OT ...kids and the flu..very sad

[Joannafit]

i am feeling so nervous...all the news about the flu perhaps being more severe and fatal, especially in kids this year. i took my son to the public health clinic last week in the worst part of town because his ped. is out of the flu shot. i pray that the clinic has enough dose in stock because if it is your child's 1st year in taking the shot..they need 2, 1 month apart. my child is healthy overall, but i am feeling very nervous because my co workers 1 yr old healthy daughter DIED from the flu yesterday. please, please get the flu shot and any words of comfort would be appreciated. thanks

 

[lesliemarie]

I am so sorry to hear about your neighbor and the flu. they are shipping in over 100,000 more flu vaccines I heard on the news, I also worry I have a friend who had a kidney transplant several years ago and that makes her high risk. I have begged her to get her shot but she keeps putting it off, and the sad thing about her not wanting to get it is her hubby is about to loose is liver and they have two girls.

 

[Bobbi]

Oh, my God, Joanna! That is terrible! How old is your son? Try not to worry, sweetie! The vast majority of children will not get the flu. It is very bad this year but most will be fine. The odds are in your favor. Keep those little hands clean and it will be fine!
http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/user.gif Bobbi

 

[Carol_is_fit]

Joanna I'm so sorry to hear about your coworker's child. My prayers are with them, and with you. Take care of your son, but try not to get too nervous about this flu thing, okay? They have to put the warnings out but also please remember a lot of the hype is from the media and their presentation of the facts, not from the CDC itself. Anyone can die from influenza at any time, any year, with or without a flu shot, and those who are more susceptible to it are more at risk. But sometimes things happen and there are no explanations. We don't have all the answers in the medical field, and believe me when I tell you we wish we did! I hope this helps.

Carol

 

[intensitylisa]

My mother is such a panicky, worrier and absolutely demanded that I get my children vaccinated. My sons are 19, 17 and my daughter is 7. The whole thing scares me with children dying, but I didn't want to have my children get the shot if it was not necessary. There was supposed to be a clinic today to get the vaccine and it was cancelled in order to send the vaccines elsewhere. I did ask the ER doctor about it (my grandmother made a trip there)and he did not think it was necessary in our area and told me he was not having his children get one. I am so sorry to hear about your friends child.

 

[AndreaL]

On the news they said that the strain of flu that is causing the epidemic is not in this years flu shot. I was also going to take my sons until I heard this.

Andrea

 

[icklemoley]

My thoughts are with you and your co workers at this time. I'm so very sorry. I think the flu shot is a very personal thing and its up to the person involved. Again, i'm so sorry. I'm a person that believes that high high high doses of vitamin C are the next big thing. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about and you're children will remain healthy and happy. x

 

[dani21496]

I'm so sorry Joanna about your co-worker's child. I have a 7yr old and this makes me nervous.

 

[lesliew]

That's very sad news. I live in CT and was informed by my DD's pediatrician that there was no flu vac available, at all. The few clinics that have received emergency doses are rationing them out to children under a year, or those with respiratory problems, and the elderly. I was sick with the flu a month ago and I was prepared to check myself into the hospital after 3 days with a high fever because I was concerned about dehydration, but then my fever broke. I had never been that sick in my life!! And, I never get sick! I'm just thankful my kids or DH didn't get it from me.

 

[dorothyrd]

I got the flu late February and it turned into pneumonia very quickly. I battled that for about 1 month and 2 bouts of antibiotics. I was very, very sick, but no one else in my family got it. Be quick to get help from a doctor for this. I had a doctor ignore my comment that I thought it was going into my lungs and she gave me a cough suppresant. I had my ob/gyn check up the following week and she sent me to x-ray after my mammogram and sure enough it was in my lungs. Very nasty stuff.

 

[lisaLD]

Joanna,

I'm so sorry to hear about your coworker's child.

I had appointments to get shots for my boys last week, and the shortage hit two days before their appointments, and they were cancelled. I got my older son his shot the next day because he has asthma. I was able to get the flu mist for my younger son. The flu mist also requires a second dose, if the child is under 9 when getting it for the first time (that applies to the shot also; it's only if they're getting it for the first time before the age of 9 that they have to get two). I don't know if this applies just to the flu mist vaccine, or also to the shot, but the head of pediatrics at my doctor's office said he was most concerned that they get the first dose. He wasn't pushing the second dose as hard, probably because of the shortages.

I hope you all stay well!

 

[Alexis52]

Sorry to hear about those poor children. I'm a bit worried myself because I teach 5 yr olds and this past Friday, 7 out of 18 children showed up for class. The rest were sick! I didn't get a shot either but I'm more worried about bringing it home to my kids. Alexis