H1N1
October 28th, 2009 at 10:52 am by Michelle Muscatello under General Talk
The tragic news of the healthy 12-year old Bristol, RI girl who died this week from a suspected case of the H1N1 flu has sent this concerned mom into a downright panic. How did a healthy, active little girl succomb to the flu? How did she get so sick, so fast? How do we prevent this from happening again? My heart aches for her family, her friends and her neighbors in my town of Bristol.
I’m sure I was not alone when I held my baby a little tighter last night and gave him an extra kiss good night. Nor, I’m sure, was I alone in feeling a sense of fear and unknown about this flu season… looking at the calendar and seeing the long winter months that still lay ahead of us. I keep wondering what else I can do to protect him and keep him healthy. I have the added concern of having an infant recently diagnosed with asthma, which puts him in the high risk category for possible severe complications if he were to contract H1N1. I’m frustrated that he doesn’t have access to the H1N1 vaccine. I’m frustrated that our company just cancelled it’s flu clinic for next month because of a shortage of regular flu shots for adults. I’ve been contemplating whether I should pull him out of his home daycare and pay for a nanny to watch him at our house instead.
Can you really truly protect them from the germs that are everywhere? You can be clean and cautious, but they will still be exposed to them.
I have almost daily discussions with my co-anchor, Vince, about whether the media is blowing the H1N1 flu pandemic out of proportion. The big question is, is it worse than the regular flu? From research I’ve done, it appears that majority of cases are no more severe than the regular flu. But, there’s still that small subset of the population that will have a major complication from it…. healthy, young people who suddenly find their lungs under attack and end up fighting for their lives. And that’s what is scary.
Michelle Muscatello is the Morning and Noon Meteorologist for Eyewitness News. She is also a brand new mom to son, Charlie. She'll be blogging about all the adventures and sur...
I agree. The news is so unsettling. As a mother of 5 and a school teacher I worry about my children’s health. I am also outraged by the fact the dept of health is not giving any priority to children with underlining health conditions such as asthma and type one diabetes (such as my daughter). She has a compromised immune system and is not given any priority in getting the vaccine. It’s alarming!
I AM IN THE SAME BOAT! MY SON IS 11YEARS OLD. ASTHMA AND IS A TYPE1 DIABETIC AS WELL! AND HIS CLINIC AT HIS SCHOOL IS NOT UNTIL DECEMBER 9TH! HE HAS BEEN HOME ALL WEEK WITH JUST A SOAR THROAT. BUT ALSO HAVE BEEN TOLD CONFRIMED CASES HAVE BEEN AT HIS SCHOOL SO I HAVE BEEN KEEPING HIM AT HOME! I AM SCARED, MAD AND ALL OF THE ABOVE THAT NO ONE CAN GET THIS SHOT!! EVEN HIS DOCTOR IS TRYING HER BEST SHE CALLS ME DAILY WITH NO GOOD NEWS TO SHARE.. I CAN’T BELEIVE THIS…….
One thing you can do is be sure your children all have adequate levels of Vitamin D3. It is no wonder that when our children are cooped up in the winter they catch more infections. The only way to get enough from the sun is to expose 40% of the body without sunscreen for at least 15 minutes between 11 am and 1pm. I don’t see us doing that with this weather. Talk to your health care provider or pharmacist about giving your kids extra D3 this winter. There is a test for blood levels if you are concerned. Don’t forget to give yourself some, too.
I am curious as to whether or not they did a serum blood test for H1N1 on this sweet little girl. Why do I ask? I read that CBS News has filed a FOI request to the CDC about the discontinuation of H1N1 testing and release of H1N1 statistics. Seems as if the CDC stopped and asked states to stop serum testing and replaced it with clinical observations. It would be a shame to panic the population when the Health department only did a review of symptoms as opposed to a real test. If we are to protect our children, we need the truth.
As for the vaccines, I had the feeling the method of “growing” the virus to make them could have backfired given the limited time frame. Some viruses are just stubborn to grow in an egg. Also, kids who are allergic to eggs, should not be vaccinated.
Massachusetts pediatricians have H1N1 shots available. My son received a regular flu shot and the H1N1 shot two weeks ago from Swansea Pediatrics.
Hi Ladies,
Thanks for your comments. My son has his 9month appt tomorrow at the pediatricians, so I am going to ask about the status of the H1N1 shots in RI for babies who are too young for the mist. Sarah–did your son get the H1N1 shot or was it the mist?? Just curious. ~Michelle
Michelle ~ I, too, am deeply concerned for my 8 year old. I know for a fact that there are cases of H1N1 in his school. It is so unnerving to send my child off every morning and pray he doesn’t contract this virus. I have debated whether or not to even send him some days but I know this is over reacting on my part. Unfortunately, he will not be able to get the vaccine until 12/8 at his school clinic. We do everything in our power to protect our dear, sweet children and yet we know some things are out of our control. Very scary situation to be in.
It is quite possible Charlie’s pediatrician will have the vaccine available for him, at best please have him get the seasonal shot. I pray everyday for all of our children to stay healthy! Blessings to you and your little angel!
Sarah, did your child received both shots at one time? I thought the recommendation was for the shots to be given weeks apart.
My son is too young for the mist. He received the H1N1 shot and the regular flu shot on the same day. I was concerned about him receiving both on the same day but the pediatrician assured me it was done routinely. Aside from having a small fever for one day he was fine.
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM182404.pdf
This is the link to the complete information on the H1N1 vaccine made by Sandofi Pasteur. I believe this is the only injectable vaccine recommended for children under 4. I would hope your doctor gave you a copy, but if not, here it is. If you are not sure of the manufacturer of your child’s vaccine, call the doctor’s office and ask.
Hi Debbie,
Thanks for the link. I think one of the most important ways we can combat this flu outbreak is to arm ourselves with information. I know there’s a lot of buzz about the safety of the vaccines, too…. I found this link to be helpful: http://www.factcheck.org/2009/10/inoculation-misinformation/
You are right Michelle, having information helps to calm everyone.