This is getting to be a little unhealthy…
I cannot stop thinking about this stupid swine flu pandemic. I am reading and researching and have practically memorized the wikipedia page on Squalene and I just want to MAKE IT STOP. And unfortunately, I know that if I get the vaccine, I’ll be constantly evaluating how I feel and waiting to see if I still get sick or if my kids still get sick or if my joints start hurting again or do I feel like I’m getting MS now, or maybe Lupus? And if I don’t get the vaccine I’ll be wondering if every little cough is the start of a week-long fever and hoping I don’t unknowingly pass it on to the many pregnant women and infants I come into contact with every week or so.
I wish we had more options to choose between vaccines with or without adjuvants, more research on the adjuvants being used and more trust in our governments. If I know the government doesn’t always tell us the whole truth about other things, how do I know they’re telling us the truth about the safety of this vaccine? I really don’t feel like being a guinea pig, but I don’t want to transmit disease to vulnerable babies either.
well, you won’t be passing it on to anyone who got the vaccine…so if that is your biggest concern, it’s been mitigated by any person who got the vaccine, and accepted by anyone who hasn’t. The only people you need to worry about are the ones you are responsible for, Claire, Beatrice and yourself. Everyone else is making their own decision (based on their eligibility for the vaccine of course).
The way i look at it, your prolonged deliberation over the subject is a choice to not get the vaccine. Either accept that there is a very minor chance your household will get H1N1, and that it will be deadly or have permanent damage, or go out and get the vaccine, which also may cause permanent damage. Either way, you have to make a choice, and accept responsibility for it’s outcomes. You’re not really standing on the fence, everyday you think you don’t choose…you’ve made a decision.
I heard once that only 1% of the things we worry about actually happens…all the rest is just wasted time i suppose.
It’s true. I’m not too worried about passing it on to other adults, because, as you said, they have the choice to be vaccinated and even if they do get it they’re unlikely to have complications. It’s the babies <6 months that I am concerned about.
Not deciding is a decision in itself. I found out today that a family that we see frequently has had it, and I wonder now whether that cold we had a week and a half ago wasn’t actually fever-less swine flu.
I wouldn’t say it’s been time wasted, although it has been needlessly stressful. I have learned more than I ever thought I would about vaccines and adjuvant safety, and I’m going to get the girls’ regular vaccines updated next week. While the H1N1 vaccine doesn’t have a proven safety record, the regular ones have been used for decades and are generally safe. Certainly safer than a resurgence of Measles or Diptheria would be.