Taking Sawyer in for his 18 month check-up Friday. I cancelled the visit. I called & talked with the nurse a bit about it. He was set for his last set of immunizations & the nurse said we could wait until his 2-year to get those.

Anyhow...has anyone decided AGAINST getting your kids the flu shot?

I have got it for Morgan once or twice but she gets sick every time & myself as well so in the past, we have never got them.

Last year I got Sawyer his 1st one but didn't go back for the 2nd one. Just wanting any imput on this...thanks!

We aren't getting them and we aren't getting the H1N1 shot, dh and I have never had the flu shot and neither one of us have ever had the flu ~knock on wood~, We didn't get it for Nicholas last year and we were travelling all over with him and spent his first winter in Mn. and 2nd winter in Colorado and he had one cold during that time. we spoke to the ped. about it when we took him for his 2 year checkup and he was very nice and gave us the facts and supported our decision 100%, while we were in Co. the ped. that we saw there tried to tell us that we HAD to get the flu shot and basically we'd be stupid not to give it to our son, and i told her exactly what i thought about her opinions and left her office, it's our choice as humans and as parents

Ainsley had her flu shot and Amelia has had her first. I am planning on getting the H1N1 when it is available at our peds. I've discussed it with my cousin who is a ped and she said she would have her children get it. H1N1 is rampant around here already. I know several people who have already had H1N1 including one of my employees. And its not quite full blown regular flu season yet, but I am sure it will be as bad as normal. With the girls in daycare I do not want to risk them getting so miserably sick with the flu and I feel the vaccines are safe. The H1N1 vaccine is just another flu vaccine...every year the flu vaccine is a new one because a different strain presents itself each year...my cousin said that the H1N1 vaccine is just like the normal flu vaccine that changes each year as the flu does. That being said, I know each mother has to make their best decision for the children. If my kids were not in daycare, my decision may be different.

my girls will get the flu shot

I have and will get the flu shots for my kids. DH and I both work in the medical field and so we are higher risk. Add to that the fact that DD gets viral induced asthma so the flu virus can really be dangerous for her. That being said, I will only get them the inactivated (non-live) version which can't make you sick. Granted they could still get the flu as they only vaccinate the most common strands for that season but I'll do what I can to try and avoid it.
I gotta say though...am still on the fence about the H1N1 because so far they are only giving us the live intranasal vaccine and I'm not as comfortable with that one. Will have to weigh it out with my docs again before I decide.

My son and I both get the shot but that is due to both of us having asthma, but i say to each their own as long as you do your research and can support it...but i also think the flu shot is much different that immunizations i feel much different about children not receiving those without a very good reason.

We dont get it here, I had it once and I had a bad reaction to it.

I did get my kids the regular flu mist and we have never had problems with them getting sick from it. My friend thought that with it being a live virus they were to be quarantined after getting it but I spoke to my ped about it and they said that is NOT true, you wont get sick from it. I am still on the fence about the H1N1 but I am leaning strongly towards getting it for my kids.

We are not getting the flu shot. It only protects against one strain and not against the one that is out right now. We are not getting the H1N1 shot either because I have already heard reports of possible organ damage. It just has not been tested enough.

we have never gotten the kids the flu shot

there was a sign up at aydens daycare of some cases of H1N1 already being reported there. i dont even know anything about it. im a bad mommy and stay away from the news w/ dh deploying in a month i don't want to chance hearing anything it's already too stressful with what i know.

I'll get the girls the regular flu shot as I usually do but I have totally decided against the H1N1 shot. They pumped it out so fast and are so gung ho about us getting it that it makes me too leary. Besides that the issues the people had that got the swine flu vaccine in the 70's with paralysis and such... no thanks. They say it's made just like any other flu shot but yet we've never dealt with this strain of flu which is obviously acting much differently than the normal strains (running rampant in an unusual time of year, being more harmful to young healthy people more than the older ones, etc). So who's to say the vaccine will act the same as a typical strain of flu shot? I'm with Angela, it just hasn't been tested enough and they pumped it out too quickly for me to feel safe injecting it into my kids. I will do what I usually do this time of year...avoid taking the girls to the store and crowds and teach them good hygeine. And pray, I'm definitely going to be saying a lot of prayers!

Quinn will get the flu mist if i could talk him into teh shot i would. Hes kinda high risks with his lungs still or I wouldnt . Ive never had it or teh flu . And like someones already said its made off last years flu. Only reaction QUinn has had is in about 10 days he will run a 10 or so temp for 24 hours or so and thast it. Ill be watching this year to see if he does that again. Oh and his school is doing them free of charge. They got some research that if at least 40% have it it helps stop it from running rampet. Who knows..lol..

When I talked to the lady at the desk at our peds office she said the flu shot it only protecting the kids against one strain of the flu but the mist hits several strains which is why they have started really pushing for people to get the mist vs the shot. Not sure how true that is, those that are in the medical field may be able to tell us for sure. I do the mist just because its a pain in the booty to get all 4 of my kids to lay there and take a shot lol. Oh and a boy in Erynn's class has had the H1N1 flu he is back to school this week after being gone for awhile.

I'm hoping the girls get the mist today.. lol. Just because it's easier! Especially if it works just as good as the shot!

I'm so back and forth on what I feel about the H1N1 shot though. There are moments where I'm just dead set against it and others where I'm wondering if I'm in too much of a panic and it would be in the girls best interest for me to get it for them. I'm just so worried how everything is going to play out this winter. ugh. I HATE this time of year!

I am the same way Frances, one minute I am thinking I wont get them the H1N1 vax but then there are others where I think I really want to. Its hard! I just want them to be healthy, I think about if something were to happen, God forbid, would I beat myself up? Yes I think I would either way so its just driving me crazy trying to figure out what I should do. I am thinking just keeping them home and home schooling them this year might be the easiest option lol. I am keeping stocked up on hand sanitizer thats for sure!

I hear you Apey! We bought a huge thing of germ x last night. I have one in Ariel's bag and tell her to use it anytime she can't wash her hands after touching someone or another person's stuff. But I'm not there to baby her and keep an eye on it. The whole what if is what scares me to. If I don't get the vaccine and they get it and like you said God forbid the worst happens, I couldn't forgive myself. If I do get it and something horrible happens, I'm in the same situation!

Let's just home school together! lol

sounds like a plan Fran..........hee hee I rhymed!

We have never gotten the flu shot here.My SO's boss got a flu shot not too long ago & ended up gettin sick for about 3weeks after..no thanx..lol.As for the H1N1...im not really comfortable with it.It came out so fast & like someone else said..all the side effects with the 70s one.My kids all have very mild asthma..only have problems when they get sick & even then its rarely ever a problem.They all have sanitizer & wash constantly.I havent heard of any new cases of the H1N1 here recently & we've only had 16 deaths from it..doesnt seem bad considering california has had 188 deaths so far from what ive read.I am keeping them out of stores & away from crowded places & we arent going out to eat inside restaurants,cuz i am worried about the flu but not quite as worried as i am about the effects of the vaccine.I didnt even want ashten to get the vac for chicken pox but finally did since he hadnt had the pox.

Oh & i agree..homeschooling together sounds good to me.