Now that I'm up on my soapbox, I've got a little something to get off my chest.
What is UP with this?
People want to risk the lives of their children because, despite all the reassurances from the CDC, they don't "feel" like the H1N1 vaccine is safe? In the words of my two-year-old, "Yat da yat?!?"
And it's not just some unknown people who happened to be interviewed for the story. I've heard buzz on Facebook, and it's ... well, frankly, it's scary.
Somebody's sitting on the fence. "Should I have my kids get the vaccine?" And then the comments come rolling in.
"There's no way I'll take my kids. It's not safe."
"I'm going to wait a few more years until they've had the chance to test it some more."
"Normally I'm all about vaccinations, but not this one."
My little "I've got mine, and my kids will get theirs as soon as they can" comment is DEFINITELY in the minority.
So here's my two cents: More children have died from swine flu this year (starting in April through mid-October) than died from seasonal flu in ALL of 2008. And we're just barely gearing up for flu season. Don't you think that's worth a shot?
And I know H1N1 isn't always deadly. We've had three family members who have all contracted and survived it so far (before the vaccine was available). But an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, right? Especially when it's the life of your child.
Just because you asked so nicely, here are excerpts from a Fox News article with any personal commentary I feel like adding.
Tom Skinner, spokesman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the vaccine was made in exactly the same manner as the seasonal flu vaccine, which has a “very, very good track record as far as safety is concerned.”
We've been getting seasonal flu shots since 2002, and I've never had any adverse reactions to them.Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius made the rounds Tuesday and Wednesday morning, appealing to all Americans to get the vaccine and trust that it is safe.
Sebelius unconditionally vouched for the safety of the vaccine, saying it “has been made exactly the same way the seasonal vaccine has been made, year in and year out.”
...
Health experts say most fears about the flu vaccine, especially the seasonal vaccine, are unfounded.
The flu shot does not give people the flu. Side effects are generally mild — soreness and swelling at the injection site (my seasonal flu shot this year made my arm much more sore than my H1N1 shot), headache (which I DID get after the H1N1 shot, but it was short-lived and nothing a little acetominophen couldn't handle), occasional fever and body aches (the mark of a healthy immune system responding to something foreign entering the body). Less common side effects include coughing, runny nose and nausea, especially in young children.
...Dr. Peter Welch, an infectious disease specialist at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, N.Y., said it is imperative that people trust the H1N1 shot, as it is the best protection against a virus that has already killed hundreds in the U.S.
“People need to get these vaccines because these illnesses are so much more severe than any side effects they will experience,” he said.
..."We really implore any parent to seek out information that’s reliable and can help them make a decision that’s best for their child,” Skinner said.
And that's what people SHOULD do. Don't ask for everyone's opinion on Facebook. Don't leave the deciding to someone else. Do the research. Find reliable sources. Your FB buddy's sister-in-law doesn't count as an expert. And make the best choice for you and your children.
Ahem. Thank you for your time.