H1n1....

I don't think you need to worry about the toxicity of the vaccine. These vaccines have been around and tested and approved for six month olds. This vaccine is the best way to avoid having him contract a flu that may have serious complications.

However, your doctor should always respect your request to delay or avoid a vaccination. If you feel like he is too young for the vaccine, then it is your right to refuse it. (Hopefully a discussion with your doctor will reveal this, and the receptionist just came across wrong.) There are a number of vaccines recommended at the next few appointments, and it may be worth while discussing a schedule for them with your doctor.

One thing you may consider is asking whether you and your husband can be vaccinated. By protecting yourselves you are avoiding bringing flu into the home, and thus protecting him. If you take this route, you may wish to avoid bringing him to enclosed spaces during flu season (indoor playgrounds, etc.). And, of course, wash hands when you return home, etc.

The vaccine may not be available then - no one has it in stock right now.

Although H1N1 is not severe for most healthy adults, it can be quite severe (and, yes, cause death) for otherwise healthy children/teenagers. Reading the scientific/medical literature regarding the issue, the risk of severe reaction to the H1N1 flu (if he got it) seems far greater than any risk due to taking a flu shot. Please remember that this flu shot is being manufactured in the exact same way as past flu shots, except for the specific virus they are targeting. So, all of the hype about this flu shot being "untested" is essentially false. In addition, the shot your little one would get probably won't have thimerosal and won't contain a live virus. Those two issues are moot. That said, the amount of mercury (the ingredient of concern) in the thimerosal included in a shot is way, way less than one would get consuming one tunafish sandwich. The hype, again, is based on fear and and is way overblown.

That said, if you, your husband, and your child are not regularly exposed to groups of people who might be exposed to the H1N1 flu, then all of you are less at risk for getting it. This would mean that you would not be taking your son to classes, or the grocery store, etc., and you would be thoroughly washing up before you got home.

Given that it's very difficult to find someone to provide an H1N1 shot at this time, this may be a moot discussion. Our pediatrician won't even be giving the recommended booster shot until it knows that it will receive enough vaccine to cover its patients for the first round of shots.

Good luck in your decision.

From what you've written, it sounds like the receptionist meant that "Yes, you can have your baby vaccinated IF we have some." You are not required to get it.

Follow your instinct and do lots of research. If vaccinating seems wrong to you, there is plenty of evidence out there to support your decision not to do it if you choose to go that route. You are right - if your kids are not in daycare (and particularly, if they breastfeed for close to 2 years), their chances of getting any of the diseases that are vaccinated against are much different than for a child who does attend day care. My first child was fully vaccinated, but after doing tons of research, I decided not to do it for my second and third. Good luck.

I get my son (who is now 5 years old)all the regular vaccines, but I have never gotten him the flu vaccine. Often times, with a cold, he will get a fever, but I've never experienced anything really bad. It's all up to you. I personally get sick every time I have ever had a flu shot, so I don't normally get them. However, if you feel that this is what's best, I would go ahead with it with no worries. They are perfectly safe. With the experience of hindsight, given the heightened flu season, even though I don't personally like them, I would probably give my child a flu shot if they were 6 months old. That way, if they do get sick, it will at least not be as bad. Just for clarification's sake, I realize you are talking about the H1N1 shot, but I see them as basically one in the same except that the H1N1 shots are in shorter supply. Had the virus become known earlier, it would be part of the regular flu shot, and it will become part of next years. As for the receptionist at your pediatrician's office, give her a little slack. I'm sure she has to deal with that question at least 100 times a day and gets tired of it, especially when it's in such short supply. I have a friend who administers the shot in Idaho, and they had such few doses of the injection that they gave the nasal "shot" to everyone and anyone who qualified for it (being at least like 2 years old and no underlying conditions like asthma, etc). She comes home everyday absolutely irritated because of how much people freak out and yell at her simply because they cannot have the particular version of the shot that they want. Everyone's just a little more on edge this year.

Hi M.-
I wouldn't give him the flu shots - even if he would be exposed more than he is. Do some research on the H1N1 vaccine that is not CDC or government related. Already there are reports dropping in of children reacting negatively to the vaccine and pregnant women miscarrying their babies after getting the shot. I was skeptic from the very beginning and it will show with time how safe this vaccine is. There was no time for testing it accordingly, no long term studies are available yet, thanks to congress if anything goes wrong nobody will be reliable and you will be on your own. Trust your instinct. Other countries e. g. in Europe are dealing way more carefully with this topic and with the vaccines than America does. Try to get as much information as you can so you feel comfortable with making a good decision that is not just based on fear. That would be my advice. Good luck and all the best!