H1n1 - Valley City,OH

I weighed evidence on both sides and decided against it for my family. BUT, my kids aren't in daycare or large schools (my older son is in a small preschool right now) so I'm not that worried about it.

I just took myself and my 2 year old to a free clinic last week to get the shot and we had no side effects. I would definitely take advantage as kids are high risk and have been hospitalized with this flu. It is a bit concerning since it is a new vaccine, but Id rather be safe than sorry this flu season!

Vaccines are a huge personal decision. In my opinion, there are strong arguments on both sides. I have struggled with the vaccine question for almost 11 years, now! What I have settled on is that I get just the main vaccines for my kids. They get DPT and MMR, hib... (not in the same visit). No hep A, no chicken pox, no rotovirus, etc. However, then the H1N1 came out. Because I have a 7 month old in the house, I got her vaccinated. I also got my 9 year old, because he has asthma and early fall can be a hard time for him. Now, I can also tell you that as I sat in line for the H1N1 for the baby, I quietly prayed I was doing the right thing -- hoping there wouldn't be some new study that came out in 3 months saying the vaccine wasn't as "safe" as they claim. My 10 year old and 7 year old won't get the vaccines as they have no underlying medical condition and are are not an infant. Plus,in our school, the flu has alredy run it's course for the most part. Attendance is up and the health dept. came to the school in the middle of October. I doubt my words helped you, but it's what I'm doing:) Good luck in your decision and I hope y'all stay healthy!!

H1n1 is not like the normal flu. It attacks the young and many kids have died not so much from the flu but from complications and secondary infections brought on by the flu. More so than the regular yearly strain of flu. I like wise had the h1n1 and then developed a sinus infection and then pnemonia. If my kids had not given it to me before the vacination was available I would get them vacinated.

Both of my children will be getting their H1N1 and seasonal flu shots next month. I've only waited this long because my son has to be at least 6 months old to get it. H1N1 is particularly virulent in children. I've researched the vaccines and I've spoken with our pediatrician. I am vastly more worried about them catching the illness than getting the shots. The illness is just too unpredictable - some kids get it and it's no big deal while some die from it. There is just no way to know how your kid will react, and there is NO way I'm willing to take the chance.

As for the mercury, just do your research. The flumist doesn't have it, but most shots do. There are some single dose shots that don't have it. But keep in mind that the amount in the shot is well within limits that have been determined to be safe.

Whatever you decide, good luck!

We personally are NOT getting it. I agree with Joy N - it depends on the specific child and family history. We have a vaccine injured son and the risks outweigh the benefits for us.

It is definitely smart to question and to do your research, I wish I had.

Hi K. -
I just recently had to make the same decision. Me and my husband did a lot of research and talked to different people e.g. doctors, homeopaths, other health practitioners. We decided not to take the vaccine and feel very good with that decision. I don't really believe in the shots and I really don't believe that they are safe - especially for children and pregnant women. If you look at the list of the ingredients it is not only the mercury that isn't safe. I do know a couple of people who have had the H1N1 flu (apparently since they are not testing anymore) and they are all fine and got better. So, I would skip it and try to strengthen the immune system other wise. Try to do some research that is not CDC related!

My husband and I have decided not to vaccinate our son, but my husband intends to get the shot when it is available to him. There are risks either way, and no surefire answer. I recommend you check out Dr. Sears' website, http://www.askdrsears.com/thevaccinebook/ which goes into detail about the risks of this particular vaccine (although he will not advise you either way - each parent must make this decision themselves). Good luck.

I would also recommend researching online beyond the traditional CDC website. I have pulled together some videos and resouces on my blog in a post a few weeks ago that you may find helpful. www.greenmoms4kids.com

Good luck with your decision.

Hi K. for me I would not have anyone in my family to get the shot. I am a grandmother and no way. My sister in law went to her doctor for a checkup and her Dr. said she was not ordering any in because she didn't believe in them. Any way it has to be entirely up to you and the family on what to do.

I personally would say go for it. We have had 3 in our family come down with it before the shot was available. None of them were in close contact to one another. 3 Different states. 2 were children who were home schooled and also didn't go into the church nursery. They were only around siblings and adult family members. The 3rd was an adult 38 years old. A minister here in Cincinnati. He died. Actually he lived in Amelia. He got the flu then got pneumonia and was being feed through a tube and his stomach ruptured. Which was what killed him. Seems it's not really the flu but the other which gets them.
Good luck.

I got the vaccine myself, due to work reasons, it HURT!! (First of all) I get the seasonal flu every year b/c one year I got the flu and ended up in bed for a month due to other complications (blood clots). I felt this one had much stronger burning sinsation. No other side effects to me--no fever, no sore arm later, no flu like symptoms. One of the ladies I work with got both regular and H1N1 at the same time. She didn't have any side effects either.
There is a chance they have already been exposed and therefore it wouldnt make a huge difference but on the other hand they might not be exposed already. One of the pregnant ladies I know that got the vaccine, ended up with the flu 10 days later and was better in 3 days--diagnosised by doc, definitly H1N1!!

Now, I have not gotten my son vaccinated. His school would only offer him the flu mist of H1N1 and I was not comfortable with that, so we have held off still. He had well over half the class out a whole week a while back so I am assuming he's been exposed. If I have the opportunity I will be getting him vacinated. Just two weeks ago I was undecided, but after LOTS of research on the whole side effects, mercury thing and all that I've decided it's better than seeing my child lay in a hospital, intubated because of sever pnumonia, which is a common complication of H1N1 flu itself. The amount of mercury in this vaccine is such a small amount and if you eat fish you eat mercury. You can also get preservative free ones which don't have the mecury in them.

On a side note, we do the seasonal flu vaccine every year.

I would definately NOT allow my child to be vaccinated.

My son is autistic and it started after he was vaccinated. The government swears that vaccinations are safe but I do not believe them.

I told my kids to tell the school that they are allergic to eggs so they cannot be vaccinated against my wishes.

Give your child vitamin C, Vitamin D, and zinc in addition to a good multivitamin. Try to limit sugar intake as this causes the immune system to work harder.

My girls both had H1N1 ~ 1 will be 9 on 12/5 & the other is 2 1/2. They were both pretty sick, for a few days, but are back to normal. All schools in Geauga County were offering the vaccine for free, but don't need it now because they had it (I wasn't going to get it anyway). From what I've read, there is mercury in it (which from what I remember in H.S. science classes, if you broke a mercury thermometer, the class had to be evacuated immediately, so why put that into your body?). The vaccine also has something in it that causes Gulf War Syndrome. They might not get sick now if they have the vaccine, but who knows what the long term effects are?
Good luck in your decision.

I was hesitant as well. I heard things about it and that it was unnecessary and would have bad side effects. My boss' friend who was 26 died last week of complications of H1n1, that was scare 1. I am 10 weeks pregnant and my nurse said that in pregnant women it can turn to pneumonia right away which is what i believe that the friend of my boss had. Anyway, I decided it would be better for my 3 year old and myself to get it because its better to get the shot and have the side effects than to catch it and have complications.
We both got it last week, neither of us had any side effects and felt fine after.

My husband is a paramedic and not really big on the H1N1 shot. I've talked to other medical workers and they don't want it either. We won't be getting it due to the one year that we did get a general flu shot and we were sooooo sick after because it weakened our immune system and we caught the next germ.
Go with you "mommy instincts". Your children have already been exposed. Does it make sense to inject something else into their bodies?
Just my two cents.