The Flu Shot Debate
October 15, 2009 by Lisa Beth
Ah, the ever so popular debate: To get a flu shot? Or not to get a flu shot? For me, the choice is pretty simple. I work in health care, have two children in daycare, and am a pharmacist (hence I believe in drugs and vaccines) so OF COURSE I GOT MY FLU SHOT. Did I vaccinate my children? Yup. Sure did. Last week in fact. This week they are sick. Now, I KNOW that the flu shot didn’t cause their sickness. Brooklyn has an ear infection, Wyatt has some kind of cough/cold and laryngitis that makes him sound like a teenage boy going through puberty. But it’s funny how many people think that they get sick from the flu shot. This year, the health care system I work for decided to make the flu shot mandatory for employees. Oh the controversy! I actually kind of find the excuses people come up with hilarious. Most just swear every year they get the flu shot, they get sick. And with the flu! You know, the kind of flu that makes you vomit and have diarrhea for days. I just want to shake them and say THAT’S NOT EVEN THE KIND OF “FLU” YOU ARE BEING IMMUNIZED FOR DUMMY! YOU WOULD’VE GOTTEN SICK WITH OR WITHOUT THE VACCINE. The “stomach flu” has nothing to do with the flu vaccine. The flu vaccine is protecting against the RESPIRATORY flu, people. Oh well….
So back to business. I got the kids immunized last Thursday. Now, I hear that the flu vaccine is almost out. That’s OK, cause we already got immunized, right? Wrong. Brooklyn needs TWO shots, four weeks apart, to have full immunity – since she has never had the vaccine before. Now this wouldn’t concern me terribly, except that the flu is supposed to be bad this year, and THIS EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME WYATT GOT HIS FLU SHOT. So, more or less, it just kind of ticks me off. These little babies get a shot, basically, for nothing. Then next year, she’ll have to get two again. But they’ll probably run out. Again. That happened to Wyatt too.
Then there is the whole swine flu debate. This vaccine I am a little more unsure about. Do I want to vaccinate my kids for this? Not really. Only because it is a relatively new vaccine and not a lot of testing has been done with it. Plus there’s the whole guillain barre syndrome associated with it. I know it’s supposed to be much much less than with the first round of H1N1 vaccines that were being given in the 70’s, but still – how do we really know if this vaccine hasn’t been tested thoroughly? Honestly, I think by the time enough of this H1N1 vaccine becomes available it will be March or so, and then what’s the point? Flu season will be over. There are so many people who are in line before myself and family, I don’t think we’ll ever get it. This year at least. But I’ve been wrong before.
When I brought the kids in to get immunized, we only had to wait a few minutes, then we were brought back to a room, asked a bunch of questions and then Wyatt was asked to drop his drawers. They gave him the quick poke, to which he responded OOOOWWWWCCCHHH. But no tears. Then he jumped up, pulled his pants up, smiled at me and declared, “Brookie’s turn!”
Holly Bowne on Thu, 22nd Oct 2009 4:38 am
This was a most informative post! I’ve been debating whether or not to get the H1N1 vaccine. And I never realized the difference between the “coming out at both ends” flu vs. the respiratory-type flu. Thanks for providing the link the guillain barre syndrome, too. Really helpful stuff!