to be dubious about the swine flu jab?

[wolfear]

I'm supposed to be taking DS (2.5) for the jab tomorrow but have some niggling doubts. He's had some problems with his chest since he was a baby and in one of the higher risk groups. If he didn't have these probs, I don't think I'd consider letting him have it.

What's praying on my mind is the fact that they haven't been able to test for any long-term side effects. DH feels that in DS's case, the pros far outweigh the cons.

Thoughts please? Need to make up our minds before tomorrow...

Thanks milly I feel so achy and have never had this after seasonal jab.I am going to sleep this afternoon which i never do.

Yes Lenin, and he's pumped up with steroids. It's very frustrating and would like to be able to get a nebuliser to sort him out at home instead of him being admitted for three/four days at a time.

I had my swine flu jab on Saturday and was advised to take a piriton or similar tablet and so far my arm, altough a little sore, seems not to be to bad.

It may help others to try this.

I have had my first dose of Celvapran (one of the swine flu jabs on offer) and will have my second dose in Jan. I felt fine - no side effects. Am 39 weeks pregnant and it has been okay. I would rather be protected than take the risk of having it - especially if your DC has chest problems. But that is my decision. When they offer it to under 5s i will have my DS have it - my DH has had the flu jab already so that way at least i know my household is covered for swine flu and hopefully my baby wont be exposed to it.

wolfear, my daughter was diagnosed with viral induced wheeze that time she was hospitalised (that I talked about in my last post). She was given a blue Salbutamol inhaler when we went home which we were told to use symptomatically, and since then she's also been prescribed a brown one, which we start the minute she gets a runny nose. Since then she's had no bad wheezy episodes. She hasn't had an asthma diagnosis either, and is only 2 1/2.

It might be worth suggesting an inhaler with your doctor? You don't need to have an asthma diagnosis to be prescribed inhalers, and it sounds a bit drastic that your wee boy is admitted to hospital with every cold (where presumably he ends up on a nebuliser and possibly steroids anyway).

my arm has finally stopped hurting

that was the only side effect though

I had the swine flu jab in my left arm 10 days ago and the flu jab in my right. My left arm hurt for a couple of days, but no other after effects at all.

Anyone else not getting it? I won't be. I don't normally get the seasonal flu jab nor do I worry about catching flu - swine flu has been shown to be less severe than seasonal flu with fewer fatalities - so I won't be rushing out the door for a vaccine which only has around a 50% efficacy rate by the looks of things anyway....even if you get the vaccine you can still catch the flu. Vaccines are not 100% effective.

Have a look at Doobry's link to the New Scientist website above bubbleymummy. They are independent respected scientific journalists - and they dispel some of the myths surrounding Swine Flu.

I think the main reason that swine flu is being perceived as milder than seasonal flu is because the elderly are as a group relatively immune from it. If they were all getting it then the fatality rate would presumably be a lot higher.

I am amazed by some of the postings on this thread, some of which show an incredible lack of awareness and misinformation. For example -

By Vallhala Sun 13-Dec-09 18:05:18
I'm a little biased as neither my DC or I have ever been vaccinated for anything at all. Even if I considered changing this I wouldn't dream of having the SF vaccination, which is imho far too new, with unknown long-term effects and, perhaps most importantly, is a live vaccine.

The swine flu vaccination is NOT a live vaccine.

And you and your children have NEVER been vaccinated against anything? That is just plain irresponsible. You are relying on the herd immunity from the majority of the population who are sensible and responsible enough to get themselves vaccinated? Imagine if 25% of the population were also as irresponsible as you - then there would be no herd immunity. Then we would be stuffed, quite frankly. It's just beggars belief that people can act like this - well MY children aren't getting vaccinated - everyone else's children can! - and think it is acceptable.