sanitizer and try to avoid sitting or standing next to people who look sick. I definitely do not see the need to be a shut-in until the baby is born.

 

[C.Ann]

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[lastminutemom]

Many, many sleep away camps were hard hit by the H1N1 virus this summer. It is probably a preview of what we can expect.

However, aside from being very contagious, it seems that the flu itself, at least this summer's version, was relatively mild. Like Scotsmini, around here most are foregoing Tamiflu.

Not to panic those who are pregnant, but pregnant women seem to be getting far sicker than the average non pregnant person

Here is the priority list for vaccines.

The top-priority group includes about 160 million people and contains five populations: pregnant women; household contacts of children younger than 6 months; health-care and emergency medical services workers; everyone 6 months to 24 years old; and people 25 to 64 who have conditions that put them at higher risk of serious infection and death.

Only a fraction of each targeted group is expected to want the vaccine. Once the priority groups have been immunized, the vaccine can be offered to healthy adults ages 25 to 64, and after them, people 65 and older, the committee advised.

 

[Poohbug]

I will be getting the kids the vaccine when it becomes available. We live in WI, which had the highest number of cases. Things go thru the schools so quickly that I think this will be a problem when school starts again.
Actually, last May our school district had two days when school was optional because a student had H1N1. This student was in high school but the district was willing to shut down all of the schools to head off an epidemic. We were actually in Disney at the time-so it worked out well for us.

I am also nervous about the older kids bringing it home to the little guy at home.

 

[LWatson]

This is just me and the way we do things here. We WONT be getting the vaccine. I don't do the normal flu vaccine either. Each year I got the Flu Vaccine and the 1yr my oldest son did, we both got sick with the flu really bad. Then the past 2 years we skipped the vaccine for the Flu and nobody got it. My husband is the same way except this year...he got H1N1 from someone who brought it back to the sandbox after their R&R.

I live in El Paso, Tx right on the border and we have seen over 250 cases in this town alone (5 deaths), but how many cases of the regular flu are there each year per town. I'm not going to freak out over it now that I know more about it. My husband said he felt like he had the regular flu just a little bit stronger. He did lose 10lbs, but part of that was because he was restricted to one room and nobody wanted to bring him food or anything because they were freaking out. Finally someone stepped in and brought him food, but it was a liquid diet because you are nauseated.

We just usually carry antibacterial hand foam/gel with us, wash hands often, dont go out if we are sick unless its to the doctors, and remember to take our vitamins. If they do get sick w/ signs of H1N1 then we will go to the doctors office, but upon arrival to keep others from getting it we will use the surgical masks they provide. Other than that no special stuff to do. But, I dont like going out because they cant drive here so that helps from getting it too.

Oh we were also on delayed vaccinations for normal vaccines, but once we got here and the kids were enrolled in daycare they are required by the CDC to be on their schedule for vaccines, so no more delaying vaccines (makes me a little irritated).

 

[C.Ann]

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[PollyannaMom]

I asked my doctor at my regular physical last week, and she said to wait and see how the studies in Australia go. (She said their "flu season" has already started, so they have been vaccinating, and we will have about 3 months of their data before having to make decisions here.) If the effectiveness and safety come back good, I will consider it.

 

[lastminutemom]

So far, for the most part, people older than about mid20s haven't been getting the flu at a particularly alarming rate.

At many sleep away camps, where literally 100s of kids have been affected, many of the adults didn't get sick. In fact, at one camp, many of the counselors didn't get sick, though we saw in NYC, that it spread rapidly through some high schools. Who knows?

So, C. Ann, your SIL probably isn't at high risk.

It is thought that people in their 40s and up have probably had some exposure (and thus some immunity to) this version of the flu.

 

[a1tinkfans]

Our schools don't open until after Labor Day (which is late this year), so by then quite a few schools in the south and other areas will have been in session for awhile and it will give us some kind of idea how fast (or slow - fingers crossed - LOL) this thing will resurface..

 

[lindsmom]

Our family (myself, DH, DD8) will be getting shots this year, as we will have a newborn in the house (well, hopefully - at this point it feels like I'm going to be pregnant FOREVER lol). Also I'm a childcare provider of infants so I'm in the better safe than sorry category.