Syracuse Parent and CNY Family

Jennifer Wing, editor of "Syracuse Parent" and "Mother Knows Best," lives in Manlius with her husband, Eric, and children, Cassidy, 7, and Jacob, 5. She has worked at Eagle Newspapers since 2005. You can leave comments below. She may also be reached at editor@syracuseparent.net

Vaccinate your child against H1N1
Posted on Wed, November 25th, 2009
Written by: Jennifer Wing, Editor
email: editor@syracuseparent.net

For those parents who are waffling about whether or not to vaccinate their children against the H1N1 virus, here’s a bit of advice: Do it.
I’m not pooh-poohing concerns about the safety of the vaccine, but I can only speak from my own experience as the parent of a child with the swine flu.
My son, Jacob, was diagnosed with the H1N1 strain of the flu the night of Monday Oct. 26 at Northeast Medical Center’s Urgent Care. His symptoms, at the time, were a cough and fever. The fever went away on Wednesday, and he remained fever-free through Saturday night, which was Halloween.
So, as many of you may have read or heard, doctors say that a child with H1N1 who has been fever-free without any medical intervention for more than 24 hours is no longer contagious. What they don’t tell you is that this does not necessarily mean that the flu has run its course.
After returning home from trick-or-treating, Jacob was surprisingly uninterested in his haul of candy. He was tired from his outing and went up to bed. Then the fever started again, and his cough worsened.
I brought him to our pediatrician, and found a waiting room full of children who were obviously suffering the same symptoms as poor little Jacob who, quite frankly, scared me with his listless demeanor and pale complexion. The wait in the exam room was long, and when the doctor came in, he apologized for keeping us waiting, explaining that he had just sent a little boy with respiratory problems to the hospital. I couldn’t fathom what that family was going through, and hoped Jacob’s illness wouldn’t reach that stage.
Upon listening to Jacob’s lungs, the doctor pronounced that he had pneumonia, and prescribed antibiotics, rest, fluids and, of course, no school until he was better.
So I brought my son home and followed doctor’s orders for three days. His fever was not as high as it had been, but was still there, as was his cough, which was downright scary. At that point, I decided it was time to bring him in again. In the doctor’s office, I stood as a frightened witness while a boy a few years older than Jacob, his face covered with a breathing mask, was wheeled out on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance. When the doctor examined Jacob we were told the pneumonia was still there. The doctor prescribed a second antibiotic to be given along with the earlier prescription, and we went home.
Thankfully, the two antibiotics seem to have kicked his illness, and Jacob returned to school on Monday Nov. 9, two weeks after he first got sick.
So, how could he have gotten so ill? He had no underlying health issues such as asthma and was otherwise a healthy, active child. Obviously, everyone is at risk for getting the flu, but it affects different people different ways.
Having gone through this experience, I learned a few important lines of defense that we, as parents, can employ:
1. Be vigilant. Make sure your kids know to wash their hands whenever they use the bathroom, go out to play, come into contact with others who may be sick or whenever they are soiled.
2. If your child shows symptoms of the flu, don’t wait to take him or her to the doctor. There is a medicine, Tamiflu, which, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “…can benefit by stopping the flu virus from spreading inside the body. This can lead to improved symptoms of the flu and quicker recovery.” If your doctor says your child is sick, ask about this treatment. For more information about Tamiflu, visit cdc.gov/h1n1flu/eua/tamiflu.htm.
3. Follow your instincts. You know your child better than anyone else. If he or she seems to be acting differently or is not eating or drinking as they should, take note.
4. Get your child vaccinated against H1N1. The Onondaga County Health Department has set up clinics for school-age children at designated school district locations. You can go to your school district’s web site to register your child. If your child is not yet school age, contact your pediatrician to see if they have the H1N1 vaccine. If they don’t yet have it, call back until they do.
Like many mothers and fathers, I hate to give my children medicine or vaccinations unless I am assured it is warranted. I, as many of you, have experienced the fear of a bad reaction or other unexpected side effects. But having gone through these past two weeks, I realize that vaccinating my children against the swine flu is my first line of defense. Jacob basically lost two weeks of his life, including lessons at school, two friends’ birthday parties and all the fun of fall, including jumping in piles of leaves and playing catch with his dad in the backyard.
I can’t give him back those two weeks, but I can make sure no more time is taken away from Jacob or his sister by getting them vaccinated.
I’ve got my appointments. Do you?
Note: Although Jacob was diagnosed with H1N1, his pediatrician still wants him vaccinated for the swine flu, as the test for it is not 100 percent accurate, and there is still a possibility he had another strain of flu. Also, children under 10 who receive the H1N1 vaccination will have to receive a second dose of the vaccine about four weeks later, this time from their pediatrician.

Jennifer Wing, editor of "Syracuse Parent" and "Mother Knows Best," lives in Manlius with her husband, Eric, and children, Cassidy, 7, and Jacob, 5. She has worked at Eagle Newspapers since 2005.