H1N1 related question

[momx2]

My oldest DD 11 has asthma. 3 weeks ago she tested positive for type A flu, dr. said it was H1N1. My youngest DD 8, no asthma, had gotten sick the day before, but tested negative for flu. They had the same symptoms. DD 8 got a secondary sinus infection so she saw the doctor again and he said that 50%of the negative tests were wrong and he was all but sure she had H1N1 also.

Now my question...should they still get the vaccine? I was on the fence to begin with, but was going to get it due to DD 11 having asthma. I just don't know now. My dad was all over me to still get them the vaccine. What do you guys think?

 

[golfgal]

DS14 has it now, I won't be getting him the vaccine, DD14 probably had it last week, same exact symptoms, I won't get her the vaccine. DS17 has not had it, if he has not had it when the vaccines are available around here, he will get one. Chances are he will get it before they are available though.

 

[C.Ann]

My oldest DD 11 has asthma. 3 weeks ago she tested positive for type A flu, dr. said it was H1N1. My youngest DD 8, no asthma, had gotten sick the day before, but tested negative for flu. They had the same symptoms. DD 8 got a secondary sinus infection so she saw the doctor again and he said that 50%of the negative tests were wrong and he was all but sure she had H2N1 also.

Now my question...should they still get the vaccine? I was on the fence to begin with, but was going to get it due to DD 11 having asthma. I just don't know now. My dad was all over me to still get them the vaccine. What do you guys think?

That's a good question - that no one seems to have a definitive answer to.. On one of the other H1N1 threads I was talking about when my DGD and her dad got so sick last spring when this virus made it's first sweep.. They had just returned from a 4 day trip with a large group of people who had some from an area that was experiencing a significant outbreak of Swine Flu.. They were both tested (swabbed) and the tests results were negative for H1N1.. However, at that time there wasn't really any "regular" seasonal flu going around.. If they knew for sure - 100% - that it was a "false" negative, it would save them from having to deal with the idea of getting vacinated now, but from what I understand, there's no way of determining that after the fact..

I guess if you have no concerns over the vaccine you could just go ahead and do it.. It's really frustrating that we all have to deal with this difficult decision this year..

Good luck with whatever you decide..

 

[momx2]

I did read on the CDC website that since they didn't have the actual H1N1 test (because it isn't available) that they should have the vaccine. I just don't know. Some doctors are saying that next year it will be worse than this year and the vaccine will prevent against different strains. I'm just so torn????

 

[Christine]

My son (14) had a flu-like illness last week. It was pretty bad. I took him in because he has asthma. He tested negative for A or B influenza but the doc still put him on Tamiflu because the false negative rate is pretty high (as you said--at least 50%). But, the doc said since the test was negative he wanted my son to have the H1N1 vaccine. If it had been positive he would have told him to skip it.

 

[Green Tea]

I asked my doctor when I had a child in there with it. She said the test is really unreliable with a lot of false negatives. So, my child was dx by exam, not test. She said to go ahead and have the shot.

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

My son (14) had a flu-like illness last week. It was pretty bad. I took him in because he has asthma. He tested negative for A or B influenza but the doc still put him on Tamiflu because the false negative rate is pretty high (as you said--at least 50%). But, the doc said since the test was negative he wanted my son to have the H1N1 vaccine. If it had been positive he would have told him to skip it.

Same thing happened to me, and I will be getting the vaccine for sure because I have asthma. I will also be getting my kids the vaccine to be sure as well.

 

[golfgal]

My issue is that the vaccine is in limited supply already there is a 99% chance 2 of our kids have had it already. I don't feel right about taking the vaccine away from someone that might need it more. Besides, we still can't get it here even if we wanted to-we have only had 30,000 shipped to our state and health care workers are first in line for those and it isn't even close to enough to cover just THEM.

 

[monkeybug]

This is just what I would personally do. I know that others have different viewpoints on vaccine,and I respect that, but after my research and experience I feel they are safe. My kids receive all their vaccines including seasonal flu as soon as they are the eligible age. None of us have ever had any adverse side effects, it's over before they know it, and it's a lot less of a pain for me to go to the DR for a vaccine than for an illness. I would just go ahead and get the vaccine like the CDC is recommending, especially if your daughter has asthma. What is there to lose? The vaccine is free, and then you don't have to worry about it anymore. The side effects from the vaccine (if any, we didn't have any) are bound to be much milder than if either of them got the actual flu.
Again, this is just what I personally would do.

 

[monkeybug]

My issue is that the vaccine is in limited supply already there is a 99% chance 2 of our kids have had it already. I don't feel right about taking the vaccine away from someone that might need it more. Besides, we still can't get it here even if we wanted to-we have only had 30,000 shipped to our state and health care workers are first in line for those and it isn't even close to enough to cover just THEM.

I expressed a similar concern when I took my son in to get vaccinated and after speaking to the nurse a few minutes she suggested I get it too. I babysit a 5 month old baby once a week, but only for a few hours, and Mom is home so if ever I was sick we would just skip it. The nurse told me she thought I should get the vaccine, but I told her that I was concerned about taking it from someone who might really need it. She told me that the people most at risk couldn't get the mist anyways, and that when people like me who are more likely to get the flu (around large groups of school age children) get vaccinated they help to stop the transmission of the flu, and for some of the population who can't get vaccinated that could be their only protection. She insisted that I get it. (and in our area they are still accepting appointments for h1n1 mist)
I think that if the CDC is recommending that people get the vaccine even if they have had a probable case of h1n1, then you are OK. I think that if there were a danger of not having enough vaccine to vaccinate the target group they wouldn't make that recommendation.

 

[mamamary]

A boy in my daughter's class tested positive last week for H1N1. A day or so later about 10 kids were out sick in the class - my daughter being one of them. She wasn't too sick. her Dr. even said not to come into the office since she wasn't that sick plus they are trying to keep flu out of the office. Anyway, I'm still going to go ahead with the vaccine when it arrives at the school - hopefully in about a week or so.

 

[Christine]

I heard that there will be no shortage of H1N1 vaccine. Sure, it is coming out in waves and some won't be able to get it until November, but that that is a locality issue more than a shortage issue. I heard that everyone who wants it will be able to get it. Soooo...if you are worried about taking it from someone who needs it more, I wouldn't.

 

[HM]

My kids (16 and 14) have not had H1N1 that we know of. It has been rampant at their school all semester. Many of their close friends have had it. I will not be getting them vaccinated. I feel that they've already been exposed plenty and would have been sick already if they were going to get it.

Since you think your kids might have already been sick....if I were you, I would not get the vaccine.

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

There won't be a shortage. We may have to be patient for the next few weeks as it rolls out, but the government has ordered more doses than there are people who are willing to be vaccinated.

 

[JessicaR]

From CDC website:

If you have had 2009 H1N1 flu, as confirmed by an RT-PCR test, you should have some immunity against 2009 H1N1 flu and can choose not to get the 2009 H1N1 vaccine. However, vaccination of a person with some existing immunity to the 2009 H1N1 virus will not be harmful.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/public/vaccination_qa_pub.htm

Personally, if I had a confirmed case or my kids, I would not get the vaccine.

 

[Green Tea]

What was different about the botched vaccine in '76(?) for swine flu? Was it manufactured in a different manner? This year's is just like getting a regular flu shot, yes? Just protecting against a different strain of the virus. Each year the regular shot changes depending on what is expected. Next year the regular flu shot will likely have the h1n1 in it?

 

[Christine]

What was different about the botched vaccine in '76(?) for swine flu? Was it manufactured in a different manner? This year's is just like getting a regular flu shot, yes? Just protecting against a different strain of the virus. Each year the regular shot changes depending on what is expected. Next year the regular flu shot will likely have the h1n1 in it?

GreenTea--they never actually have proven that the 1976 vaccine caused anything, although it may have. And I do believe that manufacturing processes for flu vaccines changed approximately 20 years ago. Not sure, but I did read something to that effect.

From a website:

If you are asking the question as to whether or not the vaccine is safe, there was at least one study that cited a link to Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS, an auto-immune system attack on the central nervous system causing paralysis which is usually treatable) in the 1970's Swine Flu vaccine, which generally ended the program of inoculations. Other studies found no connection to GBS.

 

[james'mommy]

I had H1N1 2 weeks ago. I'm not planning to get the vaccine but if it becomes readily available I might get it just to be sure.