Are there any other nonvaxers here? (re: H1N1)

[firsttimemama]

Just curious if you're doing H1N1, or flu this year because of H1N1, or neither. Is anyone considering Prevnar because of H1N1?

Trying to figure out what we're doing.
Our vax decisions have been largely due to extensive history of autoimmune disease in my family, immediate and extended.

[hellokitty]

Non-vaxer and no, we are not getting either the flu or H1N1 vax. Is there a particular reason/concern you are considering these vaxes, even though you don't normally vax?

[firsttimemama]

Non-vaxer and no, we are not getting either the flu or H1N1 vax. Is there a particular reason/concern you are considering these vaxes, even though you don't normally vax?

Just your garden variety fear I probably will not vax for either H1N1 or flu (although my mother's lecture about H1N1 the other day did get me worried). I am wondering if I should consider Prevnar.. because I had read a bit about it being thought to help with post-H1N1 pneumonia. Also, I was considering Prevnar prior to the whole H1N1 business. I consulted a dr I trust and he said that based on DS' family history the only vaccine where the pros would outweigh the cons would be PC. That said, each time I do research on Prevnar I find that I am uneasy about giving it.

Just wondering if post H1N1 pneumonia should make me consider Prevnar, again.

[JBaxter]

Jack is unvax'ed to this point. We are ( and has always been the plan) going to start with his first shot at his 1 yr appt. He will ONLY get one shot per visit and those will be spaced. We had decide dont HIB. I think we are skipping Prevnar all together. None of my boys have ever gotten flu shots and will not this year either.

[firsttimemama]

Jack is unvax'ed to this point. We are ( and has always been the plan) going to start with his first shot at his 1 yr appt. He will ONLY get one shot per visit and those will be spaced. We had decide dont HIB. I think we are skipping Prevnar all together. None of my boys have ever gotten flu shots and will not this year either.

Hi! I actually live near you - Frederick, MD

Why are you skipping Prevnar? I need to go reread that chapter in the Sears book, again. Every time I read it, I decide I don't want to do it, but then I read something like - post H1N1 complications/pneumonia are a real concern and then I start wondering all over again...

[chinook]

I'm an RN in an Infectious Diseases clinic. My kids are fully vaxed but have NOT had a flu shot before (they're 3.)

We'll be getting the H1N1 as soon as it is available. This virus is sufficiently scary (to me) to have them vaxed. I also have prescriptions of Tamiflu ready to go just in case.

Not sure if I'll bother with the seasonal flu shot this year. So far the only strains they have been finding around here have been H1N1.

[Jo..]

Neither one of my kids has had any vaxes to date.

I am scared to vax, and scared not to.

While I weigh my decisions and educate myself, they wait, and wait, and wait.

So far (knock wood) both are extremely healthy. Both had a recent probable bout with swine flu, and I am thankful to have it out of the way.

[hellokitty]

Just your garden variety fear I probably will not vax for either H1N1 or flu (although my mother's lecture about H1N1 the other day did get me worried). I am wondering if I should consider Prevnar.. because I had read a bit about it being thought to help with post-H1N1 pneumonia. Also, I was considering Prevnar prior to the whole H1N1 business. I consulted a dr I trust and he said that based on DS' family history the only vaccine where the pros would outweigh the cons would be PC. That said, each time I do research on Prevnar I find that I am uneasy about giving it.

Just wondering if post H1N1 pneumonia should make me consider Prevnar, again.

Yeah, I can understand the fear. Trust me. My dad is a very pro-vax ped, so pro-vax that, he does not even know that I do not vax my kids (DS2 and 3 are not vaxed, DS1 is partially vaxed). In fact, I lie to him every time he asks me if the kids got their vax, and he is always offering to give us, "free" shots (I hate this) and he'd probably do something as crazy as to report me to DCFS if he found out I didn't vax. You just have to be mindful of who you talk to, b/c the whole flu talk this yr has a lot of hysteria mixed in thanks to the media. If you feel uneasy about prevnar, don't get it. I think that we underestimate our gut feelings as mothers so much in modern society. I'm sorry that you are feeling pressure. The first few yrs when I switched to being non-vax, I found myself waivering at times, b/c ppl would try to scare me into it. However, every time I did research on my own, I realized that it was not a vax I felt comfortable with. So, it sounds weird (I'm not sure how old your child is), but it gets easier with time not to feel the pressure to vax.

Basically, in our family, we focus on healthy habits and nutrition. Handwashing properly and often, cough into your elbow, eating a good diet, taking vitamins, etc.. If we get sick, we get sick and will deal with it. The thing about vax that I don't understand is that ppl act like if they get it, it will 100% protect them. There is not guarantee that a vax will 100% protect you from a certain disease.

***PLEASE, pro-vaxers, this is NOT a debate thread.***

[AngelaS]

We don't get the regular flu shot and have no plans to get the H1N1 shot either.

[chinook]

Ooops, sorry, I didn't read the thread title closely enough. I didn't intend to start any debates.

Sorry again.