>To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate
>We have yet to be infected by the Swine Flu- and I want to keep it that way.
That’s why I signed a consent form allowing Punky to get the H1N1 vaccination at school as soon as it becomes available. I’ve heard horror stories from friends who’ve gotten H1N1 and since respiratory illnesses tend to hit Bruiser hard in particular, I’m going to do all I can to get everyone in the family vaccinated. I feel good about the decision… or at least I did.
Then I talked to a mom friend of mine over lunch yesterday.
“Are you going to let Punky get vaccinated?” she asked.
“Yes,” I told her. “Absolutely. Aren’t you?”
She shook her head. “No,” she said. “I think we just don’t know enough about it.” I gaped at her in shock. This particular friend is one of the most germaphobic moms I know- and she wasn’t getting her kids vaccinated for Swine Flu?
As many of you know, I staggered my children’s vaccinations when they were babies, just to be on the safe side. I’ve read quite a bit about the potential dangers of vaccinations, as well as the dangers of not getting them at all.
I’ve always made sure my family was vaccinated for the flu each year, simply because I caught it several years ago and ended up in the hospital, dehydrated and with a temperature of 105. It took me weeks to fully recover. I never want anyone I love to go through what I went through; it was horrible.
And from the sound of it, H1N1 can be just as bad, if not worse.
I’ve been reading about the H1N1 vaccine and opinions are mixed. This expert says get it, that expert says don’t. I’m still planning to have my family vaccinated, and I’m getting the vaccination too, so if something goes wrong and my kids grow an extra three fingers on one hand ten years down the road because of the vaccine, at least their mama will grow an extra three fingers, too.
But I’d love to know what decision you’ve made about the vaccine. Are you letting your kids get it? Are you staying away? What led to your decision?
P.S. On the topic of controversial decisions, I also wrote a financial post today for Mint.com on the issue of joint checking accounts vs. separate accounts for married couples. I would love to know how you feel about the issue. I recently opened my own account, just to have some “mad money” that I could use however I want- AND I LOVE IT. Leave a comment over there if you like and tell me how you feel about this issue!
