We finally made a decision about the H1N1 vaccine, and believe me, it wasn’t easy. Back in October my husband and I were all ready to get our son the vaccine. He’s had issues with asthma and respiratory problems in the past, so we figured we should do all we could to minimize his chances of contracting this new flu strain. When we visited his doctor in October (for an unrelated issue), we asked about the vaccine. But alas, there was none to be had.

For a few weeks, I frantically searched for available vaccine, but the little that was available seemed to entail hours-long waits among crowds of people, which not only sounded like a nightmare, it didn’t sound like the best way to avoid the flu. So we decided to wait.

After a few weeks, the holidays came and my mind was filled with other matters. After the holidays I read that the flu had peaked in October and was waning. Then I started hearing stories about numerous vaccine recalls. I started thinking this whole vaccine thing might not be such a good idea after all.

I should also mention that my son hates shots. Actually, that’s putting it mildly. He becomes nearly hysterical at the idea of getting a shot, and because he’s six months shy of his tenth birthday, the CDC recommends he get two doses of the vaccine. (His history of asthma symptoms means he can’t get the nasal mist, either.) This, too, was leading me toward a decision to forgo the shots.

But two days ago I logged onto Facebook and found the following status update from the mother of one of my son’s classmates: “Sitting at the 24-hour pharmacy, after a visit to urgent care. Second kid in 2 months with swine flu that’s turned into pneumonia. Seriously folks–get your H1N1 vaccines stat!”

Shoot! The obsessive thoughts began anew. Should I get him vaccinated or not? Finally I decided to bite the bullet and take him in. I picked him up at school and gave him the bad news. He immediately began to sob and continued to do so during our 20-minute drive to the clinic. Luckily, there was a very short wait before we got our shots and the whole ordeal was over. (Being so close to his tenth birthday, I made the executive decision to take our chances with one dose of the vaccine.) At least now I can stop obsessing about it.

Have you and your kids been vaccinated? Did you get both the seasonal and the H1N1 vaccines? (Why or why not?) Or have you or your kids been sick with H1N1? How bad was it? Let us know about your experiences and how you decided to get – or not get – the vaccine.

PS: When we got home from getting our shots, I learned it’s currently National Influenza Vaccination Week! What do you know about that? For information about H1N1 and vaccine availability in Oregon, visit flu.oregon.gov. Washington residents, visit www.doh.wa.gov/h1n1/.

January 12th, 2010 | Category: Health and Wellness