The questions is: Are you and your family going to get the H1N1 vaccine.
I have a few reasons for my decision but first I will say that I have not taken this decision lightly.
I have taken the flu vaccine before. But I haven't in the last few years. I was tired of them getting the strain wrong. Every year it seemed that they would pick a strain, make the vaccine and then in January send out a notice saying vaccine isn't covering the strain out there. So I stopped.
H1N1 has been around since April. There is no guessing about the strain. That makes me more comfortable. I have read everything I can, Health Canada, CDC, news paper articles, blogs, tweets, you name it I have read it. And watched TV as well. It is everywhere, and it is hard to avoid. And to be honest, many of it was contradictory and confusing. There was a time when I felt my head would explode.
I know what I can do to help keep my family safe without the vaccine, but I also know what I hear about the risks. I know that there have been a few (and only a few) healthy people who have died. And normally I am the person who would say "I can handle this on my own, no vaccine needed". But in 8 short weeks I have another life to take responsibility for. This life is so fragile and so new. He won't have the benefits of a built up immunity that living can give him. I will do my best to nurse him, and I know that will help. But I want to be sure that his exposure is little to none. And with all the research I have done I think his best defense is a good offense. And me, my husband and our boys are his offense. We will take the immunization and hopefully it will protect us AND him. It is the least we can do.
7 comments:
I have not stopped thinking about this in days... I have read everything, heard everything, see everything... and at first I was totally against the vaccine, but then after hearing about that 11 year old girl who died in CHEO over the weekend, I have started thinking maybe we should all get the shot. My children's pediatrician is also telling everyone to get the H1N1 vaccine. And I do trust him. And if thinks we should, perhaps we should? Also, my oldest son had a bad case of pneumonia last year - so bad he was in CHEO for 2 weeks, had surgery to drain fluid from his lung, had a chest tube for 4 days, was on an oxygen mask, and morphine. I've seen my child very sick, and it was a nightmare. I never want to see that again. So perhaps it is in our best interest to vaccinate - if we can prevent this nasty flu, why not do whatever we can, right? I'm this close to also pulling him out of kindergarten, you know? I'm so scared! And then I have some fears with a 'new' vaccine... what are the side effects? Are there any long term effects? SIGH SIGH SIGH
Glad you really researched it. We are on the side of no but still not totally decided. I do think if we were in your situation, we might be thinking differently.
We're all getting the vaccination. My family doctor is recommending it, and I trust her completely. We're usually a pretty healthy bunch, but the reports of otherwise healthy children, teenagers and adults dying of this virus have scared me.
Chantal-I am glad you posted this. I think more people need to say they are going to get it. I am taking my two boys there today!
When people in your community are being affected, it makes it more real to people. I bet people will start to change their mind.
I don't understand why we fear some medicine yet fearlessly take other medicine (uh-hem, oral contraceptives, ibuprofen, sinus and cold medicine. and on and on). And, God forbid a brand new cancer medication isn't given freely to people who "need" it when the evidence states it isn't cost-effective or necessarily clinically effective. People then DEMAND those drugs.
This is not a conspiracy folks.....it's a vaccine for a stable virus. You may survive it, but think about your co-worker on chemotherapy or other immunosuppressant that you do not know, think of the parent with the 2 year old son with ashtma.....think about the other people in less advantaged countries with no access to the vaccine--they probably think we're nuts for debating taking it or not. That said, it is good to debate, to think decisions through and weigh the pros and cons. The media frenzy has made it difficult and I am glad I know where to look and work in health research.
I have now left my soap box. LOL
Maybe I'll see you and your boys later this afternoon!!
A well thought out decision is a good one. :)
The good thing about this vaccine is it really does seem to be making a lot of parents do more thinking and research than they normally would. Informed and educated decisions are the best kind!!
hmm. we have been debating this at our house. when the nurse at the doctor's office basically told us she would only get it if they made her we decided against it. but we may yet change our mind.
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