H1N1 Spray Mist

Hi L.-
My pediatrician is not recommending the H1N1 shot or mist because there is not enough information on it. It's less than a year old, no one knows the long term effects. What did people do before the flu shot?

I am definitely NOT getting my kids the vaccine, bc they haven't had time to test this, in 1979, same thing happened, and people actually died from the vaccines. Here is an actual government document to support the risks involved. I rather take my chances.
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vacci...

Hi L.,

Personally, I would not get the mist. The nasal version of the vaccine contains live virus; it's weakened, so it hopefully shouldn't make him sick, but since the virus is alive, it can mutate and cause illness ... usually a milder case of the flu. There's a small chance that a child given flumist will get a mild case of the flu (it's mostly been observed in children, not in adults); there's also a 0.6-2.4% chance that someone can catch the flu from a person recently vaccinated using the nasal spray. The risk seems low, but personally, unless your child has a pathological fear of shots, I would get the injection since it contains only dead virus. You cannot possibly get the flu from it (he might get a low grade fever, etc. as his body builds an immune response, just like with any other vaccine, but he won't actually get sick).

The H1N1 vaccine was made exactly like the regular seasonal flu vaccine is made (which is made "new" every year so it will protect against that year's most prominent flu strains). The only difference is that it has antigens from H1N1 instead of, say, H3N2 (one of the 3 strains in the seasonal flu vaccine). The seasonal flu vaccine has been made the same way for years and is accepted as safe, so I see no reason it wouldn't be safe as well. Also, there is no thermerisol (which is about 1/2 ethylmercury) in the mist, but there are also thermerisol-free shots.

It is true that very healthy young people have been getting and dying of H1N1, unlike the seasonal flu, which normally hits the ill, the elderly and the very young. It seems a healthy immune system is not always sufficient to protect against H1N1, so I would get the vaccine (I myself never get the flu shot, but I've been searching frantically for an H1N1 vaccine because I think it's very important).

I hope that helps! Good luck!

Be sure to watch the Mercola link that was posted. I hope I live to see the day when vaccines are exposed for what they really are and banned. I don't say that lightly and I was uneducated enough on the subject to vaccinate my own child for the first year of her life.

Vaccinating is pretty much useless. Some people with strong constitutions can handle the vaccines but the question is for how long? Why is there so much chronic degenerative disease around these days? Why do so many have allergies, diabetes, auto-immune diseases, shingles, Alzheimers, autism?

The only way the immune system will effectively get strong is to get sick and overcome a disease. This is the way our body was created. It was not meant to endure vaccines which are about as unnatural as bloodletting and electroshock therapy and has about as much real science behind it as those things.

Please get informed. Don't take my word for it but really examine the facts. There's a good documentary (not about swine flu but vaccines in general) on Google videos that you can watch for free. Just search for Are Vaccines Safe? and Google videos and it will come up. It's lengthy but pretty thorough. This should be mandatory watching for all parents and doctors.

Where do doctors get their information from? It's mainly from drug companies who want to peddle their wares. People have never been this sick in history! Sure, before water was cleaned and proper sewage systems existed there were infectious diseases killing people.

Even the flu statistics are manipulated. Very few people die from the actual flu. The ones who die have underlying health issues. I hope you will watch the videos on the Mercola site as well as the documentary. It's worth a few hours to investigate. You might save your childrens lives.

Hi, L.,

My daughters just turned 3, and they got the H1N1 mist on Monday. They haven't had any reaction so far. My niece and nephew, who are 27 months old, got the mist a few weeks ago, and also have had no reactions or complications.

I found this article in the New Yorker very helpful:

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2009/10/12/091012ta...

Basically, the H1N1 vaccine is the same as the seasonal flu vaccine, just with a different virus in it. If the swine flu had surfaced a month or two earlier, it would have been included in the seasonal flu vaccine and there wouldn't be all this controversy. It's a very different situation than the vaccine debacle in 1976.

Good luck as you make your decision!
A.

There is obviously a lot of debate about this. I heard a story on NPR today that mentioned that the benefit of the spray mist is that it does not contain the mercury derived preservative that the shot contains. Some people belive that the preservative causes autism and other problems. They did say that the spray can only be used by children over age 2 because it contains live virus. Personally I am totally on the fence about this issue. I don't trust the medical industry or the media but I don't necessarily believe that all vaccines are bad. As a historian, I can tell you that vaccines have made important improvements in human health and have decreased infant mortality rates. On the other hand, it's hard to know who to trust these days. The NPR story mentioned that seasonal flu shots are never carefully tested because the virus changes every year so there is no time for thorough testing. That just points to the reality that the medical community does not have the perfect answer for all problems! The best you can do as a mom is research as well as you can and make the best informed decsion that makes sense to you.

My 3 year old son just got the nasal spray last week. Other than a runny nose for about 48 hours after (which is expected), he is doing fine. Like other people have said, its nothing new to how they make it but its just a new strain that was not included in the seasonal flu. Next year, I am sure it would be combined with the regular seasonal flu shot or spray. When there is enough for adults to get it, my hubby and I will be in line too. We have a 10 week old now and our DR told us we need to get it as well since he cannot have it. Good luck, do what is best for you.

My son got the H1N1 mist on Monday. He had no side effects and is doing great, as usual.
Good luck!

Dear L., Only the vaccine that comes in a large vial for more than one shot contains mercury. The single-shot vaccines do not contain mercury so they are safer for use in kids.

I wont do it. Im 39 years old and have never had a flu shot. My husband is 44 and has never had a flu shot. We survived all the other flu epidemics. We are healthy, eat right, sleep enough, exercise. Im not putting anything into my body that doesnt need to be there. I will not give it to my son either.

L.,

Here is an information sheet from the CDC about the H1N1 nasal mist:

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-laiv-h...

The information includes who can and shouldn't get the nasal mist, as well as possible risks and side effects. It states that children under 2 should not get the mist, so if your son is just 2, you may want to ask your doctor about the H1N1 flu shot. Here is information about that vaccine:

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-inact-...

Please read the NY Times article posted below that dispels many of the myths currently circulating about these vaccines. According to the CDC, children under 5 are at "high risk for developing serious complications" from this flu. In my mind, protecting my children from serious complications of the flu (which many people die from every year) far outweighs the risks of possible minor side effects. Please read more from the CDC website to educate yourself about this flu pandemic and the available vaccines:

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

Good luck making your decision.

A.

Hi L.,
My kids are past toddler age, but I would not get them this live h1n1 vaccine and don't plan on this new vaccine at all. My youngest is asthmatic and I do get him a seasonal flu vaccine, my oldest has had 2 trips to the doctor in the past 10 years (once for pinkeye, once for poison ivy), she is 14 and hasn't missed a school day due to illness in over 4 years, so I don't believe in putting things like that into such a healthy person's body when they have such good immunity. I know others might disagree and cite cases of perfectly healthy people being struck badly.
Good luck in in your decision.

Hi L.,
I am very surprised that they are recommending the mist for a 2 year old. I very well could be wrong, but my 9 year old receives the regular flu mist and my 7 year old, since she's asthmatic, needs the injection but I didn't think the mist for the real little ones. I went for both yesterday (only to be turned away for the injection, the receptionist made a mistake and the 2 and under shots arrived, not the older ones....ugh!!). Anyway, I discussed all of my concerns which were the exact questions you've posted, and her response to me was that the H1N1, whether it be the mist or the injection, is exactly the same theory as the seasonal flu shot. Every year the flu strain changes, therefore so does whatever they mix to make the shot for the following year. According to the ped, the H1N1 strain would have been part of the concoction of the seasonal if it was earlier in the year and made for distribution. It's really like getting a regular flu shot, just a different strain. Supposedly no side effects different than the seasonal and no long term issues. The only point she did make was that if the mist was given for the seasonal flu (or vice versa) and you want the mist for the other, you must wait one full month before administering the second one, order doesn't matter. If you have the shot of one and the mist of the other, than timing is not an issue. Check with your pediatrician.....Right now I'm waiting for the seasonal flu shot and the H1N1 isn't in my office either. I trust my doctor, but honestly, I'm a little happy that it's not in and will feel better once the girls have it and are fine from it. I think we're all going to torture ourselves either way.....
Good luck and a healthy season to you!
M.

Hi L.. I watched this video yesterday and it is a MUST SEE for everyone. Please take the time to watch it. It is VERY informative and really put my mind at ease...
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/1...

I have not yet gotten my kid the seasonal flu shot, but plan too soon (they have colds right now). I personally am very uncomfortable giving them the mist for either the H1N1 OR the seasonal flu as it contains the live virus. If it came in shot form, I would have to at least consider the option. It is a scary concept that either way you choose could be good or bad. You have to do what you feel is right for you and your family and not feel pressured either way by anyone else.

no way. the swine flu shot contains double or triple the amount of mercury than the reg. flu shot.
the mist has the live virus
it hasn't been on the market long enough to know long term effects. if we do get the swine flu, we will probably deal with a week or misery.
we already did this last year with the regular flu shot

I don't believe that any shot is a fail safe answer that you can put your faith in. We have a fix it now, microwave it fast, take a shot mentality. Either choice is not a guarantee for perfect health. You have to choose which answer you are comfortable with & accept the risks I think. Good luck...we are all in the same boat here... Hurry up summer get here fast!

I am having the same problem as you. I'm not really sure what to do. I posted the same question a few weeks ago and got a lot of responses. Right now I am waiting to see how people react from the shots. If a lot kids get sick and if it is locally. My son isn't in daycare. I don't believe he is as exposed as other kids. I am at high risk too because I work at a hospital. So far no H1Na flu cases. I haven't gotten that sick there working in 15 years there. I got the regular flu once in my life. I got the flu shot maybe 3x times. I did give my son the regular flu shot. I'll make my decision once I find out more. If it really becomes a panademic I will consider it. I do think the media is making a big hype over it. The swine flu was around in 1968 I believe and that is why the elderly don't get affected. Also, the media never tells you how many people get sick and die from the regular flu. I think the statistics are even higher. I hope this helps you.

The mist is a live virus. So if your child sneezes on someone, they're essentially giving them the virus. Also, if you go to the FDA website, and read the package inserts for all the seasonal flu vaccines, H1N1 is already in it. Every single one of them. So I would say definitely don't do it. I have chosen not to get any flu shots for myself (27 weeks pregnant) or my 3 kids (2,4 and 7. We never have, and we've always been fine. I think a few days of the flu is safer than any vaccine. Hope that helps.

I personally am not having my son vaccinated for this. I don't feel I have all the facts yet, and like you I am hearing many conflicting news sorrounding it. I do know, that if I chose to give it, then I would certainly do the mist over the shot. From what I understand, the shot form contains mercury to help perserve the content, and the mist does not contain any mercury. Good luck to you.

Hi L.,
I agree with Jenni H. You have to do what's right for you, but if you trust your sons doctors and they are suggesting it then you should do it. My older son (almost 4) will be getting the h1n1 mist soon. If you've ever had the flu yourself (I have) then you know that having the flu is so much worse than any minor symptoms that may or may not occur from the shot/mist. Once you get the shot/mist you're not protected for 2 weeks so it is possible to get the flu during that time. The shot/mist does not make you sick! I disagree with Stacy T. completely! She is of course entitled to her opinion, but her experiences are nothing like mine. Every kid is different and responds differently to meds/germs. Ultimately you must do what's best for your children, not what's best for everyone elses. Good luck and stay healthy :o)

A very good op-ed piece from the New York Times that makes a very strong case...

Op-Ed Contributor - Nothing to Fear but the Flu Itself - NYTimes.com :

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/opinion/12offit.html?_r...