What do you think? Sorry if it's a repeater! ;-)

[guitarinliv]

I'm sure this has been asked on here before...so I'm sorry if it's a repeater but...
My husband and I are expecting our second child in July and at my OB appointment, the doc strongly suggested that I get both the regular flu shot and the h1n1 shot. We have never done flu shots any other year and haven't had our 1 yr old vaccinated for it either. The OB's stance was that I am more likely to become very ill if I get it, to the point that it could hurt the baby, or even cause death.
I'm torn on the issue b/c of the newness of the h1n1 shot and potential side-effects that we won't find out about until later and the fact that the doc's approach seemed a little too worse case scenario. Anyone else have thoughts on the issue? Have you done the vaccine? Not? Just curious! Thanks!

 

[b.hopeful]

My kids all got the h1n1 and regular flu shots. My son has asthma and winter is already a rough time for him. My close friend is pregnant(due in Feb) and she got it because it's supposed to be more dangerous for pregnant women. It helps that a close friend of ours is a respiratory therapist and the tales of her h1n1 cases are so sad. Her hospital was reeling from it for a long while. My otherwise healthy oldest child was out of school for 2 weeks with swine flu. It was brutal.

I vaccinate my children but I have many friends that don't do vaccinations period..or do selective vaccination schedules. It's a personal decision,imo. You educate yourself and make the best choice with the info you have at the time. We all take precautions everyday to avoid worst case scenarios. It's why my 9 yo is still in a booster seat, why we use seatbelts, heck..why we get prenatal care.

 

[NickH]

My wife got both shots. I have only gotten the regular flu shot but need to get the h1n1 lickety split as she's due in late January. I have my reservations about flu shots and aggressive vaccination scheduling but think any risk incurred is worth it.

 

[tiredwalker]

The H1N1 shot has had very few side-effects, most just a allergic reactions (if you are allergic to eggs, don't get it). My sister is pregnant and a doctor, and she got it. I'm pregnant, and I got it as well (we both got it in October). Neither one of us had a reaction to it, and both of our babies are doing very well; we've had our 19 week ultrasounds and both look "perfect".

That being said, I'm not a big flu shot person, but we have a toddler and will have a new born in the house before the end of the flu season, so I feel it's important to protect them, by protecting our home. My sister has always refused to get flu shots even though she works in a hospital with sick people all around, but felt that this one was worth it.

I've seen a ton of news folks play up the possible risks, but it's all been a bunch of bologna so far. The most important things to know are:

-H1N1 shot is exactly the same as a seasonal flu shot with the H1N1 strain replacing the seasonal strain. When they say they haven't tested it, it means that they haven't seen out the body reacts to that strain. They already know what the body does with all of the other matter in the shot.
-The seasonal flu shot does not protect against the H1N1 virus
-The odd and scary thing about the H1N1 is that it's affecting young and healthy people in a much more aggressive way than the seasonal flu does.