Seasonal Flumist and vax, being given at school

[girlsmamma2]

tomorrow. Our school has these regular flu clinics every year in the morning in Oct. They are giving both the shot and the mist. I'm debating on sending my 2nd grader and K'er to school. I'm not worried about them being accidentally vaxed, our school is very good about consent, but mostly about tons of kids getting the mist, in the lunch room to add to the ickyness, and then attending class. I am one that doesn't like to pull my kids out of school for reasons other than sicknesses but I'm worried they will be at risk of getting the flu from the "misters".

What should I do? Do I count on the fact that it is a "weakened" version and hope they may actually get some immunity after being exposed to small amounts of it, or could it actually make them sick from the shedding. Not sure what to do.

[dbsam]

I'm no help but was wondering the same thing.

Our school is giving the H1N1 vaccines (shot and mist). I believe we had swine flu this past spring so we may have a natural immunity and I know we cannot keep away from everyone in public who recently had the live vac or the virus...but I am concerned considering most of the students will be getting the vaccination and most receive the mist according to our county health dept. (I talked with them this afternoon and they said it doesn't shed)

[girlsmamma2]

I'm just really waffling on this back and forth. I think it's the sheer number of kids that could be getting the mist and also that they are doing it in the lunchroom. I know it states in the vax insert and all but are they just covering themselves or is it a real risk to someone other than the poor person who gets the nasal spray that they get the flu. I mean I keep her home on the day of administration and then the next day the kid with the mist starts getting sick from the vax right next to her...I mean we can't live in a bubble and I'm so figgin sick of being scared all the time now.

anyone gone through this and just went ahead and sent their kids?

[bbrandonsmom]

The injection is available now for h1n1? I thought it was only flumist for h1n1, and either injection or flumist for seasonal.

[dbsam]

Originally Posted by bbrandonsmom

The injection is available now for h1n1? I thought it was only flumist for h1n1, and either injection or flumist for seasonal.

The school sent home the health dept. info for both forms of the H1N1 vac along w/the consent forms. I called the health dept. and they said they planned on bringing both -planned for the first week of Nov. Maybe they are just assuming it will be available by then?

[JBaxter]

OUr school is also. I talked to the school secretary who is fairly antivax ( her niece doesnt vaccinate at all) She told me to write on DS3's hand in sharpie... DO NOT VACCINATE and if they give him a hard time for him to come to the office she will protect him

This is evil but DS3 is 5 almost 6 in kindergarten and I told him they are taking all those kids and giving them big shots up their nose and if they try to take him run kick and scream to the office and let Ms Shank protect him
I said I would let them give him a big nasty shot up his nose. .. yup I freaked hm out a little but I dont want him to "accidently" get a flu mist.

[bbrandonsmom]

I don't think that's bad, he needs to protect himself if you are not vaccing. We passed a flu clinic outside a store and my ds wanted to know why people were all lined up. I wasn't expecting to have a vaccine talk w/ my 4yr old yet. Amazingly he grasped the concept of why we don't vaccinate. You could try explaining that there are bad things in the vaccine, that we don't want to expose our healthy bodies to, so he understands why he is refusing it? He might understand. I'd be screaming Ms Shank the whole way lol.

[girlsmamma2]

well, I sent them, all 3. We'll see I guess. Frankly I'm so darned sick and tired of feeling scared all of the time with this whole flu thing. I'm starting to wonder if they almost are egging the whole h1n1 thing on, knowing full well it is milder than the seasonal flu to gain attention to the regular seasonal flu vax. It seems no coinkedink that this happened right after they adjusted the ages for those who get it. Will this be a one time thing but in the process gain a whole lot of attention towards the regular flu vax which kills many more? In the meantime I'm worried my kids are growing up to be germaphobes, who can't hug at school, wash their hands all the damn time and are being made to be afraid of everything.

So, I don't know if it was the right decision but at least it will give me a feel for what I want to do when they offer the h1n1 which I suspect is only a few weeks away.

funny, the kids were wondering why they had to eat extra vitamin D today! man this is crazy.

[laohaire]

The seasonal Flumist sheds, and while I don't have any sources to prove otherwise, I can't imagine the H1N1 spray would not. I will have to look into this. This is my biggest concern. If it were just the shots, I'd just pull DD out for the day (whenever it happens... haven't heard anything yet). But with the Flumist, I don't know how to deal with pulling her out for 3 weeks other than just withdrawing her from the school system (a possibility, not because of this, but we had been leaning toward homeschooling anyway).

I guess maybe I won't... I'm not afraid of H1N1, so I'm not afraid of the shedded version.. though I'm still angry that my daughter will be forced to be exposed rather than just taking normal chances like she should be.

[neetling]

subbing for when I have to face this. Ugh.

[AdoptChina]

I usually keep my kids home the day the schools give the flumist. In general Im not overly cautious about the flu but with many children getting the flumist and many not good about hygiene (not covering sneezes, wiping nose on sleeves etc) I'd rather just have the kids skip a day and not be exposed to that.

[Penny4Them]

Wouldn't kids who rec'd vax or mist shed it the day after rec'ing it too? Do you know how long could they possibly be contagious?

[northwoods1995]

UGH I just found out my son's school is doing mass vaccinations soon too. They sent home a consent form and I signed that I DO NOT consent but I'm afraid they will do it anyway. I hope I'm just worrying for nothing though. I want to write NO NO NO all over the form--would that be over the top ?

I told him if anyone tried to give him an injection or put something in his nose to tell them his mom and dad said no and they needed to call me. I still worry though.

I think it really stinks that we have to worry about this at all.

[angie7]

I like the "do not vax" written in sharpie on their hand along with the consent form! I'll have to keep that in mind when mine start school

But I think I would have kept them home, just for my peace of mind. I would worry that they would vax them or that it would spread so I would have called it a "no sick stay home from school day" and went to the zoo or something :