I am with you on not knowing what to do. I have a son that will be two in November, and I want him to be protected againts the flu but fear complications later on down the road from this extremely new vaccine. What to do....what to do?

I respect doctors to the fullest also, but I have 3 girls, ages 5,9 and 15. One year I got them the seasonal flu shot and all three girls got sick. So ever since then I haven't gotten the flu shot for them again and they never got the flu again. I am in the middle of this H1N1 vaccine. I keep going back and forth on the issue. Should I get it and risk them still getting sick or not and worry about them getting a lot sicker than I can handle? I hardley ever take them to the doctor they are healthy girls, except for the occasional stomach virus but that I can handle. So I don't really know which way to go.

I am only a 'doggie mom' so I have just had to worry about whether or not to give my little guy the works...the dog vaccine is a provisional vaccine and I have decided to forego his protection. However, the Swine flu vaccine is not a provisional vaccine. It is a tried-and-true variation of a process long used.

I am a little bit of an historian and I would like to suggest that you Google '1918 Flu Pandemic' and then decide whether you want to risk losing your child. In 1918 it was not the children most at risk, it was the young adults. Tens of millions of people died world wide and the government health care and information infrastructure which we have available today was developed as a direct result of this debacle. Also, a lot of what we know about DNA developed from the research into the pandemic's cause. History books cite what they can count...which was cities and military facilities in Europe and North America but no one remembers that whole areas of people in Africa, South America and even the Indian Nations in the Western U.S. completely disappeared off the map. My own feeling is that the pandemic took more lives that did the 'Great War.'

Incidentally, I am allergic to eggs so I am never able to take any flu vaccine but let me assure you: I would if I could. I almost died of the flu in 2003; I was lucky to live and hopefully I will make it through this winter.

Please consider giving your child the chance that is not open to some of us.

Best Wishes,

Joan McDermott

LOVE THE PUMPKIN PICS!! Jude is such a cutie! On the swine flu note... I plan to get my 3.5 yo and 1.5 yo vaccinated. My doctor is encouraging it.

Afton - my grandson is 3 and will be 4 in February and he gets a cold/ runny nose, cough alot I talked to the Ped my worry is that his lungs may not be strong enough to stand this virus but then what will the vaccine do to his system - I am just as confused as you are on this thing but on the other hand my sister works in a nursing home in Corpus Christi and they have had 11 deaths in Corpus in the past 3 months.

The H1N1 vax is NOT a new vaccine. It is made exactly the same as the seasonal vax, with a different flu strain. The seasonal vax changes every year with at least 1 and sometimes 2 of the strains changed. H1N1 vax is exactly the same with only 1 strain in it. It is just as safe as the seasonal flu vax. If you think about it, the seasonal flu vax is "new" every year too and people don't worry about that. Think of it as making muffins. Sometimes you make banana muffins, sometimes you make strawberry muffins, but the muffin mix is the same, just a different fruit added in.

Well I didn't know if I wanted the H1N1 shots for my 3 kids,ages 4,3 & 22 months, until I was at the Dr for a sick visit and asked about the H1N1 vaccine. I trust and respect his opinion and I always ask him, if it were your kid what would you do? So once again I asked him that question and he said his 4 kids are getting them, so I figure he knows more about the vaccine than I do, and if it's good enough for his kids then it's good enough for mine. But I was also told that if you get the regular flu vaccine that it would be a month before they could get the H1N1. Has anyone else heard this? So I believe that the H1N1 is coming in the week at my Dr's office so we are going to get them as soon as they come in.

Okay moms, this isn't particularly in reference to the H1N1 flu, but is in regards to the flu itself. With Jefferson County closing schools because of it, I have a question: I live in st. francois county, North County R-1 school district.
Here is my dilemma: we have a teacher at north county that lives in festus. She came to school today and told her classroom full of kids that she has 2 children of her own at home with the flu. But here she is at school. She has knowingly been exposed to the virus and yet she decided to come to school to teach and spread the exposure. I have a hard time relating to this. We do everything in our power to keep our kids and ourselves away from the exposure and we have teachers going into schools knowing they have been exposed. Am I just being a worrywort or does anyone else agree with me that this is just wrong.
I'm not satisfied with what the principal has told me. I was told that "unless the teacher or student show signs or symptoms there not sent home" My issue again is, she has knowingly been exposed to it. I feel she should stay home until the virus has cleared her home. Not bring it to school and share the exposure. Any Help?

I'm still debating on the h1n1 vaccine. My daughter is 12 and her pediatrician told me that he isn't pushing it so it is really up to the parents. I asked him if his kids were young if he would have them get it and he said no. My only concern is what is this going to do to her in the future? They knew about this swine flu since last yr and they should have had some accurate test results by now. What is the long term negative/positive going to be with this vaccine. Where are the studies and facts from people who have already had this shot? Data would be nice. Who is trying to hide what? Show the data. As of now my daughter is not getting the shot.