flu shot poll - Page 5

[NSN9211]

Our whole family gets one every yr, this yr was the first time for my daughter.  She was 13 months when she got it, so it was a 2 stage shot.  There are so many articles for and against that it's really a personal decision.  I prefer to vaccinate than risk my family getting sick.  I know there's still a chance to catch a different strain of flu, but anything that lessens our chances is worth doing my my opinion.
 

[sbgrace]

We did this year. We got influenza last year and I have two asthmatics now--one poorly controlled who also has immune system issues. I am not, though, at all convinced the effectiveness and benefit outweighs the negatives. I just didn't want to have to tell grandparents and my son's geneticist again this year that I didn't get the vax and he got influenza. Also, particularly given his health right now, I wanted to do what could be done to protect him. If I had healthy kids I wouldn't get the vax.

[A&A]

Originally Posted by FiveZip 

.  I would have no choice of giving my DD a mercury-free one.  

  I'm not sure why you think the choice is entirely out of your hands.  Our regular clinic only had shots with mercury.  So I went to the local pharmacy, where they had mercury-free shots, for the same $25 that I would have had to pay in a co-pay at my doctor's office, anyway.   The single-dose vials do not contain mercury.  The multi-dose vials do.  So I just had to find someone giving out shots from single-dose vials.  Places like small pharmacies are more likely to have single-dose vials because they give out fewer shots.  Places giving out massive amounts of shots are more likely to have multi-dose vials.  

[FiveZip]

Originally Posted by sassyfirechick 

I'm in CT and plan to file religious exempt.

The pediatrician asked whether I wanted to do that, but that would mean my DD won't be able to receive ANY vaccine after I claim it.  I didn't want that.  It's so tricky.....

And, A&A, thanks for that info.  Were you talking about disease vax or flu shots?  I'll call around in the future, but our pediatrician does not charge co-pay for shot visits.  Getting single doses would cost me a lot of money if I go to a pharmacy.

[emmy526]

Originally Posted by FiveZip 

The pediatrician asked whether I wanted to do that, but that would mean my DD won't be able to receive ANY vaccine after I claim it.  I didn't want that.  It's so tricky.....

And, A&A, thanks for that info.  Were you talking about disease vax or flu shots?  I'll call around in the future, but our pediatrician does not charge co-pay for shot visits.  Getting single doses would cost me a lot of money if I go to a pharmacy.

you can change your mind and vax, just as easily as the mom who changes her mind not to vax, and signs a waiver....you can always take your child to the health dept for a vax, instead of her pedi

[colsxjack]

We are thinking of getting one for ourselves and our 3 yr old DD.

We have new born twins and our DD is in daycare and seems to come down with everything going around. We do not want the babies to get sick. Well, we do not want anyone to get sick. But it would be worst for little 7 week old babies

[kathymuggle]

Originally Posted by colsxjack 

We are thinking of getting one for ourselves and our 3 yr old DD.

We have new born twins and our DD is in daycare and seems to come down with everything going around. We do not want the babies to get sick. Well, we do not want anyone to get sick. But it would be worst for little 7 week old babies

If you are leaning towards getting it, I would do it now rather than later.  It takes two weeks to kick in - CDC.

It does look like the flu is on the wane in southern Ontario

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/871520---massive-very-sharp-peak-of-flu-passed

[Rrrrrachel]

It takes up to two weeks but in most cases you have immunity within a week.

[moonjunio]

If your child needs two doses (and apparently many first timers under 9 years old do?) then it takes SIX weeks for protection to really kick in, because you have to wait 28 days between doses, then 2 more weeks for all the antibodies to get into gear. I think I would have declined the shot if I had realized this, because the season's peak should be over by then. Ask your doc if you're considering it.

[serenbat]

Quote:

No, I mean bizarre that they all actually got a flu test. That's very unusual.

why is that? Really seem bizarre to me that you are stating it's unusual.

what section of the country are you in? is this just based on personal opinion or some fact?

Mine - they are super vigilant about testing at Dr.  offices. clinics, urgent cares and ER's - I can go to my state's dept of health info and see updates with the testing results and I known personally a lot of testing is going on.

[Rrrrrachel]

In my experience once flu season is in swing they just go by symptoms and don't test, since the treatment is the same either way.

I guess I don't really know how big a group "everyone I know who got a flu shot" is, so maybe it's not that unusual. Overall, only one third of flu tests come back positive, so if we're talking a group of like twenty people, yes I think it's bizarre they all got flu tests and even more bizarre they were all positive.

[serenbat]

Quote:

In my experience once flu season is in swing they just go by symptoms and don't test, since the treatment is the same either way.

I guess I don't really know how big a group "everyone I know who got a flu shot" is, so maybe it's not that unusual. Overall, only one third of flu tests come back positive, so if we're talking a group of like twenty people, yes I think it's bizarre they all got flu tests and even more bizarre they were all positive.

I have no clue what you are basing this on but in my state we go by facts- real ones and we really are doing testing and we certainly want to know what type of flu it is. I know some doing testing, I know some who have been tested and NO, not all are treated the same- far from it. I have seen testing in the ER and I know there is testing going on in prisons and nursing homes- it's very real.

We record info around here - http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/influenza_(flu)/14161/pa_influenza_weekly_report/557490

[A&A]

Originally Posted by FiveZip 

The pediatrician asked whether I wanted to do that, but that would mean my DD won't be able to receive ANY vaccine after I claim it.  I didn't want that.  It's so tricky.....

And, A&A, thanks for that info.  Were you talking about disease vax or flu shots?  I'll call around in the future, but our pediatrician does not charge co-pay for shot visits.  Getting single doses would cost me a lot of money if I go to a pharmacy.

I was talking about the flu shot.

[serenbat]

some more to think about - http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/nm/insight-evidence-grows-for-narcolepsy-link-to-gsk-swine-flu-shot

[prosciencemum]

That's an article about a specific type of h1n1 vaccine used during the 2009/2010 pandemic concerns. I'm glad they're looking into some possible serious rare side effects, but it doesn't seem very relevant to considerations about getting the flu vaccine in 2012/2013....

[sassyfirechick]

Originally Posted by emmy526 

i am in Ct and hae been using one for my kids for over 14yrs now...never a hassle...the school nurse even provided one for me..btw. where in ct are you? NW corner here

Enfield :-)

[sassyfirechick]

Originally Posted by emmy526 

you can change your mind and vax, just as easily as the mom who changes her mind not to vax, and signs a waiver....you can always take your child to the health dept for a vax, instead of her pedi

Yep.  We started off vaxing but stopped at 4mos - my ped tried to say I couldn't do a waiver that it was all or nothing, but I knew she was bs'ing me.  Be nice if she'd give me a medical waiver since she agreed that DD had a pretty bad reaction...nope! Oh well.

[emmy526]

Originally Posted by sassyfirechick 

Enfield :-)

torrington here...i have cousins in enfield  :)

[Turquesa]

Originally Posted by emmy526 

torrington here...i have cousins in enfield  

You're both probably aware of this already, but there's legislation in your state to allow employee exemptions for mandatory flu vax. Definitely call your senators and reps on this!

[Annalisa]

For what it is worth, I've never heard of anyone among the people I hang out with getting tested for the flu, unless maybe it is very severe.  We are not supposed to take ourselves or the kids to the Dr. for it, either.  Just do regular home care, over the counter meds, etc.  If you have a cough that goes on for longer than three weeks, they might see you.  This was central wisconsin.  The only time they test for regular illness is if they think it is strep throat. 

It sounds like this is not the norm everywhere.  That's interesting.