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Original poster

Help me decide if my asthmatic 10 yr old should have the vaccine?

13 replies

jobhuntersrus · 02/11/2009 19:07

have received the letter from the surgery this morning inviting us to take ds aged 10 for a swine flu vaccine this saturday. Now we were invited to have the regular flu jab too which we declined feeling it was unnecessary. His asthma is well under control with the brown preventative inhaler and he is otherwise fit and healthy. Can anyone point me the right direction to help me decide whether to give it or not?

OP posts:

brimfull · 02/11/2009 19:14

would like to ask the same

I am going to have it as I am asthmatic and have flu jab with no problmes

ds also asthmatic but we also decline the annual flu jab for him - he has been allergic to eggs but also I am wary of vaccines as he reacted badly to them .

RubberDuck · 02/11/2009 19:18

I am going to have it.

I'm asthmatic and had it well controlled when I caught flu five years ago. I was lucky, didn't need to go to hospital but it did seriously mess up my breathing and ended up on steroids and struggled to bring my asthma back under control for the 6 months following.

I start pestering them for my annual flu jab from the beginning of September until they get it in, now. Have started to do the same with the Swine Flu jab.

brimfull · 02/11/2009 19:20

rubberduck-same here with flu , I had flu at beginning of sept , 2 courses of steroids and ab's to get my asthma under control. Def don't want to go through that again.

Original poster

jobhuntersrus · 02/11/2009 19:35

Maybe I am under estimating the effects of flu. Even the slightest cold gives him a bad chest and makes him wheezy. None of us have had proper flu as far as I can remember. Bad colds yes but not what I would describe as flu. Maybe I should have had the regular flu jab for him too. I thought that he is fit and healthy and yes a bout of flu would go to his chest but how dangerous is that? I mean would it do worse than a bad cold? I need more information. Off to see what I can find.

OP posts:

pointyhat · 02/11/2009 19:37

I sometimes wonder why dd has never been offered a flu jab. I've tended to ignore the issue but maybe I should think again.

RubberDuck · 02/11/2009 19:42

I think it's partly the luck of the drawer. I know that the kids (non-asthmatics and my ds2 was about 4/5 months old at the time, I think) didn't seem to suffer too badly from it. Dh was under the weather for a few days but had a cough for WEEKS afterwards. It was me who was hardest hit.

Which I guess is why asthmatics are on the list for free flu jabs, after all.

I do know from what I've read that the Swine Flu seems to be hitting asthmatics hard in particular (the other big at risk group is pregnant women). So the vaccine is a no-brainer, for me.

RubberDuck · 02/11/2009 19:42

ERM luck of the DRAW not DRAWER... (I've clearly been doing too much housework today )

eclipse · 02/11/2009 20:49

I've just had my asthmatic ds (4yo) vaccinated for seasonal and swine flu. Both my dh and I (also asthmatic) were done at the same time. I had a flu-like illness (unswabbed) 4 weeks ago now and have since had oral and injected antibiotics to try and shift a horrid chest infection that has left me so short of breath I still cannot run at all. I'm just about to start yet another course of a/b pills. The severity of the effect on my breathing has frightened me as I'm never normally ill. I am so relieved to have been able to have the vaccination for my family.
I have never worried about vaccinations for my ds because he has not reacted to any jab in any way. That has made the decision easier, I'm sure.

Elibean · 02/11/2009 20:50

I'd like some luck of the drawer

Both my dds (mildish asthma, but also narrowed airway in dd2's case) and dh (moderate asthma, triggered by slightest cold) have had the SF and seasonal flu jabs.

They don't have egg allergy or reactions to vaccinations, though - would be a tougher call if they did.

holdingittogether · 04/11/2009 14:18

I visited our practice nurse today and while I was there I asked about swine flu as dh is asthmatic. She told me intensive care units are full of people with swine flu and it really must be taken seriously. We shall have the jab if and when it is offerred

inthesticks · 06/11/2009 09:37

My healthy strapping 13 year old had normal flu last year and it was very frightening how ill he was. After that I would have no hesitation in having him vaccinated. Of course he will have to wait until after the vulnerable groups.
By the way I have asthma and have my SW jab today. I would happily swap me for DS if I could.

LeninGuido · 06/11/2009 09:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BonjourIvresse · 06/11/2009 15:52

I'm a asthmatic who has just has SF because the vaccine didn't come out in time and i got a severe chest infection even though i took Tamiflu. Even my DH who is NEVER ill was really poorly with SF for over a week. We had the situation where our whole family was ill and we had to rely on the kindness of our friends and on line shopping to get supplies. SF is not to be taken likely. It wasn't as bad as 2000 when i got pneumonia but its still a very nasty bug. I always have the seasonal flu jab.

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