H1N1 vax options for DD - WWYD? UPDATE in Post # 11

[citymama]

So our public health clinics finally have the H1N1 vaccines, in limited quantities of course. An RN friend of mine working the clinics told me this:
--preg. women are first priority, and they're reserving the thimerasol-free vaccines for them. So assuming the lines aren't insane, I should be able to get mine.
--they're setting aside flu mist for the kids. The clinics are tomorrow and Friday. So if I get my vax tomorrow, I'm still not protected, and if DD gets the flu mist, I'll be exposed to live virus shedding. Seems like a bad idea in terms of protecting me.
--they the have multi-dose version with 25 mcg mercury for everyone else, including kids. DH can get this (assuming there's enough to go around). But I don't feel comfortable with DD getting this kind.

DD's ped. isn't going to have any vaccines till mid-November at the earliest. WWYD? Get her the flu mist, multi-dose with 25 mcg mercury, or wait another 3 weeks? I should add that I have asthma. We don't know if DD does, but she has had a couple of wheezing incidents.

WWYD?

[JBaxter]

The papers we had( if we had chosen to get the mist at Nathans elem school )said do not use the mist if the child had a history of wheezing. If you even think there is a possiblity she could be asthmatic you shouldnt do the mist

I would wait until you could find the preservative free shot for her.

[bubbaray]

Option 3, get her the shot. -- I voted #2 in the poll, but in your text, the same thing is option 3...

[sste]

I guess if you are truly uncomfortable with the mercury you can't do number 3. My vote for myself would probably be for number 3 and to reduce fish intake for a week or so. My understanding (??) is that the mercury in vaccines/shots is the same as the mercury in fish and that there is far less mercury in vaccines than the mercury in the rec intake of fish for DCs and adults.

We give our DS fish every week and fish oil so I don't get that upset about mercury in the shot. But, maybe there is another substance besides the mercury that is bothering you??

[mommyp]

I'd get her the shot now, since to be fully protected you're going to need another one in a month. If you wait 3 weeks (or more) for the first dose, then it will be a month after that until she's fully protected.
DD got her infant shot today, and they were super strict about the guidelines. So they will not give the mist with any hint of wheezing. People behind us in line had been told that. And you will be able to get yours, but your DH will not. I could not get the shot today, I have to wait until they open it up to the next tier. Here it was only pregnant women and caregivers to children under 6 mo (and the kids of course) that were getting it.

[HannaAddict]

I talked to my OB and the infectious disease doctor dad who is holding court at my pick-up for my oldest child's school. I too was concerned about shedding. But both doctors said shedding risk is extremely low and actually theoretical, and that the risk is really only for people with zero immune systmes, like bone marrow treatment, people going through chemo, etc. Pregnant women, with slightly reduced immune systems are not considered at risk. I opted for the mist for my three year old verus the preservative shot, also in part since the mist has been empiracally shown to be more effective in the younger children for some reason. I also looked at the CDC website and they address this and say the mist is appropriate for member's of a pregnant woman's family. I would definitely not wait for more doses. But I could have gone the other way and done the shot with preservative, I am not totally freaked out by that.

[Indianamom2]

Well, I don't know in your particular situation what I would do (with regard to the wheezing), but I will say that when I asked about getting DD#1 the flu mist vs. the shot with regard to shedding around our 3 month old, the pedi said that wasn't really an issue unless a person was SEVERELY imune-compromised.

We went with the mist because I really feel like some protection for us is better than none (H1N1 is rampant here).

We will be lucky to get the follow-up dose anytime soon, though.

Good luck.

Christina

[citymama]

Option 3, get her the shot. -- I voted #2 in the poll, but in your text, the same thing is option 3...

Oops, sorry, I wrote that out in a hurry.

[Momof3Labs]

Until you mentioned the wheezing, I was going to vote to get her the FluMist now. My ped wasn't concerned about the boys getting the FluMist with our unvaccinated newborns in the house, so I'm sure that a healthy pregnant woman isn't a risk either. He also said the only issue was with severely immuno-compromised individuals, consistent with PPs here.

Because of the wheezing, I'd get her the shot now.

[citymama]

My ped. just called back - I had left a message with his office. First, he said, absolutely the shot. That's what they would give her. If and when they get the vax, any thim-free doses will be for babies only. He said no flu mist for her because I am pregnant (funnily, he didn't mention the wheezing). He says that as a pregnant woman, there's a slim but possible chance of getting the virus from a child I am in close contact with who has had the flu mist.

He spent about 10 minutes railing against thimerasol concerns, telling me she's exposed to more mercury in a fish dinner, and that thimerasol lasts in your body a very short time. I would much rather zero mercury exposure, thank you, but point taken.

The scary part was he was actually worried they might not get any of the vaccines for many weeks because the doses are trickling in so slowly to the public health and medical community. He thinks it will be closer to December before there's widespread availability.

[citymama]

Funny, it turns out that the "other" category in the poll won! When I took DD to the clinic today, they only had flu-mist or the Novartis multi-single dose, which is approved for 4 and older. She's 3.5. I got the thimerasol-free kind since i'm pregnant and asked if she could as well. They measured out a half dose (.25 ml) for her and gave it to her! So she ended up getting the thimerasol-free kind, which is good, but I hope it gives her adequate protection.