Swine flu - question for those of you with children

[Pam]

Are you planning on vaccinating your children against the swine flu? Most of you probably think that is a no-brainer and are planning to. I received this link from my brother (who is very well read on health issues) and I found it to be disturbing. I am very glad that my own children are grown now and I don't have to make these kinds of decisions.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/09/01/Swine-Flu-Shot-Linked-to-Killer-Nerve-Disease.aspx

[Karen]

That looks like the UK vaccine, which may be different than the US one ... I do not have children, but my doctor will likely recommend I get the vaccine, because of my asthma.

[Cataholic]

Nope. I will not be doing so.

[AdoreMyDogs]

The swine flu is not as bad as some folks have made it out to be. It would be more of a threat to me then it would be my children since I have asthma, however, my asthma is not life-threatening, it's just annoying. I give my children as few vaccines as possible, and I have even declined some of them. I will NOT be vaccinating my children for swine flu.

[Asiel]

My grandchildren are not going near that vaccine. And as for Guillan-Barre we have 2 relatives who came down with it after taking an ordinary flu shot. My doctor doesn't recommend the swine flu shot or any of the others for that matter so I won't be touching it .
They've proven that the chicken pox vaccine that kids got yrs ago is one of the major causes of m.s. , who knows what all these new shots will trigger in later yrs.

[Miss Z]

Vaccinations are supposed to take years of rigorous testing before they are deemed safe to be distributed. The swine flu vaccine is being rushed through all procedure just to satisfy the mass hysteria that a good chunk of the population will be wiped out by this new 'killer' disease. :rolleyes:

More people die of regular winter flu every year than with this strain. The people who have unfortunately died with the disease, at least in the UK, ALL had other serious health complications.

According to a few medics I've heard from, the surface of the swine flu virus is barely any different from winter flu. There is a possibility it can mutate further, of course, but if that was the case then any vaccine administered now would be rendered useless anyway.

Good hygiene is the best way to avoid infection!

[sasvermont]

I haven't any reservations about the shot. Each of us has to do what they think is best. I have gotten the regular flu shot for the past few years and had no problems. I am willing to risk it. If you don't feel comfortable with it, then by all means, don't get it.

My Mom, who is in her late 80's will be getting the series of shots too.

There can be complications with any shots. I know someone how lost partial use of his arm, because the injection went a little too far to the right/left. There are risks with lots of things relating to medicine.

I am about ready to have major surgery in a month, and all I can think about is what could go wrong!

Oh, I have never had the flu..... so I am not sure why I feel so great about getting the shot! :eek: Let me go check on my reasoning!;)

[pomtzu]

My doctor will probably recommend that I get one because of my compromised immune system, but from what I've been reading about it, I think I'll pass on it and take my chances. I'll just get my regular seasonal flu shot and be done with it.

[Christmas_Hamster]

I don't have kids, which is good because most people look down on teen pregnancy. :P

Anyways I probably won't get the shot myself. My Dad had the swine flu as did a few of my classmates. Guess what! The strain that seems to have found it's way to Canada and most of the US isn't deadly because they are all still alive. Weird huh it was just like the regular flu. In fact most people who had the flu probably had the swine flu and didn't bother to check because they weren't dying. I'd prefer to see more testing done and more of that research released. But remember companies with hold some parts of their studies to make it look better. ;)

[Catty1]

As of July 17, 2009:

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/07/17/who-swine-flu-counting.html


The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has counted 37,000 H1N1 cases so far in the United States, with 211 deaths.


Canada has reported more than 10,000 swine flu incidents, with 49 associated deaths.


By contrast, Britain suffered 21,000 deaths attributed to seasonal flu in the 1999-2000 winter alone.

Now, out of almost 30 million people, 49 deaths is not huge. I don't plan to get the shot, but will sure wash my hands a lot! Mom and I are taking small containers of sanitizer on our cruise...wouldn't be surprised if the ship had containers on board.

Judging from the above, it makes more sense to get the seasonal flu shot.

[luckies4me]

Nope. I will not be doing so.

Neither will I!

[Husky_mom]

More people die of regular winter flu every year than with this strain. The people who have unfortunately died with the disease, at least in the UK, ALL had other serious health complications.

Good hygiene is the best way to avoid infection!

Agreed...

many of the deceased here were people of poor hygiene and people who allowed it to escalate to the point of no return...

good hygiene and proper care of any disease should not end in life threat... so no .. no vaccine for us... although hubby got regular flu vaccinated when it all started.. but was his job policy...

[Pam]

Thanks for your input everyone. :) I am not planning to get it for myself since I have no underlying health concerns. The last time I got the regular flu shot was at my boss' suggestion since they were offering them for some ridiculously cheap price at the CVS across the street from my office and HE wanted us all protected. Other than that I never get the shot and only had the flu twice in all of my years and I am no spring chicken. haha!

My real concern is for people with children. *They* are saying that most cases are among children. Of course that scares me because I have two grandchildren. My one grandson is very prone to upper respiratory sorts of things but there is so much negative stuff being reported about this vaccine, regarding not enough time being tested, etc.. Thank God it will be my daughter's decision about what to do as my own kids are grown. I know that the medical profession will direct us in the safest way they know how, but it is the drug companies (makers of the vaccines of ALL types) who concern me. I am still not convinced that there isn't a link between all of the super-innoculating we do to our children these days and autism.

Again, thank you for replying. Christmas_Hamster your post cracked me up...
I don't have kids, which is good because most people look down on teen pregnancy. :P

[AdoreMyDogs]

At Vince's last doctor appointment which was August 26th, his pediatrician and I talked about swine flu. The conversation came up because I found out the very exam room I was in, 5 hours earlier, had 2 kids with the flu in it :eek: :eek:. I asked her if it was the "swine flu" and she said, "no, and actually it would have been better if it WERE the H1N1 strain, as it's less painful and shorter lived then the other flu bugs out there now. The H1N1 strain has life span is shorter and it goes away a lot quicker. My sister-in-law had swine flu and she's even a heavy smoker and she was all better in just 2 days. She said it was annoying as every time she laid down she started coughing. I've had the flu before in my lifetime and it lasted a lot longer then 2 days, so the swine flu is not as bad as some of the other flu strains out there. My babies' pediatrician (I just absolutely adore her, by the way) said that she never, ever suggests flu vaccines for anyone. She and I both are in agreement when it comes to over vaccinating our kids.

[wolfsoul]

Honestly I don't want to vaccinate my baby for anything (hubby does, so we're compromising and delaying vaccines and choosing which ones to do and which to leave out).

The way I look at it, the regular flu kills 500,000 people per year (with 3-5 MILLION severe cases where people are hospitilized). The swine flu has killed 3,800 people this year. Yes, there IS a chance it could mutate into something worse -- but there is a chance that the regular seasonal flu could turn into something worse too! If we look back in history, there was an H1NI flu that killed 1 billion people -- that was a mutation of our regular flu. Then the Asian flu, and the Hong Kong flu, that killed millions. I think the people that are freaking out about a pandemic need to take a look at the bigger picture. Every virus has a possiblity of mutating and creating a pandemic. I wouldn't vaccinate myself for anything that has such limited testing. They only just started human testing last month and they plan to have it out this month. For all we know this vaccine itself could wipe out millions of people. Too scary for me.

I'll take my chances -- limit vaccinations, eat healthy, breastfeed my baby, keep away from anyone who is sick, practise proper hygiene (everyone remember to wipe down grocery cart handles! Ick!), and avoid certain places (I'm sorry but our hospital bathrooms are so disgusting I can only imagine what is hidden in the "clean" rooms -- once I have baby I'm outta there!).

[sirrahbed]

Good thread Pam thanks for posting - this has been on my mind also. My doctor will likely remind me to get my own flu shot because I am a kidney patient. Some years I do so and some years I don't. I have only had the flu once in my life and that was many eyars ago after a flu shot. Of course I read all the stuff about how the newer vaccines are safer and all.... but like you I am worry more because of my grandbabies and the fact that the vaccine is so new. I have in the past refused vaccines for my children - not a popular thing to do but oh well. The H1N1 - I am also reading and wondering. Like Leslie above, my undertsanding is that the swine flu is not that serious in itself but the danger lies in it becoming so widespead....our parish nurse explained the difference between endemic, pandemic and epidemic.

I think it is a pretty hard thing for a parent to decide but the better informed we are - the better able we are to make the right decsion based on that information and not to agree to fear or refuse because of stubborness or whatever.

In the meantime, we are all washing our hands more than ever and longer than ever. I am keeping fun soap dispensers in each bathroom for the grandkids and us and little bottles of hand sanitizer in my purse and in our car.

[wolfsoul]

Just wanted to add a little tip for some people -- when cleaning ourselves and the things around us, be careful what you're using! :) Lysol and similar products are scary in that they (similar to antibiotics) are starting the rise of superbugs (plus they are harmful to us!). So when washing to kill viruses, simple bleach is the best way to go, or other old-fashioned cleaners like alcohol, ammonia, or hydrogen peroxide. There are alot of good hand sanitizers that just use alcohol to kill viruses and bacteria, and you can buy baby wipes that have alcohol added to them (not to use on baby, but to wash surfaces like grocery cart handles).
Also, antibacterial soaps have chemicals that are very harmful -- regular soap is all that is nessecary!

[Cataholic]

We have sanitizer in the car, wash our hands frequently, and I remind J constantly not to touch his face! That last one is so hard to get across.

[Karen]

Okay - I heard a scientist today address the concern in the original post. And the article is wrong. This "swine flu" vaccine is NOT based on the Vaccine that caused such problems in 1976, and caused Guillan-Barre syndrome, paralysis, etc.

This "swine flu" vaccine is being based on the normal "seasonal flu" vaccine that has been used for years and years, and has undergone lots of testing. They are using that "formula" and just stripping in the specific data for this swine flu.

That makes more sense, and sounds a lot more practical, and much safer.

As for me, I will do whatever my doc advises. I trust her.

[Pam]

Okay - I heard a scientist today address the concern in the original post. And the article is wrong. This "swine flu" vaccine is NOT based on the Vaccine that caused such problems in 1976, and caused Guillan-Barre syndrome, paralysis, etc.

This "swine flu" vaccine is being based on the normal "seasonal flu" vaccine that has been used for years and years, and has undergone lots of testing. They are using that "formula" and just stripping in the specific data for this swine flu.

That makes more sense, and sounds a lot more practical, and much safer.

As for me, I will do whatever my doc advises. I trust her.

Karen, I am not trying to scare anyone...just sharing info for what it is worth. :) The complaint with this vaccine, from those I have heard in the media, is that there hasn't been enough time for proper testing. I too, trust my doctor. However, they pass out drugs to all of us that their reps bring in (I work for a doctor). Sometimes those drugs get recalled. Remember Bextra? My doctor put me on that briefly and I took it because I trusted him (still do by the way ;) ). The bottom line is that we need to be careful and informed and maybe just ask more questions when it comes to our health.

[Cataholic]

Karen, that statment about trusting your doctor scares me. I 'trust' my doctor or my son's doctor the same way I trust anyone else in the world, with a healthy dose of skepticism. No one, not even doctors, are perfect or immune to the drug companies, the practice policies, their own idiosyncracies (sic).

There is MUCH debate in the medical community about the vaccine. Enough to make me say, "no way".

[Karen]

Karen, that statment about trusting your doctor scares me.

I am sorry that scares you. I have had the same primary care physician for over 16 years. I have been through a lot with her, and she is thoughtful and careful, and if she isn't sure of an answer, she looks it up. I can email her with the "stupidest" question, and she always gets back to me. She follows up with me when I get switched to a new medication - as has happened several times when companies stopped making the meds I took.

When it comes to medical stuff, I do trust her. She has never given me reason NOT to trust her, and plenty of reasons TO trust her, and is by nature a cautious person.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

Right now I stay home with Lyra, so we are planning on vaccinating ourselves (my husband and I) so we don't inadvertently bring it home to her. If our situation changes and Lyra has to attend daycare then probably I would get her the vaccination rather than risk her getting ill.

In general I believe the medical community knows more about disease control than the general population and the CDC is recommending that children are vaccinated as they are an at-risk population. A lot of so called "evidence" that vaccinations are harmful is based on popular myth and not real science.

[Asiel]

Karen I've had the same pcp for over 25 years and trust him with everything he does for me. That doctor has gone ahead and beyond for me. But I can tell you that as far as the swine flu he is the first to tell us that there hasn't been enough research done for it to be safe. And the one relative who got that flu shot came down with Guillan Barre within 2 weeks of getting it and every neurologist agreed the shot was the cause. The other one had a regular flu shot and it can't be proven that it was the shot but his doctor told the family it was.
Because the government hands out these shots free of charge the doctors are under orders to offer the patients these shots. Our doctor offers them but never insists, he just obeys government regulations. As for being in favour of those shots he made it clear he does not trust them. If the government hands them out free it makes me think we're being used as guinea pigs for something.
I guess everyone has to do what they feel is best for their own health but I'll risk the flu before taking a shot of any kind. So far everyone taking the flu shot has come down with it every year while I haven't had it for years,probably as a child.
The one thing my doctor is very clear about is that a lot of drugs that come out haven't been tested long enough to know the long term effects in ten yrs from now.

[Karen]

Karen I've had the same pcp for over 25 years and trust him with everything he does for me. That doctor has gone ahead and beyond for me. But I can tell you that as far as the swine flu he is the first to tell us that there hasn't been enough research done for it to be safe. And the one relative who got that flu shot came down with Guillan Barre within 2 weeks of getting it and every neurologist agreed the shot was the cause. The other one had a regular flu shot and it can't be proven that it was the shot but his doctor told the family it was.

But was that back in the 1970s? That was a different vaccine ... just making sure.

[Asiel]

Nope. I was talking about the swine flu shot in one case and the simple flu shot last winter. I don't even know if we had flu shots in the 70's but I did watch a documentary with two scientists that are responsible for developping these flu shots amd both agreed that today kids are overvaccinated and the one also stated that the swine flu was not safe and is the cause of many neurological disorders. This is someone who makes these shots, to admit that they are overused and can be harmful takes a big person IMO.
I know my mom took the flu shot one year because of her advancing age and she landed in the hospital 2 days later and we almost lost her.
Guess everyone has to decide for themselves if they are worth the risk. If I had young kids not one of them would get any shots today. Autism is also not something I remember being so rampant as it is today and they do blame the shots for that, the doctors have even decided to admit to that fact.

[Pam]

**bump**

[Daisy and Delilah]

Has anybody gotten this vaccine yet? I hope people will post with any side effects or problems.

[sparks19]

Hannah will not be getting the flu or the swine flu vaccine. among other reasons... she can't have them. she has a reaction to eggs and that is a no no for the flu shot.

Brian and I most likely will be getting the regular flu shot for ourselves.

but basically we just need to be careful and wash our hands and hannahs hands and surfaces