H1N1 vaccine

[smokeyblue]

I was on the fence about getting the vaccine. I work on an inpatient hospital unit and we were highly encouraged to get them as they became available. I came down with H1N1 the same day I could have first got the vaccine. It was awful. I missed five days of work, and honestly it wiped me out so much I could have used five more. I'm still considering getting the vaccine in case it covers another strain than I contracted. I did get the seasonal vaccine.

There have been so many healthy young people who have ended up in ICU on ventilators or even people who have died. You really have to weigh the pros and cons carefully.

A bit of a soapbox moment here. Please everyone DO NOT bring your children to a hospital unless they are patients themselves. Also, don't visit people unless it is absolutely essential. We have been enforcing our visiting policy strictly since October. The pushback from the public is so discouraging. I've been yelled and swore at when I've turned people away. It's for everyones protection. Also, I can't believe the number of people who refuse to wash or gel their hands. It's so gross!!!

 

[Princess April]

DH, DD and I all got the seasonal flu shot. DH and I got the H1N1 shot. DH and I got all of our shots free from work, all with no side effects. We paid regular co pay for DD's vaccination. No problem here at all. Ok, maybe a little bit sore at the shot site for like, maybe a day, but other than that all good! . I have asthma and getting the flu concerns me. Also, we have my grandfather visit us at times and he is undergoing chemo..... when caring for a chemo patient it's advised (at least our dr.'s have advised) that all caretakers and kids get vaccinated to protect the chemo patient.

 

[mousebymarriage]

Yes! My kids DD13 and DS8 both got the H1N1 vaccine and so did I (I have a heart condition). My DS8 had to get 2 doses (the 2nd dose was 30 days after the 1st)anyone under the age of 9 must get 2 doses. I got the shot and my kids both got the mist and none of us had any problems. My DH has a doctors appt Monday and he will also be getting the vaccine, he couldn't get it with the rest of us because he wasn't a minor and he doesn't have any chronic health problems.

 

[SandrA9810]

i'm not a vaccine kind of person. The only ones i got were the ones for school. I don't get sick very often, and it's usually not that bad. Maybe a couple days of being out of it.

 

[eeyorethegreat]

We all got both the seasonal flu and H1N1 . One of the teachers at our school is in intensive care after having got H1N1. It doesn't cause that much trouble with everyone but it sure can. There is a risk either way.

 

[TinkerbellsMagic]

No, it was offered free at my childs school and we declined. Have you checked the stats for your area? The threat is much lower now in most areas.

 

[DawnM]

No

 

[DisneyShannon]

I got both the regular flu vaccine and the h1n1 mist. I work in a hospital, so I felt I neded it. I have a friend who had the h1n1 flu and he had had the shot. We also had a 25 year old die from it, but a 4 year old lived through the h1n1. Strange how it affects people.

 

[mombare]

I got the mist back when it first came available because I work at a clinic and it was offered free. This was the first flu vaccine of any kind I have received. My DS just got it yesterday, along with the seasonal flu and 2 other shots as part of his 5 year well child visit. Poor guy! Neither of us had any concerns. I will be calling to make an appointment for DD to get H1N1.

Our area got hit very hard in late September/early October - my DD was only one of 2 who did not get it in her class. All students were out for at least one week, and some ended up hospitalized. I am not sure why DD didn't get it, but it was still very scary. One older boy just now came home from the hospital after being on a ventilator!

One note...they are expecting a resurgence of H1N1, so I don't feel we are out of the woods yet. Because we have no concerns with vaccination reactions, my thought is that we are better to be safe and proactive than end up on a ventilator. I have never felt that way about the seasonal flu, though.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[pamjb]

My youngest got the H1N1 and his regular flu shot. He has a cardiac patient, so it is must for him. I got my flu shot, as they were offering thru my work. DH couldn't get a flu shot, as supplies were short. My oldest could of gotten the shot thru his college health center, but wouldn't go much to his mother's dismay.
There shouldn't be a charge for an H1N1 shot. The government is supplying the vaccine to the doctors, clinics, etc. If you get it at your doctor's office, they may charge for an administration fee, but not for the vaccine itself.

 

[snowsnow21]

I think that we all need to be careful

 

[aimlyles]

DH and my two sons (8, 1) got the regular flu shot but not H1N1. I haven't had any.

 

[HLDisney]

Yup. My DD got the mist the 1st time and then the shot the 2nd time, both at school. I got it at work.

We also get the seasonal flu vaccination every year.

Helen

 

[piglet33]

This was our personal decision after lots of research. I know some will disagree, but todays vaccines are very safe and in some situations, parents are very irresponsible for not vaccinating their children (I'm not saying this is the case with HINI, but more so with standard childhood vaccinations). There have been some outbreaks of measles & mumps in our area, due to children not getting appropriate vaccinations. I guess it is the personal decision of the parent to not vaccinate their child, but unfortunately in these situations, there were infants that became infected by the older children, because the infants were not old enough yet to have received all of their doses (Most happened to be at the same daycare center). Kind of the innocent bystander becoming victim.

For those concerned about mercury in the H1N1 vaccine, I know at least locally, there have been thimerosal-free doses available. Not sure, but this may be an option for standard childhood vaccinations also. May not be as readily available, but might be worth seeking out.

So, please parents, when doing your thought & research, please don't just think of yourselves, please consider the safety of society in general.

Okay, stepping off my soapbox...

I'm not thinking of myself. I'm thinking about my daughter and her safety so she did not and will get it. It is my responsibility as her mother to make sure she is safe, and I just don't feel that there is enough information on that vaccine for it to be given to her. This is our choice.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

No. We didn't get it. We don't get regular flu vaccines either.

Same here. Except Dh, I know he has to get a flu shot for the National Guard so he may have had the H1N1 vaccine as well.

 

[kidshop]

I did, and we chose the mist. I haven't heard of any side effects from the mist at all. I do not/will not do the regular flu shot for either me or the kids, but the H1N1 seemed to make sense. I saw it referred to as similar to getting a tetanus shot, as it is targeted to a specific disease.

 

[2bearsmom]

All of us got the HINI vaccine. 3 of us got the nasal mist, 1 got the shot. Our 2 children got both the 1st dose & booster. No issues for anyone.

This was our personal decision after lots of research. I know some will disagree, but todays vaccines are very safe and in some situations, parents are very irresponsible for not vaccinating their children (I'm not saying this is the case with HINI, but more so with standard childhood vaccinations). There have been some outbreaks of measles & mumps in our area, due to children not getting appropriate vaccinations. I guess it is the personal decision of the parent to not vaccinate their child, but unfortunately in these situations, there were infants that became infected by the older children, because the infants were not old enough yet to have received all of their doses (Most happened to be at the same daycare center). Kind of the innocent bystander becoming victim.

For those concerned about mercury in the H1N1 vaccine, I know at least locally, there have been thimerosal-free doses available. Not sure, but this may be an option for standard childhood vaccinations also. May not be as readily available, but might be worth seeking out.

So, please parents, when doing your thought & research, please don't just think of yourselves, please consider the safety of society in general.

Okay, stepping off my soapbox...

I think of myself, dh and kids first...I would not have my kids get a flu mist vaccine up their nose and then go to school coughing and sneezing all over everyone, possibly infecting them with the virus...I don't care how little of a live virus it may contain, it's still a live virus and still has the potential to cause H1N1...So I am considering others as well. Now it comes out the mist and the children's injectable have been recalled because they weren't strong enough... I've had the flu twice before and my 8yr old had it when he was 6. I would much rather us be down and out for 5 days and allow our bodies to fight it off naturally then get injections without knowing what may happen to our bodies years down the line from the ingredients in the vaccine. Thank goodness I had a talk with my ds about vaccines and how he was not permitted to get one and what he should do if they try to give him an injection while at school because of the whole swine flu thing...he came home Wed saying the teachers were asking the students if they were getting/wanted the H1N1 injection and if they said yes they went to one of the media rooms to get it. I had no idea this was even happening that day...

 

[princessmom29]

I so wish we had the opportunity to get the vac. before we contracted H1N1, but there was none to be had. DD brought it home from school and only had 2 day feeling cruddy with a fever ect. I on the other hand was sick for a full week even with tamiflu, and got a secondary respitory infection. It was misery, and I never want to go through that again. For the vast majority of the population vaccines are a safe an effective way to prevent disease, and I wish we had gotten access to this one before we got sick.

 

[princessmom29]

I think of myself, dh and kids first...I would not have my kids get a flu mist vaccine up their nose and then go to school coughing and sneezing all over everyone, possibly infecting them with the virus...I don't care how little of a live virus it may contain, it's still a live virus and still has the potential to cause H1N1...So I am considering others as well. Now it comes out the mist and the children's injectable have been recalled because they weren't strong enough... I've had the flu twice before and my 8yr old had it when he was 6. I would much rather us be down and out for 5 days and allow our bodies to fight it off naturally then get injections without knowing what may happen to our bodies years down the line from the ingredients in the vaccine. Thank goodness I had a talk with my ds about vaccines and how he was not permitted to get one and what he should do if they try to give him an injection while at school because of the whole swine flu thing...he came home Wed saying the teachers were asking the students if they were getting/wanted the H1N1 injection and if they said yes they went to one of the media rooms to get it. I had no idea this was even happening that day...

the virus in the nasal mist is in a weakened form. It is essentially half dead already. It is highly unlikely to get it from taking the vaccine, unless you are immunocompromised. It is almost impossible to trasmit the weakened for to others and have it infect them. The only way anyone woh taked the nasal vac could infect someone else would be that they were immunocompromised enough to be infected by the weakened form.

 

[StephMK]

Our county offered it last week at DD's high school so I dragged all the kids over. DD15 got the mist. Since DD9 has asthma & DS has had issues in the past, we all got the shot. They have to go back for a second shot in a month. I felt a mild headache & slightly sore arm but that may have been my imagination more than an actual reaction. The kids did fine and had no problems.

DD15 also got the regular flu shot since she happened to have a check up when they had a supply. I have not gotten them for the younger two since whenever I call, they have been out.