Saturday, October 17, 2009

Do Flu Shots Cause The Flu?!

All three of my children were given a vaccination for the seasonal flu on Wednesday. Emily, who is 13 months old had to take a shot. She handled it like a champ. She did a bit of crying, but overall she wasn't too upset with the whole ordeal once she was back in her mommy's arms. Tyler (age 4) and Shelby (age 6) were able to take the nasal mist. Shelby volunteered to go first and I informed her that the "first" one gets an extra scoop of ice cream, which to a six year old is better than diamonds. She was very excited and stepped right up to the nurse, sniffed it right in and we were ready to move on to the next child. Unfortunately, the next child was Tyler and he was NOT ready to be moved on to. He began to kick and scream so we moved on to Emily who was also beginning to get upset because her big brother was so upset. Thank goodness my wonderful in-laws met me there. Memaw held Emily while the nurse injected her as Papaw and I tried to convince Tyler that the nasal mist was a great alternative to the shot. To convince him that he should choose the mist, we informed him that we could not MAKE him take the mist but we could the shot. We could hold him down like we did baby sister. He perked up a bit as well when he was reminded that the local ice cream shop was about to close and we needed to get over there if we were going to get our ice cream treat. Finally he sucked it up and "took it like a man".


We were off to the ice cream shop where Shelby had a dish of vanilla with chocolate syrup. Tyler had a cone of vanilla while Emily and I shared a nutter butter (vanilla ice cream with peanut butter and nutter butter cookies mixed in). We all shared our cool treats and between the four of us we were unable to finish off the sweet goodness, although Emily enjoyed the remainder of Tyler's ice cream cone and made quite a mess of it!

Fast forward to Thursday morning.  Emily woke up and acted very lethargic.  She was not acting like herself, but I took her on to daycare anyway and informed her teacher that she seemed to be feeling bad again.  She ran fever on Monday, but had been fine since.  I did inform the nurse of that on Monday she had been sick but was fine since.  She assured me that she was fine to get the shot.  I had to return home after dropping the kids off at school and daycare because I left my cell phone there.  When I reached the house, I grabbed the phone and headed back out.  I had two missed calls from the daycare.  I returned the call where her teacher told me that she was running a slight temp.  It was 100°.  I was a bit concerned at this point wondering if the flu shot was making her sick.  After alerting my Facebook friends and calling my Mother-In-Law, I was quickly reassured that it was normal to run a slight temp and actually show some mild flu-like symptoms after getting a shot.  I called her pediatrician and he was out of the office.

Within 30 minutes, I recieved another call from the daycare.  The co-director called this time and explained that they had taken her temp with two different thermometers and it was now 103.1°.  With her temperature rising that fast, we decided that she needed to be seen by a doctor immediately.  I didn't call the office because I was still waiting on the nurses to call me back.  I walked in and told them that she needed to see a doctor.  I was shaking, and my voice was cracking because little Emily was almost life-less as I spoke to the receptionist.  She was NOT being herself.  The receptionist then asks, "Is she sick?". I replied thought... Ummm...no I just thought the doctor should look at  her outfit, isn't it adorable?!?!  Of course she's sick, you moron!  But, I nervously replied, "Yes, she's sick."  So, while waiting to see some other kid's pediatrician since ours is out of the office on Thursdays, my mother and father-in-law come over as well as my sister.  They all knew the worried tone in my voice.

At this point, my mind was racing.  I was thinking that she was probably already sick with the flu and now we've given her this shot and it will just speed things up.  There is always the possibility of the Swine or H1N1, whichever you prefer to call it.  I call it a constant worry when you have three children attending a germ-filled school and daycare!  I tried to keep my cool and hide the fact that I was scared out of my mind, although I was later informed by my sister that she could see right through me.  *LOL*

Upon examination by the pediatrician it was determined that the poor little angel had a double ear infection.  While I hate that she has this infection, I was very relieved that it was just an ear infection and we can take antibiotics to treat it and drops to dull the pain.  I am not sure about the flu shot.  This is the first year we've taken them.  Of course the H1N1 shot is not available and I am still up in the air on whether or not we will take it.  What do YOU think?  Do you and/or your children take a seasonal flu shot and will you take the H1N1 shot if it is available to you and/or your children?

16 comments, add yours here:

Durward Discussion said...

I went through the 1968 Hong Kong flu epidemic with my children. We were lucky even though my daughter was very, very sick. Two children in our neighborhood died.

The shot is a dead virus. It won't give anyone the flu though there is a ten day incubation period so if exposed before the injection they still might get it. The mist is an "attenuated" virus which shouldn't give anyone the flu, but I would still go with the shot since this virus is harder on young people.

Linda said...

Glad to hear that it was just an ear infection and not the flu, though thee is certainly nothing good about a double ear infection! Jamie used to get them all the time along with strep throat which finally ended when we got her ginormous tonsils removed. She took after me in that respect as when my tonsils were removed the doctor said he'd never seen such large ones anywhere. Oh yay.

I'm sure you'll rest better knowing that all three of the kids have been inoculated and it sounds like they did well all things considered.

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

we always take the shot but the h1n1? i'm not sure yet. i'll let dr. wacks decide, i trust him that much. poor emily...

smiles, bee
xoxoxoxoxoxoox

Shana Putnam said...

Well, Blaze cannot have the flu vaccine because he is allergic to eggs. But my hubby gets deathly sick when ever he gets one so he does not get one anymore. he gets the flu every time he gets one. Not just flu like symptoms. I also do not really vaccinate much anyway. Blaze has only had DTap and Prevnar (only 1 dose because he was over 2). I got him the dtap because we have horse and still have some barbwire so there is danger of tetanus here so i felt it was necessary. I got him the prevnar because of this swine flu going around. they are saying a lot of times pneumonia is a playing factor.

Lori said...

Tisha, I have always gotten my kids the seasonal flu vaccine mainly because Kaitlyn had asthma when she was younger and I really had no choice. Kenleigh does not have asthma but I still vaccinate her. I was and am still undecided about the H1N1. I sent a e-mail around a while back about the H1N1 causing Guillian-Barre syndrome which is a neurological condition. This has since been confirmed on the news that this is untrue. When I had Kenleigh in to see Dr. Moore on Wednesday and she was diagnosed with H1N1, although she was not tested, so I will never know for sure if that is what she had or not, he told me that I still needed to get her the H1N1 vaccine because he put her on Tamiflu and this would slow the progression of the swine flu and that she would still need to be vaccinated. He is all for it. He explained, and which made sense, that the seasonal flu vaccine is a new vaccine every year. As for the ear infections, I remember those days with Kaitlyn. She used to get them all the time. We ended up getting tubes put in her ears and that was the best thing we ever did. We were supposed to get our seasonal flu vaccine on Monday but they called yesterday to tell us that they were already out of it and we would have to call back and reschedule that, which I am not too worried because I would rather wait and get the seasonal flu vaccine later on because it only lasts 6 months and the seasonal flu usually doesn't come around until Jan. or Feb. My mother is hoping that I will get my kids as well as myself the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available. But, I am still up in the air about it. If that really is what Kenleigh had, it was a very mild case. I hope this has helped and I hope I haven't rambled on too much. Oh, and I love the picture of the baby with the ice cream cone.

Travis Cody said...

Read the literature about the flu shot...it doesn't give you the flu. It's a vaccine. Just like any other vaccine, sometimes people have reactions to it.

But if a vaccine actually gave the the disease that it is designed to protect you against, it wouldn't be a recommended vaccine, would it?

Deb said...

We've gotten flu shots every year since 2003 when Ron and Abby had a bad case of flu - and I didn't (I'd gotten the shot for the first time that year). We've never had reactions to it - since the shot is a dead virus, you can't possibly get the flu from it. If you were exposed before you got the shot it's possible you could still get the flu though, or you could have mild flu-like symptoms from your immune system working and creating the antibodies against the flu like it's supposed to. :)

I'm glad they figured out what Emily had and I hope that she's feeling better soon, poor thing.

Camp Stanhope Happenings said...

Oh man! I'm glad I don't have to decide this for anybody! We can't get either vaccine at the moment in our county--and the county that has it ran out when they were supposed to be giving it to high-risk-people only.... oh well.

Crazy Working Mom said...

Jamie: Thanks for your input! We chose the mist for the older two since our doctor recommended it. I just hope this H1N1 keeps it's distance from our family!

Linda: Brien and I never had to have our tonsils out, so hopefully our children won't. Tyler did have to have tubes, so we'll see if Emily has to...

Bee: Our doc was a bit skeptical of the shot last time I was in there and spoke with him about it. So, we'll see when we go back in four weeks what he thinks (if they are even available then).

Shana: My children are all up to date on all vaccinations. We did Prevnar also!

Lori: Dr Moore is also our doc, so I will definitely be having this same talk with him. I just worry about this new vaccine. It was produced so quickly...I dunno.

Travis: Thanks for the info. Did you read the post? I have read lots of literature. I don't take lightly to giving my children injections...I do my homework first. Thanks for your comment.

Deb: I am so glad that she did NOT have the flu and it was just an infection. The other two have been fine, with no side effects, hopefully it will continue to be this way! Everyone in our house will be vaccinated but my husband. He refuses. So, hopefully he won't get it!

Camp: I hope that you are all well throughout the season and needn't worry about the vaccine.

Thanks to all for your input!

Twisted Cinderella said...

Sorry she is sick, but I am glad that it is ear infections and not the flu.

Akelamalu said...

Sorry to hear Emily is poorly.

The Swine Flu vaccine is going to be offered here very soon - I'm in two minds about having it. :(

Sandee said...

I hope Emily gets better soon. Poor baby. I will say that's she's as cute as can be with the ice cream cone. Adorable.

I'd go with the shot if I had the choice. The little ones seem to get hit hard by this flu. I'd go with the shot.

Have a terrific day honey. Big hug and lotsa lovies. :)

Desert Songbird said...

My doctor requires that I get the flu shot every year, because of my disease. My kids get it also, but my husband does not. We WILL be getting the H1N1 shot when it finally comes out, too; none of us can take the risk of my getting ill. It could have grave circumstances.

Marie said...

We get flu shots every year. So far, no flu, just a few side effects from the shots every once in a while. My oldest, 6, can't have the mist because he has asthma, so it is a huge ordeal!!! I'm really hoping he doesn't get H1N1 because we told him if he got the shot, he wouldn't get the flu. My hubby is the one who deals with it because he is a SAHD. Because of the rarity of the working mom w/ a SAHD, I've started a blog and am looking for women in the same boat. Come visit me at http://wifeofhousehubby.blogspot.com

Patois42 said...

I hope she's feeling like her old self really soon.

LAC said...

OOh that was such a scare. Never thought I'd be glad to say, I'm glad she had an ear infection. I am still not sure if the H1N1 vaccine is a good idea, going to ask the oBGYN at today's appt. I had the seasonal shot already with no complications, so we'll see. Hope everyone is doing well in your house. Loved the pic of tyler on the ruby tuesday ride, he's a tongue stickerouter like my Hubby.