Nervous about flu

[ParisJeTadore]

I have a question about flu vaccination. What are your thoughts on vaccinating your little ones? I keep reading on the news how severe this years strain is on elderly and small children and I can't help but freak out a little.

I have a 15 month old, 3 and 5 year old. They've never had a flu shot and where I live only the shot is offered. I took my 5 year old for his booster recently and it was pretty traumatic for him so I can't imagine how he'd do going back for more! Any thoughts? Have you vaccinated? How were your kids getting a needle? This whole thing is stressing me out way too much but I guess I stress every year about flu season, ugh!

 

[Scout]

I'm in the US and, it seems recently, flu deaths are reported on the nightly news every single night. It is scary. My daughter has had the vaccine (a shot) every year since birth, except this year. I planned to get her one, but then it was reported that the vaccine was only 10% effective against this years strain, so I decided to forgo it this year for both of us. Of course now, knowing the severity of this years strain (it's the H3N2) I wish I would have gone ahead.

Shots are always horrible. She starts crying as soon as they call us back and continues until after the shot. I hate them.

I'm in the southern US and, thankfully, flu season has peaked, or so they say. At this point, I'm just hoping she stays well. We are doing a lot of hand washing and staying away from crowded places as much as we can. Hope you all stay well.

 

[Babybump87]

I would personally get them vaccinated , especially with all the strains of flu around at the minute it’s very worrying .

I live in the U.K. children are offered the flu spray here as opposed to a jab which is great I think . DD1 has hers in school didn’t bother her this time round . She didn’t like it the year before !

DD2 isn’t eligible until this year even though she always gets croup or something of that nature !

Try not to stress out too much!

 

[_Meep_]

We've decided to stop the vaccination programme altogether. Our 3 year old hasn't had any since she was 1 and our baby hasn't had any at all. Lots of reasons why - I see both sides of the argument, and also don't feel particularly happy about either choice but feel like we've probably done the right thing for us.

I think you just have to do your research on both sides regarding the flu vaccine and then choose what feels most sensible for your family. It's difficult, though, I know.

 

[LoraLoo]

Mine have all had the spray/jab. My friends baby almost died from flu last year so i would not hesitate to get it myself. I know no child enjoys being injected and I think it's equally distressing for us but they usually forget about it quite quickly. At least with the injection its not a live vaccine like the spray.

 

[Flossie27]

Agree with pp.

 

[ParisJeTadore]

Thank you so much for your input ladies! I really appreciate it. It's hard to know what to do and I'm still on the fence over what I should do. My eldest is in kindergarten so tends to be the one to bring most of the viruses home. I know lots of kids get the flu and recover just fine but seeing scary stories on the news doesn't help! No idea if our flu season has peaked but praying if not that it happens soon!!

 

[MindUtopia]

We get the flu nasal spray here, but if the shot was the only option, I'd still get it. A split second of discomfort and a bit of tears is well worth it to avoid a potentially fatal infection. Now the really dangerous strain of flu this year isn't well covered by the current flu vaccine. Unfortunately, it's a consequence of vaccine manufacturing that sometimes they don't always get the dominant strains right as they make the vaccine for this year up using outbreak forecasting not necessarily live data. So sometimes it's just not very effective. But there are many strains of flu and even the ones that aren't the so called 'Aussie' or 'Japanese' strains can still be fatal in under 5s. So getting the vaccine will still protect them from these strains. Mine has gotten her vaccine every year since she was 2 (so this was her 3rd year) and it's been fine. She gets the spray, but I'd still do it if it was the jab as well. I get the jab myself every year as well and usually we go together, though this year she got it from the school nurse. At this point, you're probably past the point when I'd be running out and getting it. It takes 2 weeks to start working and then really will only offer a few more weeks of protection until flu season is mostly over in the spring. It doesn't mean you shouldn't but I wouldn't be as concerned about it now as I would have been earlier in the season.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

We declined. I dont watch the news or have fb so that lessens my anxiety!

 

[Flossie27]

Mine had the nasal spray. She is prone to chest infections after colds etc. and I live in fear of them. Never again do I want to deal with the likes of pneumonia.

 

[Rhio92]

Both of mine had the flu spray. I'm glad they did! I don't know how much worse the flu is than usual (the media like to scaremonger) but it's not worth the risk. I'm considering paying to get vaccinated myself!

 

[Kitteh_Kat]

We get the flu vaccine; even if it doesn't prevent the flu it can lessen how bad it is. The school system here started requiring it last year, and bring in medical staff to vaccinate the kids so the parents don't even have to try to bring them somewhere to get it.

The flu can be deadly for even normally healthy kids and people - I'd rather do more than less to try to prevent it!

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I don't know anyone that's had flu yet. Despite media!

 

[LoraLoo]

I don't know anyone that's had flu yet. Despite media!

I know loads that have it at the min. 4 have been hospitalised- 2 of them children.

 

[Rhio92]

It's going round the office at work... it's knocking the team really badly!

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I know loads that have had bad colds...but not flu. Colds can be really bad too. My middle one was ill for a week with cold and fairness but I don't think it was flu.

 

[LoraLoo]

And another one today in hospital with flu. A baby this time and hes having to be tube fed 😔

 

[Scout]

I posted on here earlier that they said it had peaked here in the Southern US, and I was hoping me and daughter lucked out, but I was diagnosed (positive flu swab) on Sunday. Now I'm just praying dd doesn't come down with it. I have her staying at my parents.

I'm in the US so not sure what it's like in the UK or what's reported there, but, here, 31 children have died already this year as compared to 5 last year at this same point in time. It was reported this morning that 1,200 people in Texas died in just one week. All from flu related complications. We've had school systems shut down because of wide spread diagnosed flu.

Idk. I know that media is often overly dramatic, but I do think this is serious. I don't recall hearing this much about the flu last year. I do know that I will get my shot next year!

 

[Flossie27]

Lora, I hope your friends get better soon - poor baby!
Scout, I get well soon too, and everyone else who has it.
Midnightfairy, I know a lot of people say they have the flu when they have a cold, and it annoys me. Real flu really knocks you and can be dangerous.

 

[LoraLoo]

Thanks- it's actually his second time getting it and he's only 8 months old. He and his twin Sister had it as newborn, his Sister was critical and on life support in Alder Hey but thankfully pulled through. I can't help but wonder if its made them more susceptible to it now?