My 2 cents on H1N1 from a non-vaccinator

I am not trying to debate anything here, this is purely my take on this.

I am a non-vaccinator, in that, I mean I have never vaccinated my boys, and have not done flu shots etc for myself since before ds1 was born. I have my reasons, but they are mine, and I do not ever begrudge anyone else for doing what they have to do.

The H1N1 business perplexed me. At first, I was staunchly against it. Scared, nervous, and kind of felt it was unnecessary. Most cases are mild, most are short lived. I decided, after much debate to do the shot, and have my boys take it. Here is why...

My kids are unlikely to catch measles etc. The regular flu shot is a guess of what strains they think will infect us. They KNOW h1n1 is the correct strain for now, and the probability of catching it is highly likely. My boys and myself are rather hardy folks, and healthy. Chances are the kids and I will cough and puke and feel like doody for a week. We will likely fall into the mild category. BUT......

What about my friends who are preggo, and don't want the vax? What happens if they end up dying in the ICU like 2 women under the care of my sister's OB? They were healthy women, 2 wks post partum, and died. So, what if I am coming down with h1n1, and pass it along to my baby, who is under 6 mos? Or my friend's newborn baby? What if I do not know I am getting sick, but am infectious, and give it to my friend who is high risk with twins? What if I fall into the healthy young person category, who many of us, that get really really sick? There are over 10 people in ICU alone at my sister's hospital in Denver. What about the other hospitals? In the local hospital, my friend has 4 young people on breathing machines in her ICU from h1n1. Who will breastfeed my baby? Who will take care of my boys if I happen to get real sick??

What if my boys get sick, or my baby gets sick, and I am on here asking for prayers? There is an IG member who has her 6 month old baby in the hospital RIGHT NOW, admitted with h1n1 complications.

So, my morals got the better of me. Maybe it is the socialist Canadian in me. But, I could not live with myself if I got someone else sick, that got really sick. Or my kids--a healthy 13 yr old boy just died in less than 48 hours. Chances are that we will catch this, and the worst is yet to come in the next few weeks.

Ok, my rant over. Hope is makes sense. I am now ducking, as the slings and arrows will be coming my way.

Lots of prayers to my special friend's little boy out there...

 I totally agree with you!! I am a delayed vaccinator, and debated a long time.  I am a nurse and we lost a 23 year old woman and two other 30 somethings in my hospital alone (one had 4 children, the youngest 6 months old) from H1N1. Our pediatrics department is full of children sick from it, and the ones there are NOT mild cases, several have been put on ventilators.  I got vaccinated because I felt I couldn't expose the public or my family to what I will be encountering when I go back to work after my Maternity leave, and as soon as I can I will vaccinate my children because I would never forgive myself If they got it and died, or suffered terribly.  I know most likey they would get a mild case, but I cannot face the what ifs.

I also plan on ducking the arrows myself....

WONDERFUL POST! 

I think you made a GREAT decision    

I think this post gives a new perspective to the vaccine for those on the fence and was much needed!

I want the vaccine after much debate but everyone is out of it! I am in panick mode. My best friend is pregnant . My kids can 't get it either.

Uggh!

  After much though on this I decided to take the H1N1 vaccine. Just so happened my OB's office had gotten in a shipment the day of my last appt. I'm still searching for it for my boys..their peditrician doesn't have it and the health dept is out. I keep checking almost daily and still have not been able to find it for them but believe me when I do locate it, they'll be there with bells on, no matter how long we have to wait!

I am pro vaccination who had questions about this shot...LOL...go figure.  I would have gotten it if we all didn't come down with swine flu.  I still don't know if I should still get the vaccination or not?  Dh and I didn't get it all that bad. 

Anastasia Beaverhausen:

I am pro vaccination who had questions about this shot...LOL...go figure.  I would have gotten it if we all didn't come down with swine flu.

Me Too!!

Everyone came down with the swine except DH.  I know it was the swine flu because I was tested.

I love this and thanks for your opinion I had no clue H1N1 can be that serious I have not been watching the news much lately now you got me thinking. We don't have the shot in my area but I believe it will be here within the next week. I think my family should all get it, my husband is a firefighter and there has been so many respiratory transports lately. My Oldest DD is in Preschool it seems like the right choice to protect us and others.

One question CC if you were pregnant would you of still got the shot?

 For a long time, I was not going to get it, nor have my kids get it.  Then the high schools in my area had 80 plus confirmed cases.  They had a clinic at my boy's school I am assuming because it is everywhere here.  At first I had even filled out their forms as "no".  After pondering it some more I realized that with working in healthcare, plus the numerous cases that I know I am going to be exposed whether by possibly the shot or just other people.  I thought at least this way I may be able to prevent myself from getting it.  I also thought that it may do more harm to my baby if I didn't get it and got sick and had to take tamiflu.  I still wonder if I did the right thing, but at least I know that I tried.  

I got my vaccine at my last OB appointment. I have tried to get it for my kids. Our pediatrician only has the mist and I have a child with asthma so none of my children can have the mist. But I am so ready for them to get it. My son had 10 kids in his class a few days last week. The other 12 had H1N1.

Great post, CC.  Really appreciate your take on the matter. 

It's the "healthcare professional" in you. 

My mom is a nurse and kept hammering me everytime I talked to her...  "Did you get the kids their shots?!?"  LOL.

I'm glad I did.

Thanks for posting this.  It's such a serious matter for pregnant women and children with pre-existing conditions.  We all should do our part to protect those in this category.

My SIL's BFF has a three year old son named Peter.  The BFF and I were both nursing our babies at my brother's wedding three years ago and we became friends.  Peter has some health problems that they discovered over the last few years.  About two weeks ago he contracted the H1N1 virus.  Last week his mom broke down and took him to the ER to be checked out and to possibly be treated for his symptoms.  The ER doctors wanted to send him home that night because they thought he could manage his symptoms but his mother insisted that they keep him overnight.  That night Peter went into respiratory failure and was admitted to the ICU.  The next day his heart began failing.  Peter was flight lifted to another hospital because the one he was in had too many ICU patients.  He is still in critical condition in the ICU.  We don't know what will happen with Peter at this point.  They are planning on doing a heart biopsy to determine if he's a candidate for a heart transplant.

I plan on getting the vaccine when it's available in my area and want to get it for my girls.  My son had a confirmed case of H1N1 and should have immunity now, but we don't know for sure if the girls had it. 

becky3:

 I totally agree with you!! I am a delayed vaccinator, and debated a long time. 

Same here. And my oldest DD is getting vaccinated at school tomorrow and I'm getting the shot this Friday (finally found the thimerosol-free version - yay!!!) Hoping to find something for my almost 4 y.o. as well. The risks are just too high and it's rampant in my state and in my DD's school.

sunnyinflorida:

One question CC if you were pregnant would you of still got the shot?

That is a really tough question, as I am fortunate not to be in that boat. It is one of the reasons I did it now, in case I get pregnant again, and to protect pregnant women who opt out of the shot.

I am understandably nervous about injecting anything into my body whilst preggo. I think considering what my sister, an ICU nurse has been seeing, I would definitely consider the shot if I was past 14-16 wks. Everything is so formed then, and developed, I think I would be ok to do the shot then. Under that, tough call for me. That is why I think by vaccinating my family, it will help protect those other women, who like me, would be nervous to do the shot when preggo.

Does that make any sense?

LAstly, I highly recommend anyone to talk to their doctors about their choices, and do what works best for you