Flu vaccines for kids

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I'm a bit on the fence this year and I'm looking for input from other parents. Both my kids routinely get all of the recommended vaccines, but the flu shot and the H1N1 make me a bit nervous. I don't believe vaccines cause autism (my son has AS and it's clearly genetic in his case), but I am uneasy about some of the toxic ingredients in these shots, even though they are only in trace amounts. I believe it's all about risk vs. benefit and the risks are somewhat unknown at this time and the benefit is not very complete (at least for the seasonal flu). I don't think it's some far-fetched conspiracy or anything, I just have tendency for skepticism when such large profits are involved.

I'm currently leaning towards getting my kids the shots, moreso the H1N1 than the seasonal as it seems to be hitting the kids pretty hard, but I'm still not sure. I just want what's best for them, as any parent does. It's a tough decision for me because I sort of feel like I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't. Anyone else on the fence?

Both my son and I are severe asthmatics so I have had both vaccines and my son will be having his as soon as the H1N1 version is available for his age group.

I figured that we didn't have much choice. I was initially very against the Swine Flu vaccine but after speaking with some friends who are Biomedical doctors I now have no qualms at all. Plus I had mine and it was fine

Influenza vaccinations are the biggest (pardon my french) crock of sh!t ever created by healthcare. They don't protect you against anything. A flu vaccine will protect you from one strain of flu, when there are BILLIONS of them out there...So what if you don't get the strain that you got vaccinated for, you're just as likely to get a different one.

And don't even get me STARTED on H1N1...

Finally, flu vaccines do more harm than good, often making people very sick...whether the ingredients are harmful or poisonous is debatable.

/end rant.

My husband definitely wants the kids to get the H1N1. He's freaked out about the stories of youngs girls similar to our daughter who are going downhill and reaching critical within 24 hours. The first 3 days the child will seem just a little sick, and then BAM. These are the kids who die.

We rarely give the kids flu vaccines.

I am like your husband. The stories are truly scarey. I am very nervous about H1N1 flu right now. Every day I check the Kaiser clinic number to see if the injectable H1N1 vaccine has arrived. Both of my kids have had some asthma/wheezing, and are not allowed to get the flu mist. We got the seasonal flu shots today.

If we could ever get the H1N1. My state is one of the hardest hit yet we are the last one to get the vaccine. Doesn't make sense. Both of my children have lung problems. My youngest one is not in school and he was born with Severe respiratory distress syndrome. He needed surfactant when he was in NICU. It is quite distressing. My older child, Nate, will be given the mist next week. He will come home and expose my two year old as it will shed somewhat. Not as bad as the actual virus. So, there seems to be no way to protect my younger child when my older one gets the shot.

The whole thing makes me made. I have called a lot of pediatric offices and ALL say they have been told that they will not get the vaccine this year. WHAT? I will immediately call CDC on Monday and explain the situation regarding my high risk children.

I don't have kids, but I'm planning to vaccinate myself against both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu. My insurance covers it, and if it can reduce my chances of getting sick (when I get sick, it's usually severe and prolonged), all the better.

I would only give them to my kids if they were "at risk." They are not. They both have very strong immune systems. I do pump them each with vitamin C. They rarely get fevers now and only have very mild colds they bring home from school. Nothing to keep them home!

I don't really trust the swine vaccine. It's still too new, imo. The schools should be sending a permission slips home to give the vaccine to them at school. Not signing.

just swine one. generaly we do see a difference when we get a flu shot (symptoms are less severe) so i guess i am a believer. now taking both seasonal and swine strain shots would be too many shots so i choose the more dangerous one.
i am not so scared of the swine one now but i am worried if it is going to evolve. taking a shot now would prepare organism now to have some kind of defense that can mean a lot if the virus becomes realy dangerous.

also i am going to get it first before my son.

My kids go to school in a low income area were kids come to school sick all the tiem due to lack of daycare ect on the part of the families so they will be getting both shots asap. I'm not losing the only two childern I will ever be able to have over something proventable.

my kids including my AS son will get their H1N1 at school on Wed. I have a 3 month old baby at home so I am not taking any chances. No one has died from the flu vaccine in years, 75 children have already died form swine flu.

Maybe the real question should be is there any benefit to getting the shots?
first of all in regards to H1N1 swine flu

My sons both have asthma, but also have severe egg allergy therefore they can't get the shot. My husband and I will be getting both shots.

There is a preservative in the H1N1 vaccine that can cause paralysis. The name eludes me but it starts with an S. There are several people in Europe that have died from this vaccine. There is a person that lives 30 miles from me that was affected by this, and although she did not die, she will never be able to play tennis again to her usual ability because of neurological damage.

This side effect is VERY rare, but it is a side effect. I am totally on the fence about this, but I'm leaning towared no. My son is in a school of 10 kids, his daycare has 3 schoolage kids. I don't think he is as much risk as a child going to a public school with hundreds of kids.

It's tough. I would feel guilty if I immunized if something bad happened and I went against my instincts, and I would feel guilty if something happened after he got the virus.

It's a bad flu....about as bad as bad flu gets... And YES, it goes downhill fast, as little as three hours while my husband and I went out for a lunch...came back to a much, much sicker kid, high fever, dragged him to the ER...you DO NOT want that to happen overnight....or to lose sleep worring that it may!

I plan to inocculate the rest of us when it arrives here...it's not here yet.