Are you overwhelmed by the information out there re: the flu and the H1N1 strain?
I am.
This week my daughter came home from school with papers telling us she needed to get the H1N1 vaccine at school. I wasn't sure how I felt about this. Part of my youth was with a step-dad who was a doctor and I was taught that medicine is good. I was always a sick kid, pneumonia three times, scarlet fever one (during the last bout of pneumonia), chicken pox in high school, two allergy shots a week...it's no surprise that now I am so resistant to taking medications unless I absolutely have to.
Currently, I take minimal allergy meds and use a neti pot to manage my allergies in a very fertile and pollen rich place (Oregon). Occasionally I might take an antihistamine if I am directly exposed to cat which really effect me, but otherwise this Ayurvedic technique has been a better treatment for my chronic allergies then any of the tests and medications I endured in my life. Not to mention I am allergic to many meds so if I take something I am allergic to I could end up in the hospital.
With that said, you can imagine why I was feeling unsettled at the news that "mom, I need to get this vaccine at school." I wondered how the paperwork was presented to the kids. I really like her new school and hope there were no scare tactics. After reading the paperwork it appears the school is NOT saying kids HAVE to get the vaccine. They are providing it as an option. It comes back to us, the parents.
This is where I turn to research but sadly even the research leaves me feelings overwhelmed. Here is some of my journey. There is so much out there in the web-world and also in our concrete communities...but here is a small sample of some of my findings.
Links are embedded below from my quest.
Here is what I found:
http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/ Website for the Institute of Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health Here I found dosage information, who and who is not eligible.
A pretty concrete site with statistics and links that pushed me back to the CDC and other governmental sites. Although it included this link to this New York Times article writing by Arthur Allen and published on August 1, 2009. Allen wrote,
"It is statistically inevitable that some of the millions of people vaccinated this fall will become ill or die. And there’s a high risk that the vaccine will be blamed for any coincidental health problems. For example, pregnant women will be urged to get the vaccine because doctors have seen how H1N1 can cause especially nasty infections during pregnancy. But about one in seven pregnancies ends in a miscarriage, so nearly 1,500 of 10,000 women in early pregnancy will miscarry this fall — whether or not they get the H1N1 vaccine."
http://vaers.hhs.gov/index Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System This sites information and data is based on those who report their adverse event to it. Links specific to the H1N1 sent me to the CDC site.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/index.htm CDC site for Seasonal Influenza This site seems to have a great deal of information that supports getting the vaccine. In face the menu list for just H1N1is impressive, including background on the virus, tips on how to take care of someone with the illness, press updates, travel tips and much more. On the map they created, it looks as though the west coast has been harder hit by the swine flu, although it does seem to be spread across our nation. I am still not convinced!
In an ABC news link, reported on October 22 the statistic of 4 out of 10 parents are choosing NOT to get the vaccine for their children. Only 35% of adults polled reported that they had planned on getting the vaccine.
My daughter is 8 years old...her entire life I have always gone to Dr. Sears (resources) for information because his practice and philosophy have always felt the best for our family approach. He posted in July and writes he will be addressing the topic again in November. Here are some statements that caught my attention by Dr. Sears:
"Although they will be recommending the shot for everyone, they only plan to have about 120 million doses, so the CDC just announced a priority list for those at highest risk of suffering a severe case of the H1N1 flu (or those most likely to spread it to others): Pregnant women, health care workers, and children 6 months and older. Parents and anyone caring for infants, anyone with high-risk medical conditions (such as heart, lung, or immune diseases), and young adults ages 19-24 (not sure why) should also be given priority.
Just how bad is the H1N1 flu? Our experience so far indicates that it is a little worse than the regular flu, but it is not the rampaging epidemic that will sweep through the country and kill everybody. So why is the government so worried? It’s because the evil drug companies are paying them to act worried and create hype over the H1N1 flu so that the drug companies can make billions of dollars selling a vaccine that everyone will be scrambling for. The companies can then hand some of that money back to the government officials who helped them out. I jest, but that is the worry many people have. Is this all just about money and not health? I have to believe that our government isn’t crooked enough to go that far. Am I just being naive? Some would say so. I don’t know.
What I hear from medical policy makers is that they are not so worried about what the H1N1 flu is like now, but about what it could become if it mutates and starts creating more severe disease. That’s why they are acting preemptively to try to stop it. Is that a good idea? I guess.
So, stay tuned for my November report. In the meantime, worry, or don’t worry. It’s up to you.
Dr. Bob"
So this leaves me back in my confused state which might just be a mute point considering that at this minute my daughter is sick and on the couch sniffling, with fever and cough. I have multiple friends and families I know from the studio who have HAD the H1N1 virus in their house. I have heard a range of it's the flu but worse, but we made it through it. I've heard it impacts people differently based on their immune systems and make up. I've heard that my Type 1 Diabetic friends are not eligible for the vaccine because they are considered disabled and now one of them has it. My friends have mixed reactions to taking the vaccine in every extreme and if my step-dad was alive today he would be frustrated with me for even thinking of not getting it (he was a doctor and also the vice president of our hospital back home while I was growing up).
This is another path as individuals and in parenting we have to decide what is right for ourselves and our children and hope we are making the right choice. Try to take in all the resources and then decide what is best for you and anyone who is dependent on your judgement.
Stay healthy and happy!
Brie Spangler is an author-illustrator originally from the Boston area. She loves clambakes, baseball, and her Pekingese, Lola. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, she has almost 10 years experience working as a professional illustrator for various publishers and products. When not drawing pictures, she can be found avoiding direct sunlight, drinking too much coffee, and snuggling with her husband, Matt.
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