Questin Re: H1N1 shot in school-wwyd?

[frgsnlzrds]

DS1 is in 5th grade and DS2, 3yo, is in preschool. Both schools are offering H1N1 shots tomorrow (thursday). I have procrastinated so long that I have not yet signed the permission slips. I just decided that I would like all 3 kids to get the shot, but I am hesitant to give it to DS2 when I'm not there. Call it the mommy need to comfort. I'm worried it will make him scared to go to school.

However, the dr's office is closed today and I can't get through to a nurse, receptionist or anyone to ask if they still have the vax available. They did last week, but we never made it in. I called the hospital and they told me that all their shots are going for inpatient only.

In short, I'm worried that if I don't let DS2 have the shot in school tomorrow he won't get it. And I can't go in to school with him because DH will have the car. Would you send a 3 yo to get a shot in school when you couldn't be there or take your chances that he can still get it at the dr.'s office? TIA!

[StantonHyde]

At this point, I would take it. Can you take a cab or do alternate transport to the school?

[geochick]

I would get the shot any way possible at this point.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Can dh drive you and ds to school? You can go for a walk, volunteer in class or something else to kill the time. That's what I would do. If you want the vax this might be your only option.

Beth

[♥ms.pacman♥]

I would get the shot any way possible at this point.

:yeahthat: i agree. since i'm pregnant I've been trying like crazy to get the H1N1 shot but in my local area (Dallas) there is a major shortage (even though there is unusually high number of H1N1 cases here)...so i would jump on the chance to be able to get it

[ett]

I agree with PP's. There is a shortage of vaxes so I would take the vax at school.

[mecawa]

At this point I would DEFINITELY take it. I would not wait for the docs office. My DD2 got it at the docs because of a medical condition, and they didn't have enough for DD1 (no med.conditions) and they don't even know if they'll get anymore in. I wish DD's school would offer it!!!

[khalloc]

I would get it and I would be psyched not to have to be there to witness my 3 year old getting a shot! I wish they did that for 3-year olds around here. I think it would be awesome to get out of being there. My almost 4 year old carried on for hours afterwards about it.

[Corie]

I would drive DH to work tomorrow so that you can drive yourself up
to the school for the shots.

Then, just pick up your DH after work.

[citymama]

I would absolutely do it and find a way to be there. Good luck!

[frgsnlzrds]

OK, you've made up my mind! :D Now if only you could decide all my other difficult decisions!

I requested that DH call the closing manager and switch tomorrow, but if he can't, I'll just have to get the kids out of the house at 7 to drive DH to work and be back at school by 9. I have some other errands to run that I can use the car for anyway.

This does mean that DD is not going to be able to get the shot, since she's not in school. Hopefully if her brothers don't bring it home she/me/DH won't get sick!

[justlearning]

Out of curiousity, is your child in the 5th grade considered high risk for some reason? Or are they offering to vaccinate all kids in the school, even those who aren't high risk?

Where we live (a city of around 400,000), clinics are just now receiving only a few doses--only enough for the care providers. (For example, my husband's clinic just got 10 doses yesterday to be given to the docs and nurses.)

Our son's three years old and considered high risk (immune suppressed from cancer treatment), yet he won't be able to get the vaccine until more doses come in. I called all around our area yesterday (including his children's cancer clinic), and they're all being told that they won't be getting any vaccines in for at least two more weeks.

So, it seems interesting to me that some cities right now would have so many extra doses that they're not restricting who can get them to only the "high risk" priority group (i.e., pregnant moms, young kids, caregivers of babies, kids with health conditions).

I wonder how the government is managing the distribution of the doses? It'd be a shame if they ended up running out before everyone in the high-risk group who wants a shot/mist is able to get one because they weren't distributed well. If anyone has a link to good article addressing this subject, I'd be interested in reading it or hearing your thoughts...

To the OP, of course I'm not trying to say that you shouldn't take the offered vaccination for your child if he's not high risk--if I were in your shoes, I'd definitely do it. Your question just got me thinking about how the distribution doesn't seem to be very fair at the moment. Hopefully, it'll all turn out fine, though.

[SnuggleBuggles]

justlearning- My county (maybe state?) put healthy kids aged 5-9 as the 1st wave to get the H1N1 vax. They are the ones who are more likely to get it and spread it and since they need 2 doses they are trying to get them done in time to get the 2nd dose.
Beth

[justlearning]

justlearning- My county (maybe state?) put healthy kids aged 5-9 as the 1st wave to get the H1N1 vax. They are the ones who are more likely to get it and spread it and since they need 2 doses they are trying to get them done in time to get the 2nd dose.
Beth

Thanks for this information--interesting. My husband's clinic was given a priority list for distribution of the doses when they get more in, and it focused first on the high-risk groups I referred to in my last post. So perhaps different areas are targeting H1N1 prevention differently.

ETA that it's also possible that our school system will target the healthy kids like your state when they do arrive here, so the doctors' offices aren't being told to direct their doses to healthy kids.

[set81616]

It also depends on how many doses were ordered. Texas ordered the second fewest of all states even though they have something like the 3rd highest population. I was able to get shots no problem on Monday for my son and I (I have a lowered immune system) but my healthy husband couldn't get it. We walked in waited a half hour for the nurse to get back from lunch and got the shot. Only 3 families total were there the whole time. They had had a clinic all day and I just called by chance and they said to come in. We're outside Richmond VA. Even places that ordered more are having shortages but they are still getting more overall.
Shannon

[justlearning]

I just looked up the info regaring our county. The first clinics are scheduled for the middle of November, but so far our county is only receiving 12,000 doses. It's unknown how many more they'll get and they said that over 300,000 in our county need the vaccine.

They said that doctors' offices will only administer the vaccine to those on the priority list. They said that "the high-risk groups include preschool children ages 6 months through 4 years, school age children and young adults ages 5 and 18 with chronic health conditions, health care workers with direct patient contact, pregnant women and caretakers for children younger than 6 months." (This is the same list my husband received.)

So it does appear that in our county, healthy school children will not be receiving the vaccine--at least for now. (I also have a six-year-old in public school and haven't received any word regarding any future plans to provide vaccinations.) I'm curious how this compares with other counties across the US?

[arivecchi]

The state/city govts. should have only distributed the vax/mist first through doctor's offices who can verify that people fall in a HR category. The county clinics seem to be a free for all. :mad:

[frgsnlzrds]

Out of curiousity, is your child in the 5th grade considered high risk for some reason? Or are they offering to vaccinate all kids in the school, even those who aren't high risk?

I think the distribution must be completely random. My county got 5,000 doses, which is enough to vax all students. They got permission from the gov to do all school age kids to try to prevent the spread. My neighboring county only got 1,600 doses and that's the county my dr's office is in. They are only giving it to inpatients in the hospital and high risk people through the offices. I don't think DD will be able to get it. I feel pretty lucky that I live in my county, even though I at the faaaar edge and much closer to towns in the other county than anything else.