To Vaccinate, Or Not Vaccinate: That Is The Question
by Last week, I wrote about a mother losing her unborn child to swine flu. This week, I'm going to write about the death of a thirteen year old boy. Am I trying to scare you? Hell, yeah.
I wrote yesterday at Their Bad Mother about Evan Frustaglio, the thirteen year old Toronto boy who died suddenly from H1N1 this week:
"Yesterday, a healthy young boy in our city died of swine flu. He was diagnosed with regular flu last week after falling ill, felt improved enough to play hockey on Saturday, and then fell ill again that evening. His parents took him to a clinic on Sunday, where they were told it would pass. Evan Frustaglio went bed on Sunday evening, and stopped breathing, and when his parents went to wake him, he was gone.
Just like that. GONE."
Evan Frustaglio had no pre-existing medical conditions. Evan Frustaglio was a healthy, active young boy. Evan Frustaglio caught swine flu from someone and died. Evan Frustaglio's story - like the story of Aubrey Updyke - demonstrates exactly why we all should be doing everything we can to prevent the spread of this flu.
So, does that mean you should be making sure that your kids get vaccinated? That you get vaccinated?
For my money, yes. There are plenty of people out there who are nervous about the vaccine, who worry about side effects, who point to the presence of thimerosal (the preservative that Jenny McCarthy blames for her son's autism) in the vaccine, who simply regard the vaccine as involving more risk than does the illness that it aims to prevent. But there are far, far more people - people with the relevant degrees and scientific accreditations - who argue strenuously that the vaccine is as safe as a vaccine can be (which means, of course, that people who are simply opposed to vaccines in general will not be comforted by this) and that it is being closely monitored and tested and retested and examined for any possible unanticipated side effect. Science - as embodied by our national medical associations and pediatric associations and centers for disease control - advocates getting the vaccine. For me, that's pretty compelling.
Shelley Abreu at Babble makes a similar argument:
Fear of vaccines cannot be completely eliminated, but the majority of research and evidence points to their safety. What’s more, the CDC has devised a careful monitoring system to track and respond to any kind of adverse reactions that might develop. And aside from a vocal minority, the majority of the medical profession seems to wholeheartedly support swine flu vaccination. When all is said and done, it’s hard to find any real evidence that suggests that the risk of side effects from the vaccine outweigh the tremendous benefit to children, pregnant women and adults alike.
Madeline Ellis at HealthNews cites experts at the Center For Disease Control on the vaccine's safety:
Federal officials say the H1N1 vaccine is made the same way as seasonal flu vaccines that have been used for years. “This isn’t a new vaccine,” Anne Schuchat said. “The vaccine is being manufactured exactly the same way as the seasonal flu vaccine. It is basically a vaccine made against the H1N1 instead of the seasonal viruses (expected to circulate in the upcoming season). Based on everything we know now, we are expecting a good safety record for H1N1.”
I respect any parent who worries about vaccines, and who frets over the research and who struggles to find a good, clear path to doing what's medically best by their children. I've hemmed and hawed over these issues myself. But for me it comes down to this: vaccinations are about much more than just preserving the health of your own children. They're about preserving the health of the community. They only work if the majority of the community participates. So, if you wager that your children might not get swine flu, or might not get it bad, or that if they did get it, it's less of a danger than other risks that might be associated with vaccines... well, you might be right. Maybe. But even if swine flu doesn't bring its worst to bear upon your child, it might do so upon the child of another. And your child might be the one to pass it along.
My youngest has a respiratory condition that has weakened his lungs: swine flu could be very, very dangerous for him. So I worry. Evan Frustaglio didn't have such a condition, and, presumably, his parents didn't worry, or not to the same degree. But Evan Frustaglio is dead, and swine flu killed him. His death probably would have been prevented by a vaccine - his own, or one for the person who passed the flu on to him. That's reason enough for me to beat the vaccination drum.
Lives are at stake. Maybe not your life, maybe not your child's life, but still. Children are dying from a preventable illness, and if any of us can do anything to prevent that from happening to even one more child? Then it's worth being scared. So if you're still determined to not vaccinate, do everything - everything - that you can to do your part to contain things. Stay home/keep your children home at the first sign of symptoms, wash your hands - WASH YOUR HANDS - see your doctor, cover your mouth, WASH YOUR HANDS.
It could save a life.
(There's a good, forthright FAQ about H1N1 and the vaccine - at least as it's being provided in Canada - at CTV, here. Share any other resources you might have in the comments, below.)
Catherine Connors blogs at Her Bad Mother and Their Bad Mother and everywhere in between.
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Comments
One thing bothers me...
This is a great post and I support both sides of this issue. However, one thing does bother me about the reporting on the death of Evan Frustaglio.
Burried in the link you gave...
It doesn't seem to be right to call this an H1N1 death before it has even been confirmed. It seems like the press is being a little irresponsible.
Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan.com and Women4Hope
it's been confirmed
it has since been confirmed - it was the original story that I linked to; subsequent reporting has confirmed that it was h1n1.
for example...
This CBC story.
How can they be sure without an autopsy?
I think there are too many unanswered questions with this particular case, and I don't understand why they are not going to do an autopsy.
From the Vancouver Sun...
I'm not downplaying the seriousness of H1N1, and I feel terrible for the family of this boy. But this doesn't make sense to me. Why not do an autopsy?
Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan.com and Women4Hope
I agree that there seems
I agree that there seems much that is unknown, but - having some recent experience with autopsies - my understanding is that when the cause of death is clear, NO autopsy is the rule. And that's taken pretty seriously (as is the opposite). So I'm taking this to mean that there's no medical mystery here.
He's not the first otherwise healthy person to have died of H1N1. Certainly, most of the deaths have been of people who are elderly or very young or with pre-existing conditions, but not all of them. And for my money, I'd rather take this seriously than stand back skeptically. It doesn't hurt to take precautions.
I agree with your position,
I agree with your position, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the poor boy might have had some underlying problem that has simply not been detected. Otherwise, why would the Swine Flu have killed him when it doesn't kill most healthy people? Or indeed, was it even related?
As someone who lived first hand with a preventable disease (polio in the immediate family), I am wholly in favor of vaccine protection. If there are parents out there who are opposed to vaccines, I would just hope that they do their own homework rather than rely on the information that is going around at the moment.
I am all for vaccines. I
I am all for vaccines. I beleive its better to be safe than sorry. EVERYTHING has a side effect. I had my 28 month old vaccinated yesterday for Swine Flu. Im headed to another city today to get mine - Im 6 months pregnant. I just cant take the chance.
Health is relative...
Just like all of the other critical issues in our lives, health is relative.
What one mother considers healthy another may not.
Some families do not buy into fear factors and try to incorprate solid research before making any moves.
My child was not allowed to consume fast foods until he was 4. I still hate all processed foods and feel they are un-healthy. Some moms are quite fine with boxed mac and cheese.
It is my opinion that vaccines for chicken pox, human papillomavirus, and this new H1N1 are questionable. Other moms have previously and will continue to vaccinate their families with every new craze.
My son was stricken last April with a violent fever/vomitting/diarrea bout that lasted 3-4 days. At that time there was no swabbing and his physician suspected H1N1 but said, and this was true, the symptoms were no worse than a serious bout with e-coli. E-coli can be deadly if your immune is compromised.
Having never been vaccinated for trend illnesses, it is difficult for a parent to make that decision. Families who innoculate frequently have immunes used to that activity. Families who consider their lifestyles free of as many toxins as possible have to be free to determine what is important for them without being scared into it. What if a family member has already had the virus and is innoculated? What if they've had it and survived, did you even know? There are too many variables for me.
...And the consequences that come will come because it is all relative.
I simply hope that everyone makes the best decisions for them and that all turns out well for us all.
Houseonahillorg
www.Houseonahillorg.blogspot.com
www.HealthierHappierHouseonahill.org
I agree...
.. that parents should do their research and do what they feel is best for their children. But there's also the whole 'what's good for the community' question. If no-one vaccinated, what would the effect be on community health? Would more kids die?
I also think that even one decides that they're not comfortable with the vaccine, it's unfair to characterize parents who DO vaccinate as simply responding to fear. Such parents are taking health warnings *seriously* (as I believe we must) - we do our research, too, the main difference being, I think, that we do the research and decide, on that basis (and NOT necessarily on blind fear reactions - which, it must be said, happen for those on the other side of the vaccine fence, too) that for the sake of our childrens' health and the sake of community health, we vaccinate.
Scary stories are not necessarily fear-mongering. Sometimes they're just fact. Where would the containment of conditions like polio be - or AIDS, or any other dangerous viral illness - if we hadn't stopped and said, whoa, we need to be afraid of this and DO SOMETHING about this?
Don't believe the hype
You don't drop dead coming out of the bath from Swine Flu. The media sensationalized this, and unfortunately misrepresented facts. He had a heart attack. I'm not saying not to get the H1N1 injection. One has to do what works best for them, and what makes them comfortable. I'm just saying, don't always believe the hype.
Erica Diamond
www.WomenOnTheFence.com
Initially, I was against it.. now, I am going
to do it
My business is all about teaching moms to live toxic free. And I believe in the power of elimintaing toxins from in and around the home. But the H1N1, for the very first time in a LONG time scares me. Why? Too many unknowns... too many opinions and not enough research proving any one side.
First of all, it is crucial to know that the formulation for the vaccine for US and for Canada is NOT the same!! So, please, when you research it, please make sure you look at credible sources in your area.
So, yes, all 5 of us will be vaccinated. Why? The fear of death is more powerful than the fear of a side effect. I have 2 kids- a 2 yr old and a 4 yr old. Neither one of them can properly and timely tell me when they feel 'off' and I certainly can't read their minds. Secondly, I have my methods of pumping myself up to remove any toxins from my body after taking the vaccine so the good stuff stays in and the junk gets out. For ex, castor oil rubbed on tummy daily AND acidophillus doubled, both up for 3 days before until 3 days after the vaccine.
My only advice is... make your on judgments... don't listen to so many people because that will only confuse you. ANd, if you read advice online remember that it's very easy to have info published online so check your sources carefully.
Good luck to all! :)
Ravit Rosenblum, Founder & Owner Nature's Wizard Ravit@NaturesWizard.com, www.NaturesWizard.com