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Original poster

Swine flu. Are you giving your child the jab?

75 replies

darcymum · 26/12/2009 16:29

I don't know what to do and hope someone can give some good advice. My children are 1, 2, and 4, I have had a Swine flu jab myself and am not really worried about the vaccine. When I had mine though it was at my GP surgery in the evening and we all just had to form a big queue outside the nurse room. Called in one at a time, very quick and all came out rubbing our arms. I am very worried about how they actually organize it for under fives without having mass hysteria. Even if it is a normal appointment system they will all be in the room with me watching each other having it. Added to this the report a while ago that a good percentage of children have apparently already had it without parents noticing.

Is it worth it? What do others think?

OP posts:

madnortherner · 10/01/2010 11:22

I have two children and both, being young, have been sent the letter offering swine flu vaccination.

I came to mumsnet as part of my research to help me make a decision. Like popsycal said, can anyone give pointers to non-biased literature to help make a decision?

Ineedmorechocolatenow · 10/01/2010 13:28

Got our invites from the GP yesterday. DS is 3.1 and DD is 7 months. I really can't decide whether to take them or not. I wouldn't vaccinate them for seasonal flu ordinarily. Neither has asthma or other complicating factors....

Would love to read some unbiased research on the vaccination and swine flu in general, rather than alarmist statistics.....

whingeomatic · 10/01/2010 13:43

I had dd1 done in dec (asthmatic) and took her for the 2nd dose yesterday. turns out they are not doing the 2nd one anymore. dd2 (15mths) was also done yesterday. she didn't flinch and so far no ill effects.

I wasn't going to get dd2 done but I spent new year with a close friend who is an a&e nurse. she says that they have had lots of littlies come into hospital who were vey poorly. swabbed & confirmed as swine flu.

didn't want to take the risk.

LynetteScavo · 10/01/2010 13:49

No. DD is 4.5 and we haven't been offered it yet, but won't be taking up the offer when/ if it comes.

DaisymooSteiner · 10/01/2010 13:59

DS3 was done yesterday. He's had a slightly sore arm and that was it. Although the virus is currently only causing mild symptoms in most people, we have no way of knowing how it might mutate in future, possibility to a much more dangerous strain. I would rather he was protected now rather than wait to see how things pan out.

Heated · 10/01/2010 14:00

No, ds 5 definitely has had it, dd probably has and it wasn't a big deal.

Heated · 10/01/2010 14:02

Sorry for the vagueness of my post, I meant dcs have had swine flu.

BelleDameSansMerci · 10/01/2010 14:07

My DD (2.4) had hers yesterday. All very smooth - in with the nurse (they had three on, I think); super quick jab; no side effects at all - not even a sore arm; child as chirpy as ever.

I deliberated long and hard about it but she'd had all the other innoculations with no side effects and I am concerned about possible effects of swine flu in under 3s.

choufleur · 10/01/2010 14:07

if the strain mutates does the vaccine still provide protection?

DaisymooSteiner · 10/01/2010 14:35

It should still provide some protection choufleur unless it's a very big change in the part of the virus that the vaccine uses to provide immunity. Vaccinating large numbers of the population should, theoretically, decrease the speed at which mutations happen.

brightredballoon · 10/01/2010 18:37

I am undecided too. I am pregnant and have DD 4yrs and DS 2yrs. Got their appointment through for next week but just torn between the unknown side affects in 10-15 years time and the side effects if they get Swine flu

Gillyan · 13/01/2010 16:24

Hi...me too!

I had my letters for MY almost 4 yr old and my 28 wk old baby.

I feel un-decided. We are due to take them this Sat.

Just looked at the link June2009 posted and it describes the three different vaccines and it says all 6 month - 8/9 yr olds have to have a follow up jab 3 weeks later. I just rang our surgery to ask if this was the case and she said if they have egg allergies they have to have a second jab?? How do I know if my 28wk old will have egg allergies, she can't have egg for a while yet...she's got severe eczema too so it's likey she'll have some allergies although she's been weaned from 23 wks and so far so good. I also asked which of the 3 vacines it would be and she couldn't tell me.

I agree with what a lot of people on here have heard or read that those affected by SF are hit hard or not affected at all. And I agree with whoever said that it's risking the long term, unknown if any, side affects but protecting them in the short term....so I guess I'm taking them on Sat!

DD1 is going to hit the roof, she went mental at the pre-school one. I'm planning ( I think ) on not telling her where we're going and then let her watch DD2 have her done and then make a show of asking the nurse if she needs it too, then I can blame the poor nurse. I honestly think if I tell her before, we will not get in that room, and god knows how long we'll have to sit in the waiting room watching crying kids coming out....

What are you telling kids of similar age? For the pre-school one I told her the nurse was going to give her jab and it would feel like a scratch but it was to stop her becomming very poorly - she accepted it but didn't really get it until they did it and then she screamed and screamed!

bringonthesummer · 14/01/2010 18:07

Hi I took my 3 yr old dd today for swine flu jab. Have been putting it off since mid dec since gp advised us too have jab . When she had her mmr booster 6 months ago myself and the nurse were nearly restraing her while she screamed the surgery down !! However true to form she sat on my knee put her arm out and watched the needle go in with out a single scream ..... I nearly fell of my chair !! I did tell her earlier today that she was going to have a injection and that is she is brave she would get a treat !! some may not agree with this but it worked for me ! No side affects so far but I had it myself and got a sore arm about 12 hrs later . My decision for dd to have jab is that I have toddlers get very sick with swine flu and she has a febrile convulsion last year which was very scary and made me v paranoid about high tempretures.

mum2all · 14/01/2010 19:11

Got invite for my DD 3yrs today and still undecided whether to get it or not, she's had all the others and been fine. Also she's due to start nursery school next week anmd I know chances are she'll pick up all the bugs going there. Really can't decide what to do

Slickbird · 14/01/2010 21:07

I am very keen to get mine done but my local authority can't make thier bloody mind up as to who will actually administer it as our local surgery is small and they would have to pay the Health visitor quite a lot to do it. (Not the HV's fault, just the rules) so I am mad as hell at the dithering as my DD2 who is 2 years and 4 months is lying in bed now with a temp and a cough and I'm worried. I have a 10 month old baby too. And a 9 year old. I'd def get it done.

On top of that the 2 year is desperate for playgroup and I am just plain scared to start her as I am worried she'll pick up SF - and then the baby. I don't over react about most things, but SF bothers me because it is so unpredictable.

carocaro · 15/01/2010 17:40

DS1 who is 7 had it early Dec (has asthma) and only had a sore arm for a day or so, DS2 aged 3 is due to have it on wens.

He had a chest inection over xmas, and he was quite poorly with just that, so anything harsher and more serious really worries me as to what effect it would have.

Father in law was in hospital with confirmed siwne flu in November, he is fit and healthy normally, no underlying conditions, and it totally wiped him out, could not eat or drink or sleep with a violent cough that made him vomit all the time. His life was never in danger, but he said it was the worst illness of his entire 60 years on the planet and he would not wish it on anyone. He only just feels back to normal now.

So with the personal experience I am glad to be able to get the children done.

Galena · 15/01/2010 20:49

DD (8 mo) had the jab today. Seems ok (has eaten well and not been too grumpy since). I wouldn't forgive myself if I hadn't given it and she was one who suffered badly if she did get it.

LurcioLovesFrankie · 15/01/2010 21:04

DS had his on Tuesday and has had no ill effects. I decided to have him vaccinated because a friend's nephew died of swine flu back in the autumn (no underlying health problems) and I felt the risks attached to the vaccine were less than the worst case resulting from getting the disease, and also there are still new cases (my father had it last week) though fewer than normal seasonal flu at the moment.

Bubbaloo · 15/01/2010 23:58

I wasn't going to get my 2 vaccinated,as they are both generally healthy.However dh had swine flu over Christmas,followed by pneumonia and currently has a deflated lung,according to an xray he had last week.Thank goodness he's now over the worst and will hopefully only be having another week off sick from work,before going back.He has been very very poorly and I did even wonder at one point,whether he would pull through.
Have now booked jabs for dh and both the boys.Wouldn't want to go through it all again.Not nice at all.

Waswondering · 16/01/2010 10:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Galena · 16/01/2010 18:58

Just to add to yesterday's post - DD is still well, not even any redness around the injection site. In fact, she's been really smily today.

Cakehead · 16/01/2010 20:15

Both my two under-5s had the jab last week and I'm glad. They both had achy arms the next day and both developed runny noses for a day or so, but what made my mind up was the nurse. Her nephew had swine flu in December and shrugged it off as a lot of kids have done, but then developed pneumonia and pleurisy and had to spend Christmas and New Year in hospital. It's not necessarily the flu itself that does the damage; it can leave your immune system so weakened that you pick up other stuff in the following weaks. You've obviously got to go with what feels right, but I'd think in broader terms than just a bout of flu. It's the things that you develop afterwards that can pose a more serious risk.

Lucky2010 · 17/01/2010 19:52

SO confused here. My 2 DDs have their jab booked for next week, and we were all for it, until DH's cousin rang to discuss it with us (they have a DS same age). They had trawled the internet and their concern is of the Sqaulene in the vaccine...

So that got DH and I thinking so we had a look oursleves (we both work in the medical profession and know that reading up too much on the internet is not always a good thing!!).

Now we are concerned about this Squalene and what it can cause in the future, which cannot be tested until much further down the line...risk of Rheumatolgical conditons such as RA, Lupus, and it was apparently responsible for gulf war syndrome.
I saw a friend last night whose cousin had GWS and his child has deformities that were put down to the vaccine that the father had.

I realise I am never going to get one person who will say 'yes, have it, because....and you don't need to worry about squalene because....' but I am so torn with what to do for the best.

If DD1 was a year older she wouldn't be offered it anyway, and DD2 is 20 months.

Cases of swime flu are apparently dropping. We would never have considered vaccinating them against seasonal flu.

Lucky2010 · 17/01/2010 19:53

Is it wrong that I amused by the fact that the OP's main concern was how the appointments system was going to work on the actual day of the jab .

shonnomanom · 17/01/2010 21:31

DD was supposed to go last weekend for her jab.
As a carer I was torn about getting it for myself which in turn made me more unsure about dd getting it. My employers were fine with me not getting it as I dont have any health complaints unlike themselves.

The long term effects are completly unknown. And I know alot of you have said that you are more worried about the short term than the long term, but I am the complete opposite. We dont know the reprocussions the contents of these jags are going to have on our lo's in a years time or when they hit puberty. That scares me.

From what I have heard from friends that are medically trained the NHS/government are sellling alot of the stock to other countries as they over estimated the effects of swine flu and so the demand is not there. Also, my friend is a Sister and has seen paperwork sent to the hospitals that states that the British Winter Flu is bigger threat than Swine Flu. I wouldnt vaccinate against that.

Besides anything else, the vaccine doesnt stop you from getting sf, it helps reduce the symptoms by upto one day but thats about it.
Swine Flu was rife in our small village back in October. Almost every family had someone who was poorly, some worse than others, but dd who does catch most things didnt even have the sniffles.
I dont regret dd not getting it. In fact, I think almost all of the parents at my m&t group have decided against it too.

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