Vaccination

[jessicacook]

Will you get your kids vaccinated with the new H1N1 virus? I will definitely get the seasonal flu shot for Jakob, but I am torn on this swine flu vaccine.

Jinjer, maybe you can answer some questions. I asked Jake's pediatrician, but he really hasn't heard anything about it so far. I got an email from someone who supposedly knew a nurse who was saying that kids were getting Guillain-Barre syndrome from the shot. Is that true? My mom heard on the news not to let him have the mist because THAT was what was causing the Guillain-Barre.

I also heard a doc say today that the reason everyone is scared is because we are calling it the "swine flu" and not H1N1. It automatically makes us think about the swine flu of the 70's. I have heard this flu is different than the one from the 70's.

HELP!

[MacUser]

October 8, 2009
First Daughters Not Vaccinated Against H1N1
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,539880,00.html

President Obama's school age daughters have not been vaccinated against the H1N1 flu virus

...The Centers for Disease Control recommend that children ages 6 months through 18 years of age receive a vaccination against the H1N1 flu virus. At this time only children with chronic medical conditions are receiving the vaccination because their immune system is not strong enough to fight off the strain. The CDC also says a regular seasonal flu shot does not protect against the virus.


More sources:
http://www.foxnews.com/search-results/swine-flu.htm

[jinjer]

This is only MY opinion. I am not getting the H1N1 flu vaccine, nor would I give it to my child if I had any. I, as a provider, am giving all the information to my patients and they must make the decision myself. I would chose flu mist over vaccine, however, since Jakob has been diagnosed with asthma, he cannot take the flu mist vaccine, only inactivated vaccine. However, if I was in your situation, I would take the mist myself as well as my husband and only give my child the annual flu vaccine. However, if you are nervous about thimerasol, you will have to ask for a thimerasol free flu vaccine. Annual flu vaccine is the only childhood vaccine that still has thimerasol in it.

I do want to correct some of your misstatements. The number one is flu mist causing guillan barre, flu mist is a live virus and was not and is not the cause of guillan barre. G-B did not and does not effect only children. In the 70s it actually effected young adults. They have no idea what caused the outbreak of G-B with the previous vaccine. As far as swine and h1n1, it is the same thing, and nearly the same strain as in the 70s. This is one reason that I am not taking a vaccine, because I was exposed and believe myself to have immunity.

I am not one to be highly suspicious of government or such. But I have had bad feelings about this vaccine, namely because we new this strain was out there for sometime and CDC made no effort to make a vaccine, they are now rushing to market a vaccine at the behest of the government. I don't like made up crisis'. I do see that those who get h1n1 seem to have great lung invasion that previously noted. However, those who are hospitalized with other flu, the complication is nearly always influenza pneumonia. I pray everyday that I provide all the correct information for my patients.

Jinjer

[free]

My wife has swine flu now...Would she need the vaccine or can you only get it once? Our family has had the regular flu shot this year.

[RuSKY]

Jinger,

Can one get G-B from the mist or just the injection
type innoculation? Or both?

thanks
RuSKY

[jinjer]

That's hard to say. Because we don't know fully G-B develops in some people, it is believed that in some the body's immune system may play a role in the development of Campylobacter jejuni, which is the most common risk factor in GB. So the theory is that some will develop GB after having the flu or other infection, or with some a vaccination of any kind. In the 70s, the incidence of GB was reported as 1 additional person in 100,000 people who received the vaccine. They have never understood why.

So, technically, you can be at risk for GB after receiving any vaccination as well as after having the flu or other infection. Flu mist, including h1n1 flu mist vaccination, is a live virus, so you can have a mild flu reaction. Because it is live we do not recommend it to those that are immunocompromised, including asthma.

Anyone that knows me, knows that I am a huge proponent of vaccinations. I truly believe that they have save us from a myriad of deadly diseases. I am an advocate of adult vaccinations as well, and believe that many adults do not keep up with their vaccines and they spread disease to kids because of this, one example of that is pertussis. However, I just have this gut feeling about this h1n1 vaccine for a variety of reasons. So I give out all the information and let everyone make their own decision.

Jinjer

[jessicacook]

See, Jakob's asthma is where I am torn. I feel like if he gets H1N1, he will have a worse case, perhaps, because of his asthma. So I feel like I need to protect him from it. But I am, too, suspicious of the vaccine. I would definitely NOT get him the mist. He can't take it anyways because of the asthma. I don't feel like we have heard enough about the side effects to make a sound judgment yet. Sometimes it's hard being a parent!

I have always been one to get the seasonal flu shot. My mom made me start getting them when I was little. I have had the flu twice, and once was because they were in short supply and I couldn't get one because I was healthy. The second time, the flu shot didn't cover the strand of flu that I got.