Keeping healthy this Flu season

It's kinda scary. You turn on the TV, and everything is about pain, death and the downward spiral of the economy. Sometimes I just have to steel myself, because as a mother, one should be informed of current events. Knowledge is power, information is key! As a mother, one should know what is happening around her, and not just who is dating who in Hollywood all the better to make informed decisions.

I have a lot of friends on facebook posting their dilemnas on the swine flu vaccine. To get? or not to get? (the vaccine)..that is the million dollar question. I try not to impose my will on anyone. But if someone asks, I will try to give my opinion, not just as a pediatric nurse, but also as a concerned and INFORMED mom. Like I said, information is key. ANd mind you, not just any information, the world wide web is a treasure chest of info, but there are also a bunch of sewage floating around. One has to dig and sort through the junk and get the golden nuggets of useful information that is reliable, proven and not hearsay or gossip.

So will I advise to vaccinate a child who is in the high risk group to get it? Yes. Even if the child is not high risk and the pediatrician offers it, I will still advise it. At this point in time, the pros outweigh the cons. I work in an area that exposes me to viruses most of the time. I don't want to bring it home. If 3 yrs from now, my family will turn into one of those characters from the movie "I am Legend", well...at least we didn't get the swine flu. Looking at the bright side, I probably won't care at that point in time. Some would counter that the government is encouraging it coz it's a conspiracy. Oh puleeze. Believe what you want. But I have seen really really sick kids, and it's not a picnic either.

Although I would have to post a disclaimer. I don't work for a pharmaceutical company, there ARE side effects of the vaccine. Getting the vaccine DOES NOT GUARANTEE that you will not get sick with flu since there are a lot of strains out there floating around and those little buggers are just eagerly awaiting being introduced to your nasal passages and mouth. But it would definitely decrease one's chances of being debilitatingly sick and passing it on to more vulnerable targets like pregnant women, children and those with underlying medical condition. I just heard the news. Another 19 children dead from the swine flu. Enough said. Go watch the news then