H1N1 Vaccine: To Vaccinate or to Not Vaccinate
I sit in the doctor’s waiting room so that my two year old, who we call Yissie, can get her shots updated all the while two young boys sit still with their faces strapped to a flu mask. “Oh NO,” I thought, H1N1 here we come. The poor boys sit there looking shamed due to them being the only ones partaking in this flu mask escapade. Then a little girl points them out in disbelief blurting out, “They’re SICK!” She says this over and over again embarrassing these poor boys. I truly wanted to hug them, but feared H1N1 would be knocking at our door all too soon.
We get called back past the waiting room and I’m very relieved. Then my poor lil’ Yissie has to go to the potty. GERMS, GERMS, and more GERMS is all that is on my mind as I sit her portable potty on the seat of the doctor offices toilet. Stacked high in the waste bin is tissue. This mountain of tissue made me more nervous then the two boys that may have had H1N1! What’s a mother to do? I hold Yissie’s hands high in the air and snap at her every time she gets close to touching anything.
After all these fears of my poor baby getting H1N1 within a thirty minutes span, the doctor tells me he can give her the H1N1 vaccine via nasal spray well after their recording told me they didn’t have any vaccines available.
Great, I’ve been at odds with the choices we have as parents… Too vaccinate or to not vaccinate? My husband texted me having an outright fit, he sternly told me she can and will not get the H1N1 vaccine the same day she receives the seasonal flu vaccine. He feels this would stress her lil’ body out if we gave her both vaccines. He tells me to wait a few weeks! Okay I’m darned if I do, and darned if I don’t.
Are you vaccinating your children with the H1N1 vaccine? I decided I will vaccinate my children with the H1N1 vaccine. I haven’t yet due to overcrowded clinics and because I just barely decided I was going to let my children get the vaccine but a few weeks ago. Please share by commenting if your family has been vaccinated or what your stance on the H1N1 vaccine is. I’m very interested in your experience and opinions.
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Jerilyn
December 11, 2009
Christine
December 11, 2009
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Jennfier
December 11, 2009
we vaccinated.
my littlest one is 15 months old and egg allergic and can not be vaccinated. our trusted doctor ( and that is important ) supported us vaccinating everyone around him as he is vulnerable for a few reasons. my daughter and husband are severe asthmatics. we have taken the flu shot since our girl was 2 ( she is 10 now) and have never had a bad reaction or concern. not have we been sick. good luck? perhaps:).
my older son had h1n1 this fall. it was awful, but he recovered fully after about 3 weeks ( this was before the vaccine was available).
now, here is the heartbreak.
my friend’s daughter died from h1n1 on October 24th. she was the exeption – a perfectly healthy 10 year old girl who was simply completely taken out by this virus. within 3 days. it is horrible, was horrible, remains horrible. we are all devastated.
then my little guy? the reason for the concern? got h1n1 the same week my friend’s daughter died. our area was rife with it. even though i took him out of his babysitter’s, even though i changed how we did things…he still got it. and badly. he was very sick. that was october 28th…we are now december 10th and have had our first healthy week with him. the secondary infections that occur are almost as bad as the flu itself. but he has recovered.
so, yeah, we vaccinated, have had extended family arguments about it, debated it with friends…until the tragedy. and then we just did what we felt was right for us, no more debates, no more justifications.
sorry this was so long…