I’m not overly worried about it.  I find it interesting that there was a ton of hype when our gov’t was ramming “reforms” and “stimuli” through the system without examing and debating them…then it died down… now with the health agenda facing resistance it’s suddenly a huge danger again—- maybe I’m just cynical.
For our family, my kids are home and not in outside care, I don’t work outside the home, my husband works with a very small number of people and doesn’t use public transportation.  I feel that the unknowns of the vaccine are a greater risk at this time (and I do vaccinate normally).

I replied in response to a post about the swine flu and was freaking out a bit being pregnant and working at a hospital.  Also the flu is affecting the younger crowd 0-24 yrs. old.  There have been a few deaths of normal young people w/o preexisting health in our state so yes I was a little in a panic.  I don’t think I will get vaccinated b/c of the ‘newness’ of the vaccine makes me too nervous and not knowing the affects on little unborn baby!
I was surprised to hear your son has CF since I don’t remember reading it before.  I read a book when I was 8 called Alex: the Life of a Child and it has always been close to my heart. 
The pic. is very appropiate/cute/disgusting at the same time!

I am interested to see what people say; the moms and I were just talking about this at our playgroup this morning….we totally want to keep our children safe but do we cancel playgroups, storytimes, etc?  How are our children (and us!) supposed to socialize?  I myself am the type to panic over this stuff as a new-ish mom.  I previously worked in education and would get the flu every year, shot or no.  I am not sure what to think but know I will do whatever (even not socializing!) to keep my child safe(r).  But is my husband not supposed to go to work?  And what about grocery stores, etc?  Lots of questions and I have few answers.  Please discuss!
I second that book Alex…I read it when I was young and enjoyed it.

I’m not in a panic, I think it is being over-hyped because of the health ‘reform’ also.  But I’m also taking more care with hand washing, public outings and more focused on healthy eating/vitamins, regular sleep etc. for my crew here.  We have teens working, day college, (home schooling younger ones) and sports activities, so a lot of exposure going on too.  Praying for your peace of mind and good health for all of your family!

I think the hard thing is that it’s impossible to know so many of the crucial factors. It’s impossible to predict exactly how a virus will mutate. The swine flu vaccine is being tested currently. I’m pregnant right now, but due in Dec. before flu season (ordinarily) gets into full swing. So I really don’t know what to do, either. My dad works in infection control at a local hospital, and when I’ve asked him what he thinks, he just honestly says he doesn’t know yet. I largely ignore the “hype” but the fact is that this strain of flu could mutate and become nasty and flu season could be early, long, or just unpredictable. I guess I would say that if the tests of the vaccine go well, I’ll probably get it along with my kids. Remember that if you do get a flu vaccine, even if you catch a strain of flu that the vaccine didn’t protect against, your body will fight it off better after having the vaccine. Hopefully, the same will be true for swine flu.

check out http://www.mommylife.net  Barbara Curtis has a post on the vaccine today.

I was not at all concerned whenit first became a big deal. Now that I am pg and may be having a preterm baby (34-36wks) at the beginning of October I am a little worried. The plan will be to not take the baby anywhere (even to church). I am almost more worried about the vaccine. I have a type 1 diabetic who usually gets the flu vaccine since he is compromised, but this one has me perplexed since it is a bit hurried. My daughter will go to dance class, not sure that is a good idea, and the boys will play soccer think that will be okay since it will wrap up mid October. Otherwise, we will be hunkering down for the winter, no play groups, church events or family shopping outings. Yeah, i guess I am worried.

My husband is a first responder and works and trains others in hazmat and FEMA type situations. So far, they have been given very little information. I called him today after reading headlines and he said, “We’re all just waiting to see what develops…I’ll let you know when more information comes in.”

I have to say that I now know quite a number of people who have had this illness. Flu is always nasty but it wasn’t worse than any other flu for them. I think many of the predicted deaths are for underdeveloped countries who’s medical care is subpar. The rest of us will just have to keep washing our hands! (over and over and over and over)
It is scary that it’s affecting such young people. Has anyone seen numbers comparing how the “normal” flu affects young people/pregnant women with this one?

I do remember when the initial scare broke. It was used in a big, big way to push national public health care. “At a time like this, we need a government plan!!!” “We can’t afford to leave health care the way it is with this crisis at hand!!!” blah blah blah.

We have had 2 very scary reactions to different childhood vaccines in our home with 2 different children. I am not entirely comfortable using an untested vaccine.
We just wait, pray and wash our hands:)

I do find it interesting that the government is quick to tell everyone to limit the amount of fish they eat because of mercury in the fish.  However they are ok with putting it in a vaccine(the swine flu vaccine contains it) and not issuing any warnings.  I also heard a stat this morning on the radio that normally 30-40,000 people annually die of the flu.  Yesterday I read somewhere( I can not remember where) that it is very hard to perdict what will happen with an epidemic—historically it is only after the fact that it can be analized.

I definitely feel panic of this.  I actually already went out and bought flu supplies in case there was a widespread epidemic and it was difficult to get out and purchase over the counter supplies.  I’m a little embarrassed about that!  I won’t be doing the vaccine because it isn’t being tested well before distribution, but I would consider avoiding public places for the winter.  I had to do that to avoid RSV for my preemie son- from Oct to May- longest 8 months of my life, but I survived.

I am not an alarmist, nor am I recommending any particular course of action. However, I felt the need to mention the fact that my husband (an MD at a university hospital at which the vaccine is being tested) has recommended to his medical students not to get the vaccine just yet. Please don’t let this affect your decision for your family, but do try to find out as much as possible before making the decision about swine flu vaccination.

I live in Britain.  The scare stories are all around.  The reality is that the number of people who die of the ordinary flu vastly outnumbers those who die of Swine Flu.  Pray hope and don’t worry as St Padre Pio used to say.  I will not be taking the vaccine if I contract this illness.  I don’t expect to.  I take 1000mg Vit C. daily.  It builds up my immune system.  I was taking it long before this scare was even heard of. I am 67 years old and am confident that I will be just fine. Please don’t worry.

I’m not opposed to vaccinating if it is proven safe first. Whatever will be will be. We’ll try our best to stay healthy. That said, we don’t have anyone here with any respiratory issues. I keep in mind all the fuss about monkey pox, SARS, etc., etc. It’s all part of the never-ending need to feed our never-ending news cycles.

Panic….no.  Worried….yes.

I am prone to panic… so I am just shy of it at this point. The thought of death of me or my littles is horrifying to me. But we homeschool, so our contact is limited. I do have one with asthma… so am worried about him a bit more. I guess Our Lord and Our Lady will be hearing from me quite a bit more than usual come fall. 

The Wall Street Journal recently had a very balanced article on the Swine Flu and the vaccine.  It really answered several of my questions and was not sensationalized like so much of the media coverage.  (FYI: There will be mercury-free doses available as shots and nasal sprays, for those who worry about that)  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204543304574350920660799750.html

NO WORRYING IN fLORIDA HERE. wE PRAY HOPE AND the keys stick, so we don’t worry. And then we go to the beach.

I am not worried.  We try not to get run down and use sanitizer and wash our hands.

I will not panic, I will take normal precautions as we always do, but I will not curtail our every day activities. I believe this is being hyped a little more than it needs to be by the media. That 90,000 fatality forecast was made for worst case scenario planning purposes, according to a source from the CDC I just saw on the news. Our Lord tells us over and over again not to be afraid. I just looked it up and saw that 37,000 people died in the US in 2008 as a result of car accidents. That is a real number, not a forecast. Yet I venture to guess that most of us strap our kids in the car every day and go out on the roads, we don’t stay inside for fear we will be in a wreck. I will continue to pray for the safety of my children and leave it in God’s hands to do with them what He has planned.

Worried - yes.  Panicked - no.

We’ve never done the flu vaccine for anyone other then our oldest who has asthma.  I am terrified of new vaccines.  But, we do come down with something nasty every single winter that hits the whole family (hmm, except the child who was vaccinated last year - just realized that), so I was considering getting the nasal flu vaccine and see what happens this year.  Our pediatrician said that one reason they are pushing the vaccines is because they are concerned about someone getting a double whammy and coming down with both the swine flu and the “other” flu at the same time, which really could overwhelm their system.  There’s a good possibility many of us have already had the swine flu anyway(we got very sick, after the neighbor got very sick, after her friend had a confirmed case - so really, who knows for sure).

I am not panicked, but definitely worried. As the mom of a child with chronic lung issues and 7 hospitalizations before two years, we are going to have to do what we can to not bring it into our house. We already don’t leave during winter with our youngest because he gets everything so badly. I do think I wouldn’t be as worried if I didn’t have a special-needs child.

I don’t know what to think, to be honest.  Every member of my family is considered “high risk” with two babies at home, one more to be born in November, a husband with a chronic illness, and my own pregnant self.  At first we figured we’d run out and be first in line.  That seemed to fit in with the hysteria on the news every day.  Then I started seeing articles about side effects such as what happened in 1973, questioning what all the hype was about, etc.

I quizzed my pediatrician on it today during my son’s 15 month appt.  She agreed that, yes, our family (as a whole) is high risk and that we should definitely all get the vaccine…especially for the sake of the newest member who will be too young to get the vaccine at all this season.  She said that her plan is to watch the test groups as they go through the process, and that if all of the test results come back with the same indications as what the normal seasonal flu vaccine presents each year, then she will continue to recommend that her patients receive the vaccine.  It’s complicated this year, she said, because we’re dealing with both the swine flu shots as well as the seasonal flu. She DID recommend that we all get both because the last thing you want is for someone to end up getting both viruses concurrently, as that is when they can mutate into a new illness altogether.

So. I’m still concerned. But I trust my pediatrician.  I think, though, that it’s crucial to continue reading and learning and to really watch what comes out. And to pray. Praying at least gets us somewhere (even if we don’t feel it right away).  Panic never seems to do much more than get us all sorts of nowhere…even more stressed out than when we started.

I personally don’t ever get flu shots, and my children never had them.  But….. I don’t have a child with chronic lung disease.  I say, do your research, talk to your son’s doctor and make an informed decision.  All vaccines have a risk.  I have way too many allergies to take the vaccines.  My husband gets deathly ill if he gets a flu shot.  So, in our family we don’t get them. What is right for one family is not necessarily right for another.

I would say that worried is an appropriate action.  We have had 2 other well-documented swine flu’s—flu of 1918 and 1976-77.  500 million people got the flu in 1918 (out of 1.6 billion in the world) and so many died that it caused a decrease in the world population—first time that has happened since the Black Plague, I think.  However you can contrast that with 1976 when so few people got the flu that the problems from the vaccine were the news instead of the flu itself.  The problem with swine flu is that because our bodies haven’t “seen” it before the young (20-50 year olds)  healthy people have such a terrific immune response that they actually make the disease worse.  SO . . . are we in for a 1918 or a 1976?  If you could predict that you would know whether to take the risk of the vaccine.  Even when you look at the numbers of people who had problems with the vaccine in 1976 (25 died out of the 48 million who were vaccinated) it is a realitively small number.  Just for the record thimerosal (the mercury in vaccines) is no longer in most vaccines and there is a thimerosal free vaccine that will be available.  Bottom line—everyone needs to make their own decision but the risk of the vaccine sure sounds less to me then even the risk of the common (yearly) flu, especially for people with other medical problems.

I’m only 8 weeks pregnant so I’m nervous but I’m not willing to get the vaccine especially after this news story surfaced: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1206807/Swine-flu-jab-link-killer-nerve-disease-Leaked-letter-reveals-concern-neurologists-25-deaths-America.html

Sooo, I’m praying for Guidance.

Arwen,
Just a heads up. My brother in-law is a pharmaceutical rep and all the doctors he visits (Southern Louisiana) have all said the same about the swine flu vaccine: “Do NOT get it!” They are telling him that the risks are too high. One of the risks being an unusually high risk for paralysis. The vaccine is supposed to come out some time in October so regardless of what the media says please avoid it at all costs!!!
I think I will just have my kids get the regular flu vaccination but not for H1N1. I hope your son does not get sick at all this year. =) Good luck!