Flu Shot?

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Dec 24, 2012
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We've don't regularly get the flu shot. Our GI has recommended getting it. What are you doing in your households? My son with Crohn's has had the flu once - it was the year of the swine flu and we all had it. I just don't know what to do. The years I get the flu shot typically are the only years I get sick so.......what to do. Still deciding.

On another note - his canker sore is finally gone. Discovered changing toothpaste totally cured him. If you are prone to sores in the mouth find a toothpaste that doesn't have sodium laryl sulfate in it - Biodine is just one.
 
My family doesn't get flu shots. We all rarely get sick with the flu so never saw the need for them.

Glad his canker sore is gone those things are a pain. I will have to try to find some toothpaste my younger son gets them a lot. Thanks :)
 
YOur GI is recommending them
A) the flu can be dangerous in IBD kids on immunosupressants ( ie hospital or worse )
B.) Flu shots can not make you sick - A cold/ the flu can but the shot can not.

IF you have ever seen what can truly happen with the flu - you would run for a shot.

My IBD kiddo also has asthma. He had the swine flu due to insufficient vaccine in the area at the time prior to dx of IBD.
He was one of the lucky ones - only on pred for 7 days - daily check ins with the doc to decide whether he need to be hospitalized.
this was with tamiflu and many other meds.
there is another post on the flu shot here last year with a lot of the facts.

you can not get the flu MIST ( nasal spray ) since it is a live vaccine and not recommended.
 
No flu shots but next winter l'll be making sure my daughter gets one as she got the flu every few weeks all winter.
 
We always get the flu shot. DS has never had the flu. Unfortunately, I'm the one who tends to get sick (go figure!) so I rely on the herd (my family) to be immunized. I also agree with MLP. It could turn very serious, very quickly for immune suppressed IBDers.
 
My two normally have it. I know Matt did and I did recommend it to Sarah as they both attend uni and in Sarah's case she lives on campus also uses public transport at times.

The Winter here has been mild and with Spring well and truly starting there have been no major outbreaks of influenza this year in NSW (?Australia) that I am aware of. Hope it stays that way!

Dusty. xxx
 
Both my girls had the flu this past winter. My non-IBD daughter had it first and we didn't have her tested until 2 days after the start of symptoms. Even with Tamiflu she was the sickest she's ever been. It was terrible. We started A on Tamiflu just hours after displaying symptoms and she had a very mild run of it. I've always been one to say the flu shot isn't necessary but after seeing just how bad it can be we will be getting one this year. Not taking any chances!
 
Both my kids get the flu shot.

Our Pediatrician told us that most illnesses you see in the winter are not truly influenza, that when she does actually see a child with it, it is frightening. I don't want to find out what it would be like for my son to have it as his immune system is very suppressed at the moment.

Neither of my kids have ever had a reaction. Our Pediatrician makes both our kids get the shot. She wouldn't give our non-crohn's kid the mist because then it can be spread to our son.
 
I get mine every year. The one year I didn't, I got type A flu and was down hard in bed for over a week. Puking from both ends, body pain like somebody beat me with a baseball bat in my sleep. Fever. Cough and yuck. Couldn't breathe. Never again. That's with Tamiflu within 8 hours of symptoms starting. Thank goodness for phenergan.

Ditto the need for the injectable version. Immune compromised/autoimmune issues patients should not use the nasal mist version.
 
My boys got flu shots when the were toddlers, but I haven't bothered since. My older son was dx'd with Crohn's this past spring, so now we'll all be getting the shot this fall.
 
We don't get the vaccine here. I believe the 60% efficiacy number is nonsense, as so many people get the flu that have had the shot. I also believe that we over vaccinate here. Here is an excerpt from the interpretation of a study:

The "control group" of adults consisted of 13,095 non-vaccinated adults who were monitored to see if they caught influenza. Over 97% of them did not. Only 357 of them caught influenza, which means only 2.7% of these adults caught the flu in the first place.

The "treatment group" consisted of adults who were vaccinated with a trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine. Out of this group, according to the study, only 1.2% did not catch the flu.

The difference between these two groups is 1.5 people out of 100.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/033998_influenza_vaccines_effectiveness.html#ixzz2f3NNmeJO


SO if you are unvaccinated 2.7/100 people will catch the flu, and in vaccinated adults 1.5/100. This is the 60% they are talking about...but the numbers look different played out like this.

I am required in NY as a healthcare worker to wear a mask in patient care areas during flu season if I choose not to vaccinate myself. This will be my second year. Despite record high flu in our county last year (and a kindergartner at home), I didn't get the flu.

Of course this changes with a severely immunocompromised child. But Izz is considered immunocompromised...and has not been sick any more than usual for the last 16 months.

Just another perspective-I know we all have to do what is right for our families...and it is different fr everyone. :)
 
I'm guessing the control group of adults probably washes their hands (with soap!), covers their coughs and sneezes, and doesn't wipe their nose with their sleeves, unlike the elementary school population :)
 
Whole family every year. No matter how low the risk, if your child is the 1% that gets the flu and develops life threatening complications you will regret having been able to take steps to reduce that risk. And if you are the one who brings it home?

For us it's really simple - with two people with asthma, one that's immune suppressed and another with a major chronic health issue - the question is more why would we NOT get immunized?
 
I get one through work, Jack will get one through school this year, younger son I'll bring to the flu clinic at peds for shot. The only one that doesn't is hubby. He can't stand needles (even though he has labs every 3 months). I keep telling him he needs to go do it but he is a stereotypical male when it comes to going to the doctor.
 
We never used to, but now all do to help my IBD son, and his GI recommends it. He got the flu last year anyway, but the rest of us didn't and I think the vaccine kept it milder for him too. I can well do without any complications. Each person who vaccinates helps everyone else around them too. Doesn't hurt to try. IBD'ers should not get the nasal spray version, as it's a live virus.
 
just to add to your comments, izzi'smom... I also heard that the flu shot vaccinates for the flu strains they THINK will be a problem in a given season.... often it's a different strain that ends up going around. Apparently this is why someone who has the shot may still get the flu. They can't vaccinate for every strain. Comforting thought.
 
Just saw Olivia's ped yesterday. Got the shot and ped says they are not expecting this to be a bad year...here's hoping the CDC is more accurate than the weather channel.
 
just to add to your comments, izzi'smom... I also heard that the flu shot vaccinates for the flu strains they THINK will be a problem in a given season.... often it's a different strain that ends up going around. Apparently this is why someone who has the shot may still get the flu. They can't vaccinate for every strain. Comforting thought.

That is true CKM. The Fluvax is normally comprised of say three strains of influenza that medical authorities in each country will decide is most beneficial for the community.

In Australia this year it was:

The 2013 seasonal influenza vaccine is trivalent which means it can protect against three strains of the influenza virus. The 2013 trivalent vaccine differs from the 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons as it contains two new strains.

The H1N1 pandemic influenza virus strain, A(H1N1)pdm09, remains in the vaccine. The second influenza A strain and the influenza B strain is changed from previous years. The 2013 southern hemisphere trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine includes:

-A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like virus, 15 µg haemagglutinin (HA) per 0.5 mL dose

-A (H3N2): an A/Victoria/361/2011 (H3N2)-like virus, 15 µg HA per 0.5 mL dose

-B/Wisconsin/1/2010-like virus, 15 µg HA per 0.5 mL dose

http://www.health.gov.au/internet/immunise/publishing.nsf/Content/immunise-influenza-qanda

With each A, B and C strain of influenza having many mutations it is more than a possibility that if you do contract the flu then it is not one that you have immunised against. Bear in mind though that it is usually the most serious/deadly strains at the time of production that are included in the vaccine so if you did contract one of these and you have been immunised then its consequences will most likely be far less severe/deadly.

Dusty. xxx
 

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