This has been driving me crazy. I want my 4 yr old son to have it but im terrified. Nobody knows what serious side effects are possible, as it is such a new vaccine and has had very little testing. Im worried if i dont get it and my son catches swine flu it could be enough to kill him, as he has terrible chest problems from a normal cold and has been hospitalised never mind swine flu which has killed healthy people. My local gp start vaccinating this week and i feel sick at the thought of deciding what to do. Im wary of any vaccine as my brother had a bad reaction to one as a child which has had a huge effect on his life.

I was wondering the same thing. My son has the seasonal flu jab next week, but I am still uncertain of the swine flu vaccine. I have decided against it , for now, but only because we have no cases at his school or local schools and I haven't heard of it being a problem in our area. If it does start to 'do the rounds' here then I will have to reconsider carefully. It is currently going through the stages of testing, I believe. and I actually know someone who has put her 2, healthy, children into the trials. They get a vaccine next month but it wil be one of 2 so no idea which they are having. Brave lady, I wouldn't want to test using my son but then I suppose no one really wants to but we all wait for trials to say the vaccine is safe, eek! Confusing!

I don't usually bother with the flu jab myself but I'm definately going to get the swine flu jab even if I have to get the seasonal flu jab as well.

The way that I see things is that it is better to take the risk and end up ill with flu all winter than to get swine flu and end up dead like some perfectly healthy people are doing. I also can't take the risk of passing swine flu on to my mum who has a lowered immune system and since I care for her a lot, I feel that gambling with both our lives is a step too far.

If it was just myself, I'd probably be asking for advice too but I can't drag someone else into the mix because that is unfair and selfish of me.

We asked our son's consultant and the general pedeatrician for advice. Both ""insisted"" that he should have it. We trust them both and so we went ahead and our son was vaccinated today. Although both myself and our younger son are not in a high risk cateogry we were offered it too at the vaccination centre today (I was quite surprised by that) and so we were both vaccinated also. I found out later today that where we live there is population of 500,000 and the government has 700,000 doses! So I guess that would explain their generousity in handing it out so freely today - especially as it was the very first day of the immunisation programme here.

I am pleased to report that so far none of us has had any side effects except for a sore arm.

As our son develops pneumonia systematically from a normal cold we did not want to take any chances. We also immunize him each year against seasonal flu and he had that vaccination too a month ago. I often think about how we would feel if anything terrible happened to him and I want to be able to put my hand on my heart and know we did everything we could to keep him safe.

It is a really personal decision though especially as each patient has a different medical history. And not necessarily an easy one to make for some people. I am just grateful we were given the advice by people we trust.

Now I am just wondering how long it takes for the jab to be effective? 2 cases were confirmed in our younger son's class today, so fingers crossed that his jab has not come too late.

Hi All,

We are battling with our surgery to get the Swine Flu vaccination for our 2 boys, 5years and 19months. Both are asthmatic and have been hospitalised in the past. The youngest has been to A&E and on a nebuliser twice in the past 2 weeks and is currently on his 4th day of steriods.

The receptionists are very stressed and short with us on the phone. Before I call the practice manager and discuss further I wondered if any under 5's, especially asthmatics have been offered/given the vaccination in other areas or if this issue is country wide. The receptionist says that they are not giving it to any children at the moment, although the surgery was full of over 50's who probably have high blood pressure queuing to get it !

Any advice greatfully received !

Thanks

Suz

Vaccine decision

In case anyone is interested, I decided to give the swine flu jab to my 5 year old after having the jab myself (I am front line NHS Staff) and having no serious side effects (arm ached lots more than the seasonal one, but that is small price to pay). He has been fine since. He was unwell last week - which was 3 weeks after the jab with sore throat, cough and high temp - but this didn't develop into anything more serious, thank goodness! Who knows if the jab made any difference, but it certainly didn't make it worse. I have since taken my 9 year old for it (after he had a bad asthma attack at school) and he also had nothing worse than an achy arm.

For what it is worth, I am glad I have done this At least I feel I have done my best for my children and they don't seem to have had any untoward reastions.

Incidentally, Suz, I was called by my practice yesterday to say that I no longer need to have the 2nd dose for my children - the under 10's were due to have the vaccine in 2 half doses, but it seems that the powers that be think 1 half is sufficient. I have to wonder what the rationale for this is - if I were sceptical, I might think it was to keep costs down and make the supplies go further, but I have 2 happy boys that have got out of having a 2nd dose!

Hope you are able to get your vaccine soon if you have chosen for your children to receive it.

Thanks Tracey, that does help. I'm not sure of the strategy for our surgery which is why I am calling the practice manager tomorrow. The boys will have it as I think it's important and any side effects reported so far have been rare and are outweighed by the benefits. My eldest has the seasonal flu vaccine this year for the first time as he fell into the at risk group as he'd been hositalised through Asthma. My youngest is not allowed it due to his age (i was told).

I know they have said that all children will not be invited until supplies come in, but when I see 30 or so over 50's waiting it begs the question of their priorities, but I know I would say that as may boys have been so poorly with asthma in the past that what ever I can do to avoid that in the future I will.

I'll let you know how we get on.

Suz

Suz

My little girl had her swine flu jab last month aged just 13 months. She has bad asthma and has had several admissions due to attacks.

As far as Im aware as long as the child is above 6months of age, its fine. Your 19month old isnt too young so id question that.

I took my daughter for hers and she has had no side effects it seems. She had the 2 doses as she was one of the first to be vaccinated so got both in before the powers that be changed their mind on the programme!

When we took her, we had our 3 yr old with us too (who has no underlying health issues) she was offered the jab purely for living in the same household as our 13month old and therefore posing a threat. We agreed and she has had her first dose. We are booked in for the 2nd and have as yet to hear if she will have it or not.

I too wonder if its been changed (from 2 vaccines to one)for financial purposes as I read an article stating the surgeries were finding the man power difficult to find etc.

Im totally satisfied that ive made the right decision in letting my girls have the vaccine> by doing so i feel that im protecting them against a nasty virus. If they'd contracted it, i have no idea what implications it would've had on my baby girls health.

I hope you have some luck.

Let us know how it goes.

baxters swine flu vaccine

I assume this is the one you are all discussing - as i know its in two stages. If its now grown on egg, does anyone know what it is grown on?

Sandi

Swine flu vaccine

We are actually discussing giving the vaccine to the under 10's. There are 2 vaccines: one is the standard, grown in egg one and the other is for egg allergy sufferers. The standard one is one dose, but in children it is given in 2 half doses at least 3 weeks apart. The one for egg allergy sufferers is a 2 dose vaccine for whoever has it.

My practice manager phoned on Monday to tell me that my children (5 and 9 years) now do not need their 2nd half dose (of the standard one) and it is that we are discussing

Hope that clarifies!

Hi my 9 year old had the 2nd jab 3 weeks later and it made him really ill, he was vomiting and was off his food for over a week. He was really tired and very tearful. Seems to be fine now, just a few asthma niggles. Next week will be a trial as he is always ill at Christmas.We usually manage to just about cope with the asthma on our own.Kate

Kate, I am sorry to hear that your son was so poorly after the 2nd jab. I had been concerned about the reasons behind the change in protocol and thought my children might still be at risk, but after hearing your expereince, I think they may just be better off as they are!

Best wishes for a cough and wheeze free Christmas everyone!

i did hesitate at first as friends were having some mild reactions. When I weighed it up against what would happen if he got swine flu ( he ends up in hospitasl with even a mild cold) I decided to go for it first dose no problem apart from a sore arm. second one this wednesday....two days before christmas!!

follow on from last message, I was contacterd by the doctors to say he wont need his second dose so christmas is saved!!!!!

I don't have any kids yet but in all honestly nothing would stop me having them vaccinated. I was one of thr first in the UK to have swine flu (still don't know where or who I caught it) and was very very poorly with it in hospital. I have now had my 1st jab and due the second within the next week as i'm imuno-compromised. At the end of the day it's your choice but I'd say go for it. X

i had my jab 5 weeks ago, and all has gone fine, so i ought to be immune to swine flu now!

I had my 7yr old done and we had no side effects at all . He ended up in hospital same day with attack which was caused by pneumonia not his actual asthma but it is a great converstaion stopper to say he had jab in morning and was in hospital by tea time .

I have tosay I never considered not letting him have it as I thought it safe as not live vaccine