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General health

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Original poster

So IS the SF jab safe for babies and toddlers?

20 replies

HeiligFeierabend · 30/11/2009 17:10

Our surgery is now inviting all children 6 months to 5 years to have the vaccine. I have provisionally booked my dds in (7 months and 2.8 yrs old) but I do feel like we're part of a massive clinical trial. The nurse couldn't answer any of my questions re. how it's been tested and how safe it really is for this age group. So, have your little ones had it and how was it for them?

OP posts:

Original poster

HeiligFeierabend · 30/11/2009 17:11

PS It's Pandemrix they'll be having.

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olivo · 30/11/2009 17:33

can't say about pandemrix but my dd (3.3) had Celvapan nearly 3 weeks ago. no short term symptoms or effects, but no one can really say long term, i suppose. however, with asthma and a tendency to croup and bronchiolitis, as well as a 3mo sibling, i wasn't prepared to take the risk.

Original poster

HeiligFeierabend · 30/11/2009 18:07

anyone else?

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Original poster

HeiligFeierabend · 30/11/2009 19:18

Please?

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blinks · 30/11/2009 19:26

well adult side effects tend to be sore/heavy arm and enflamed injection point.

headache and light flu symptoms evening of injection.

chances are children would react similarly.

i'm getting mine this week and my children following that.

PS this info is not gospel- only experience as frontline NHS.

whomovedmychocolate · 30/11/2009 19:30

Hello, I can tell you the provisional results of the clinical trials on children of that age. The general side effects include a red mark on the arm and general soreness for a few days, low grade fever in some children and some aches too - all entirely treatable with paracetamols/ibuprofen.

Within the trial there have been no serious adverse effects.

Pandemrix, I had ten days ago, a sore arm, nothing more. Would say it's very worthwhile for the protection offered.

I have no qualms about booking both of my children (1.4 and 3.1) in for it when it's offered.

Original poster

HeiligFeierabend · 30/11/2009 19:34

Thanks, this sounds encouraging...

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notcitrus · 30/11/2009 19:55

My ds (aged 14 months) had the Pandemrix jab 2 weeks ago and was part of the post-licensing trial where they keep close tabs on 9000 children to follow up what happens to them, just in case the pre-licencing trials didn't pick up very rare or fairly mild effects.

So I had a diary to fill in for 7 days, with daily temperature, size/height/tenderness of jab site, mood, drowsiness, appetite, etc. Then they'll contact me 3 times over the next year to follow up.

So far he's been fine - a bit drowsy and not very hungry on the first day, but not that unusual for him. By day 2 couldn't even see the jab site on his arm, and no problems at all.

Remember that reported side effects are just effects that happen to people who have taken a drug, which may not be the fault of the drug at all.

minxofmancunia · 30/11/2009 19:58

have peoples dcs been offered it by now then? Asked at surgery and they're still getting through vulnerable people and frontline health workers then will be rolling it out to under 5s couldn't tell me when this would be.

dd is 3 and have a 9 week old ds. Would like her to have it asap, obviously because i'd hate her to get it but also as she's at nursery and would be the main infectious agent for the rest of us. Terrified that my little ds might get it and not be able to have any treatment.

Also does bf offer any protection? Just wondering as dd and myself seem to have had about 3 colds in succession recently but ds seems to have escaped them. Am putting this down to immunity from bf.

Original poster

HeiligFeierabend · 30/11/2009 20:14

It probably depends on the surgery but ours is running one clinic for children in December.

I don't think bfing would protect against the flu as such but would probably minimise risk of complications? Just quoting what I've read elsewhere though.

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PuzzleRocks · 30/11/2009 20:49

Thanks for the thread Fei. I would like to hear others experiences and opinions too.

notcitrus · 30/11/2009 21:00

minx - my ds got it because he'd been put on the 'at risk' list by mistake and as we'd waited for nearly an hour the GP said there wasn't any point in making us both come back in 3 weeks time. Think they're starting all under-5s next week along with chasing up more of the at-risk people. Very glad as another child at his nursery has swine flu atm and ds with a cold is unpleasant enough!

Bfing can only protect against what you're already immune to, so may help cut down some flu-type viruses but probably not H1N1 much.

SebbysMum · 02/12/2009 16:19

GPs are still working their way through the at risk patients at the moment, though the government has announced that the under 5s will be the next priority. There may be some GPs out there offering the vaccination to under fives but the national programme for doing this does not yet have a start date. It will probably be some weeks before most under-5s are offered the vaccination.

PrivetDancer · 02/12/2009 17:07

my dd is 15 months and had first half last week - she didn't have any obvious side effects.

pixiegumboot · 08/12/2009 18:49

By pixiegumboot Tue 08-Dec-09 18:46:48
My 8.5 month old has had a terrible reaction. Jab on Friday, OK till 4am sat am then really high fever (up to 39) which went up and down all day sat and sun. Very sore leg, couldn't move it and wouldn't let anyone touch it. He's hysterically crying and has now developed a barking cough and very runny nose, cough not getting any better and its now Tuesday evening. Doctor reckons its a normal reaction!!!! I would def NOT have given this to him if I knew the distress it would have caused.

MamaGoblin · 08/12/2009 19:07

Your children are not part of a clinical trial - they've already held the clinical trials for that age group! There's no reason to think the jab is unsafe for children.

Mind you, it doesn't look like any more under 5s will be offered it in the near future: look grrrr. Seems bloody petty to be quibbling about workload when the general message seems to be to get as many people vaccinated as possible, and that the under 5's are particuarly at risk of hospitalisation if they get the flu.

Original poster

HeiligFeierabend · 08/12/2009 20:23

I know it's appalling isn't it - possibly putting lives at risk over a discussion about workload and pay???

Somehow I'd be relieved if the jab clinic was cancelled though - then someone else would have made the decision 'to vaccinate or not to vaccinate' for me...

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xxtrisha · 14/01/2010 23:08

i got my 9 month old daughter her swine flu jab on 13 th dec she was brilliant didnt cry but the next day had a fever and diahara,i think its worth it for a few days rather then burying a child

bewareofthedog · 15/01/2010 08:21

My dcs had theirs on Tuesday (4 and 1). They're both tender at the site of the injection. I've been worrying so much since they had it done because later that day it was all over the news that vaccination was unnecessary and the pandemic isn't as bad as was made out. I did what I thought was right after speaking to our trusted gp but I've been doubting my decision ever since.

Is it so much different to all the other vaccinations that they have? Is it so different to the seasonal flu jab that many children have? The pneumococcal vaccination was introduced when ds was a baby...I'm sure that the long term effects (if any) of that weren't measured any more than the long term effects of the sf vaccine?

Anyway, I'm rambling! I certainly hope that the vaccine is as safe as other vaccinations given to children.

MamaG - that article was from early December; I remember reading it then. I think the dispute was solved, hence the current vaccination programmes.

GoldenSnitch · 15/01/2010 09:10

HV told me yesterday that I can now call the surgery and book DS (2.9) in for a SF jab. I'm not sure weather I want to though.

On one hand, we have a new, 4 week old DD now who would be too little for treatment if she caught it, DS is due to start Pre-school soon and will be in contact with more people and be more at risk and the HV said that every year the flu jab changes in line with the current flu strain and so the SF jab is no different to the normal flu jab.

On the other hand, the pandemic is nowhere near as bad as they said it was going to be so is it really necessary? DS doesn't start nursery until late April so is it likely to be all over by then anyway?

I was offered, and refused the SF jab while pregnant because I was worried about it being untested. I'm really not sure I want DS to have it either.

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