to consider not immunizing ds against swine 'flu?

[deliakate]

And can we do a poll - who is and who isn't and what are the ages of your dcs?

Sorry H7, I couldn't prevent myself!

And Sassybeast - it is nice to know I had any credibility to lose!!

We all love to hate the Daily Mail don't we?

I quoted this article because of the part about Doctor Halvorsen who runs an immunization clinic but who also has reservations about the breadth and pace of the current vacination programme. I think this a good point, and is not so far from my position, I do not want to say never vaccinate ever under any circumstances. I am saying do all that your situation allows to avoid it. In many cases that may very well mean no vaccinations.

As for the girl dying I completely take the point that correspondence is not causation, and though the vac might have been the straw that broke the camel's back it is too much to say it was the cause of death.

I also think quoting sudden deaths is almost irrelevant because it is incredibly rare and, you know, having a bath can be fatal. It is the long term consequences that are the issue.

All things considered I regret posting the link. Sorry.

I don't fancy looking after an ill child or even an ill adult for that matter so DS who is nearly 3 got his vaccine last week. I also got mine too (18 wk pg).

It would be irresponsible and dumb to just not bother because I was frightened he'd get upset over a jab. The pain of that is nothing in comparison to what may happen if there's a pandemic just around the corner!

Sorry to hear you were so ill Shoshe, i hope you'r better now.

But still we're Not vaccinating our dd's 4 and 5 yrs.
They havn't had any vaccinations and are the healthiest girls. Where as many of our friends kids who've had every shot going are always in and out of the doc's.

"it is MUCH less severe than seasonal flu". Yes, unless your child is one of the unlucky ones who gets it severely, in which case it is much MORE severe and deadly than seasonal flu. That's the weird thing with swine flu. It also seems to be indiscrimate in who gets it badly, and who dies. That's what I find frightening and that's why I took the decision to have myself and DS vaccinated.

Yes it seems to have died down, for now, but there could easily be another wave in the spring. I wasn't prepared to take the risk.

Or indiscriminate, even.

Vaccinating both of mine - 5 yrs and 1 yr.
Had scary episodes with both them in hospital recently and will protect them against anything I can.

but gaelicsheep - your child could be one of the unlucky ones who gets very sick from seasonal flu - that's my point - there is less of a chance of getting seriously ill with swine flu but we don't all run out and get the seasonal flu vaccine every year. It is the hype that has made this flu sound dangerous - the actual figures do not support that.

No I disagree. The profile of swine flu infection and mortality in children is completely different from that of seasonal flu. here's one news article that says the death rate is 10 times that of seasonal flu.

It is also really attacking children with no previous health conditions - that doesn't happen with seasonal flu to my knowledge. Although I'm happy to be proved wrong if anyone can point me to the figures, just to give me something else to worry about!

Furthermore, swine flu, if it's going to be bad, progresses very quickly to attack the lungs. Living where we do, and having been snowed in for days and days over Christmas, I don't feel I can guarantee being able to get medical assistance soon enough for DS if he did start with worsening flu symptoms.

Another one

And another (last one I promise)

Thanks, gaelicsheep, they make interesting reading and seem to be based on true data rather than hearsay and speculation.

Our 2yo son is booked in for February 24th. I'm a bit annoyed we've had to wait so long, but I'll be relieved to get it done in the end.

serious question

is swine flu still prominant?

i dont have a telly so i haven't been swept up in all the hysteria surrounding it - i have gleened facts from mumsnet tbh.

i am in a catagory which means i have been offered the vaccination twice ( once by text i was v. impressed!) but im not going to have it becuase i don't know anyone thats had swine flu and i reckon normal flu is as bad if not worse and i never have that vaccine either.

i can't help eing on the side of the conspiricy theorists tbh

Custy. Increasing suggestions in the press and on the news that swine flu pandemic was over estimated and the numbers are ever dwindling...

Pagwatch - how much of the decline in cases is due to the vaccination program do you reckon ?

The lung protection thing is a big deal for me (thanks for links, garlicsheep). I respect other people who choose not to get SF jab, mind, but in my case, DS2 tends to be wheezy when he gets a heavy cold. Not asthmatic as such but I get the strong impression that he's got a weakness there. Pneumonia or anything like it could easily scar his lungs, leading to permanent lifelong tendency to respiratory disease. I don't want to take that chance with DS2.

I am not so worried about other 3 DC. I would like DH to get the jab, though, same reasons as DS2!

sassy
not a farking clue.

I was answering custys question. Didn't know I had to be able to write a thesis on it or choose a side..

Pag - not wanting a thesis just had a lightbulb moment Would be interesting to find out exactly what the uptake has been after all the palaver and what impact that has had on the spread. Would be useful for me personally when the next big decision has to be made about the next big vacc/pandemic etc.

No will know weather the vaccine is due to the decline or not, it was only introduced in sept/ onwards (not completely sure) and then in feb we started getting below celsius weather!

I will ask you the same question Sassy, as atm IN time, no one knows if swine flu is dwindling due to the weather! or even the vaccine! Ask me this question in a a years time, and then we will be able to give a conclusive and definitive answer, and not just hearsay and ignorant assumptions!

at Sassys scary posting style.

I just wandered into the thread after looking up the news on the net..something was on the radio about the WHO being criticised about over reporting and exaggerating the numbers... but I can't find who is criticising them.

on radio today the news was about what a farce the whole swine flu thing has been. The pandemic has officially been called off. Only 400 or so (which is still an utter tragedy) have died while having swine flu (though this did not necessarily cause the death) when the estimate was 65,000 deaths. Something like 128 million swine flu vacs in stock of which only 4 million used and the are now defunct and useless (at a cost of 10's of millions) - has n't the immunisation programme been called off now or have I missed something?