There is a lot of debate among parents of infants and toddlers about whether or not the H1N1 vaccine is safe for young children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants ages 6 months and up receive the seasonal flu vaccine and the H1N1 vaccine since they are at higher risk for complications from the virus. Parents on both sides of the debate give their opinions on the H1N1 vaccine.
Wendy, a mother of 4 from Utah opted not to give the H1N1 vaccine to her children.
Q: Have you decided to give your children the H1N1 vaccine?
Wendy: I have decided not to give the vaccine to my children.
Q: What contributed to your choice?
W: I have concerns regarding the risk of the vaccine vs. the potential benefit. I feel the risks outweigh the benefits. The vaccine is just a guess at how the virus will change, and I question how much they were able to test it for safety, given the short time frame. In addition, the injectable version of the vaccine has thimerosol in it, which is a known toxin.
Q: Does anyone in your family fall into the “at risk” group?
W: In general, children are considered to be at higher risk, which means all four of my kids would be considered “at risk”.
My oldest daughter has asthma, which I believe is considered at risk. My youngest two children are under 5, which is also considered to have an above average risk.
Q: Does your family get the seasonal flu vaccine on a regular basis?
W: No, I have similar concerns over the seasonal flu vaccine- they usually use thimerosol as a preservative, plus, it is just an educated guess as to which variants of the flu will be prevalent.
So far, we have never had a case of the flu.
Q: What research have you done that contributed to your decision about the H1N1 vaccine?
W: I read the package insert to both the injectable and nasal mist versions of the vaccine. I have also read various articles from various sources, both pro and against the vaccine.
Q: What advice do you have for parents of infants and toddlers who want to protect their children from the H1N1 virus?
A: I would suggest they read the package insert for themselves. The injectable version states that it has not been tested on children under 18, and is not recommended for them. I would also suggest they talk to their children’s doctor. He/she knows their medical history and would be able to help them weigh the pros and cons to make the best decision for THEIR child.
Tabitha, a mother of 2 from Indiana, decided to vaccinate her children against the H1N1 virus.
Q: Have you decided to give your children the H1N1 vaccine?
Tabitha: Yes, after much thought, I have decided to give my children the H1N1 vaccine.
Q: What contributed to your choice?
T: A lot of different factors went into this decision. The biggest reason why I chose to go ahead and give the H1N1 vaccine to my children is the fact that my son is in kindergarten. Now as mothers, we know it is a big deal for little ones to wash their hands and, well, kindergartners can be dirty. They can forget to wash their hands after they sneeze, cough, or eat and the teacher may not always be there to help. Also I work at a restaurant and several co-workers’ children got the virus. When I talked with my doctor he told me that there is no telling who may die from this. They just don’t know enough. That scared me. What if my child gotH1N1 and died and I could have prevented it? I could not live with that. On the other hand, giving something to my child is scary. My doctor gave the mist vaccination to his children and everyone in the doctor’s office received the mist as well as their families.
Q: Does anyone in your family fall into the “at risk” group?
T: My children fall into this “at risk” group they are 5 and 2
Q: Does your family get the seasonal flu vaccine on a regular basis?
T: I have given my son the seasonal flu shot once, and my daughter has never gotten one I just don’t like to give extra stuff to my children.
Q: What research have you done that contributed to your decision about the H1N1 vaccine?
T: I have checked everything I could on the internet about this vaccination and exhausted every little piece of information my doctor had available
Q: What advice do you have for parents of infants and toddlers who want to protect their children from the H1N1 virus?
T: My only advice is wash your hands, clean your cart (at the grocery store) before you put your child in, and follow your instincts. No one knows what to do right now. I still have regrets. I don’t know if it was the right decision. It’s been one month since the vaccination and my children are fine, right now they are chasing the dog and giggling down the hallway. If my son was older I would have never given them the shot. My daughter is with me all day, so I know everything she does and where she goes. I was more nervous about my son bringing something home from school. I feel kindergarten classrooms (no matter how clean the teacher) are germ havens. As a parent we can only follow our gut instincts and hope for the best!
Infants and toddlers do fall in the high risk category as outlined by the CDC. Parents of young children must evaluate their choices and determine whether it is best for their child to receive the H1N1 vaccine or not.
About Rachel
It’s so hard the right thing to know to do or your family! There are many ways to help protect yourself through cold/flu season – taking cod liver oil on a daily basis, getting enough Vit.D&C, and keeping oscillo on hand – known to stop cold & flu symptoms in their tracks – did for me just this past Friday.
.-= Terra´s last blog ..It must have made an impression on him… =-.
One of my sisters got infected with H1N1 or more commonly known as Swine Flu. Fortunately, she did not have very high fever and she was able to recover fast .
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My brother got infected with H1N1 or Swine Flu in Mexico. He got a mild fever and luckily he did not die.
At least a hundred persons in our city have been infected with the H1N1 virus. I was very scared to get infected with this disease during the pandemic:`.
swine flu scared the hell out of me when there was mass infection of this virus,,’