Vaccinating your kid/s against the flu

nzpiper wrote:  James would hopefully get some immunity through BM.

Michaela was so healthy during the 2007 winter and I think that was partly due to me being immunised while I was still BFing as I'm sure the vaccine would have passed through the milk.

Last year she wasn't BFing and wasn't vaccinated and got a really bad flu, sick enough that when she was at her worst I slept her in my bed so I could keep an ear on her overnight.  It was short lived thank goodness.

Emz kids can get the flu vaccine from 6mo (they just give them a smaller dose).

M2E it's $30 per vaccination through my GP. 

According to the MOH guidelines if this is the first year you're getting your child vaccinated they need 2 vaccinations 4 weeks apart otherwise they're not fully immunised.  So for us this year it'll cost $60 but the more I think of it the more I think it's probably money well spent (what price do I put on my childrens well-being?)

If you have a child with health issues (asthma, heart problems etc) you may be able to get it subsidised or free.

My boy is definitely getting done and is booked for next Tuesday, His is free b'cos he is asthmatic. I never thought I would ever get any my kids done as it has been offered free to my whole family when I was working at GP practice and I declined the girls year after year but for this wee man of mine I have decided that it will be beneficial for him and even tho it wont stop his asthma attacks or even the odd flu, it will decrease the occurance and severity of the flu. I am soooo dreading winter.... Winter and asthma are my worst nightmare at the moment.

Quite a controversial subject to bring up MrsMojo

I agree with mumtooboys.  I have studied vaccinations extensively from both sides of the argument through university and other institutions and I would never consider giving my daughter a vaccination for something that is unnecessary. 

The flu vaccination always seems such a waste of time as it usually ends up being the wrong strain especially in New Zealand as it is not usually made for the New Zealand flu.  Also the strain changes over the year.

If you go into starship during the winter time it is just so sad.  But it is not the flu you see.  It is stuff the can be prevented through heat, dry homes and diet. 

You know why the flu vaccination was introduced don't you, so mums don't have to take time off work - which seems silly as babies get sick anyway.

It is going to be interesting to see the incidence rate this year as it has been quite a wet summer and so homes haven't really had a good chance to dry out.

I will leave it here as this is such a controversial subject and one not to be debated here as everyone has to make their own decision and they should do their own research.  As I know it is a very difficult decision to make.

I am sorry you have had such a tough time Maya, but I work with statistics when working with immunobiology and epidemiology and I work with the human side with natural sciences and nursing research.  Also I also want to make it clear when we are talking about the flu, the flu and pneumonia are different, they are caused by something different and the affect different parts of the body.  Pneumonia is usually caused by a bacteria (sometimes a virus but different to the flu virus) and the flu is caused by a virus called viruses A and B made up of different strains.  A child sick with the flu can be susceptible to develop pneumonia or bronchiolitis.

It is not naive to say what is real with government spending and what frustrations we deal with day in day out in the wards which so easily could be prevented.  We see kids come in they we have just released, but they have not hope and we cannot do anything to help them.   There is just too much to talk about other than here.

People need to be aware that the flu vaccination may not help them.  It is not like the polo vaccination that in most cases (I know it doesn't stop them all) that it is prevented.  Flu is something different it just changes soo quickly depending on outside factors that cannot be determined in a lab.  The flu vaccination was only originally developed for those of lessen or compromised immune systems like the elderly, impaired immune systems or to help demographics of susceptible people.  For those out of the groups we have to easily become a society of quick fixes without looking at the long term consequences - again too much to go over in this forum.

Maya, I don't want to minimize your experience, and I know you would have done everything possible you could have.

For those of you who of children with lessen immune systems I have heard there is a really good paediatrician at Motherwell called Dr Leila Masson who specialises in reoccurring infections and helps those with lessen immune systems. 

Just remember vaccinations are not always a good safety net.