While legislators are debating health care reform in Washington, D.C., there’s a more immediate health care debate taking place in towns across America.  Should I get the swine flu vaccine?  Do my children and I need this vaccination?  It’s not an easy question to answer. 

According to a recent Harvard poll, only 4 out of 10 adults are planning on getting the swine flu vaccine, and only a little over half will get their kids vaccinated.   When asked why they weren’t planning to get the flu shots, people said they were worried about the side effects and didn’t trust public health officials to tell them about vaccine safety.

This prompted me to do a little research.  The FDA approved the swine flu vaccine in mid-September.  The CDC is recommending the vaccine for pregnant women; the young (age 6 months-24 years); people younger than 65 who have flu-risky conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease; caregivers of the at-risk (including newborns); and health workers.  According to published reports, the government will keep a sharp eye out for very rare side effects.  The last mass vaccination against a different swine flu, in 1976, was marred by reports of the paralyzing Guillain-Barre syndrome, but scientists never proved whether that link was real or coincidence.

To complicate matters, I spoke to a friend last week who is a nurse who said that her daughter would not be getting the vaccine because she has questions about its safety.  She added that she was especially concerned about the nasal spray because it’s a live virus. 

Today I called my pediatrician’s office and got a much different perspective.  The nurse there told me that the nasal spray offers BETTER protection than the injected vaccine, and said the vaccine is recommended for all kids under the age of 10.  She said the swine flu probably would be no different than the seasonal flu, there’s just a greater likelihood that kids are going to get it.  Kids are in close contact with each other in school and day care settings, thus increasing the likelihood of the disease spread.

My doctor’s office already has a list of 300 people signed up for the vaccine, and they anticipate getting only 200 doses. 

I’m now officially more confused than ever.   I’m no health expert, just a concerned mother trying to make the right choice for her kids.  Our family always gets the seasonal flu vaccine, so is this any different than that?  Here’s some information from Butte County and the CDC to help you make an informed decision: 

http://www.buttecounty.net/publichealth/

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

Thanks for reading and watching

Kelli Saam