Whatever happened to H1N1? I guess it's still out there but the news on it is basically nonexistent. I wonder if it has really subsided in numbers or if it has just been overshadowed by other news.
Our Walgreens now has the H1N1 vaccine shots. I am toying with the idea of getting one for Allison. I didn't do it before because I kept putting it off, waiting to hear more news about it to see if it was safe.
I'm still not really sure what I want to do. Obviously I don't want me or her to get swine flu, but if it's not really a threat anymore do I want to expose her to a vaccination and possible side effects? I'm not usually weird about vaccinations but for some reason this whole H1N1 thing has me weirded out.
I guess it's time to do some more research.
***Update***
I have done my research. I think I'll be trying to get us our shots this week. Look at what I found on the International Rett Syndrome Foundation website in their H1N1 section:
Is my daughter with Rett syndrome at higher risk for complications?
Individuals with disorders that can compromise respiratory function or the handling of respiratory secretions or that can increase the risk for aspiration (e.g., cognitive dysfunction, spinal cord injuries, seizure disorders, or other neuromuscular disorders) are considered to be at a higher risk for complications. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta reports that 477 people in the US have died from H1N1 influenza (flu), including 36 children, as of August 8th, 2009. Nearly 70 percent of these children had chronic high-risk medical conditions such as epilepsy, cerebral palsy or developmental delay, according to data published in the September 4, 2009 edition of MMWR News (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5834a1.htm).
Okay, so ~that~ freaks me out. If 70% of kids who have died from H1N1 meet those criteria, we are getting that shot. Rett is definitely similar to CP, involves seizures, and causes developmental delays so it's pretty much related to all three of those categories. Yikes.
I am glad you are getting it for her. It is a risk I wouldn't want to take. I got it and am fine. I never had one side effect from it or my family. I might not have gotten it though if it wasn't for my pregnancy.
ReplyDeleteAnd your right....where is all the news concerning H1N1?? Did it just go away?