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October 2009
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Have you heard about this swine flu thing? Apparently it's a big deal these days! Of course, I'm kidding, we've all heard all about the swine flu. News about the swine flu (or H1N1) is EVERYWHERE. I don't know about any of you other moms, but I feel overwhelmed by the amount of information that is circulating about this strain of the flu virus. This has been a popular topic of conversations with some of my mommy friends. How serious is it? Are you worried about Jude (my son) getting it? Will you get Jude vaccinated? Should I get my kids vaccinated? What happens if my kid gets it? What are the symptoms? When should I take my kid to the doctor or the ER? Whew! Let me tell you, honestly...I don't know the answers to these questions and I don't think many of us do. In my experience, there are a lot of moms out there who are worried about it, but they don't really know what to do. I feel like there is so much swine flu coverage on TV and online, that I'm on information overload and I'm not sure what I will do when it comes to my son's health. I've been disinfecting the house and using a lot of hand sanitizer, but aside from that, I've been confused about what steps to take to protect my family from the swine flu. The swine flu vaccine is now available for children ages 2 and up, but that doesn't help me, the mom of a 1-year-old. And truthfully, I'm not sure if I would let my son get it anyway. Several moms that I've talked say they won't give their kids the vaccine because they think it was rushed into production and maybe not tested enough. Bottom line: Moms are worried, and so am I. I don't have the answers, I just wanted to see what some of you other moms think. Will you get your kids vaccinated? What if your kids are too young for the vaccine? What are you doing to keep your kids safe from the swine flu? You can leave your comments below or e-mail me: aspriggs@kmov.com I'm taking my son for his one-year check-up today, so I hope my pediatrician is ready to answer A TON of questions! I'll let you know what he says. In the meantime, here is some info from Web MD.com, maybe it will help you get answers to some of your questions. 4 CommentsLeave a comment |
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I just did an interview with a pediatrician and author of the book, Dangerous or Safe. Dr. Natterson chose to vaccinate her own children with for regular seasonal flu and said she would probably opt for the swine flu if it becomes available.
Perhaps the interview will be helpful to your readers. It's posted at MyMommyManual.com
I also have an appointment to talk to Dr. Ferguson next week, who has a contrary view.
My older kids and many of their friends have already had H1N1. They weren't very sick and bounced right back. For whatever reason, my youngest never got sick, or at least not noticeably. It was not a big deal, and in the absence of underlying health problems, I wouldn't have given them the vaccine even if it had been available before they got sick....might as well save it for someone who needs it more.
By the way, disinfecting the house and using lots of hand sanitizer carries its own set of risks. The body's immune system is developed by small everyday exposures to pathogens, and when you over-sanitize, you interfere with that process.
Hi, I too have pondered whether or not to vacinate my children, they are all old enough for it. With the recent total of children that have died from this already in the U.S.-it was 77 deaths I believe, I am leaning towards having them vacinated. In a usual year between 80-90 something children die from the regular year, so this number of 77 from the swine flu alarms me as we are so early into the flu season.
I am curious to know what your pediatrician said.
Thanks for the link.
I've had two kids with H1N1 already this season. It's awful and it lasts about 8-10 days. Lots of rest, fluids and Tylenol.