Opinions on flu and h1n1 vaccines please

I'm not sure what I'm doing yet.  I know I'm getting the regular flu shot this weekend.  H1N1 I'm not sure about, but like others have said, it's the regular flu shot with the H1N1 replaced for the other flu diseases that go in there.  Actually the H1N1 was supposed to be IN the regular flu shot, but the regular flu shot was already formulated by that time.

Let me also say that the regular flu shot is based on a guess of what will be going around this year, so if the vaccine is not in the shot for the specific flu going around this year, we're not protected. At least with the swine flu we know that specific vaccine is going to protect us from it.

i have gotten my seasonal flu shot and i will definitely get my H1N1 shot if it is available.

i feel like while the vaccine is "new", waiting for them to test it more is just going to give more people a chance to catch the flu.  flu vaccines are pretty routine so unless you've had a negative reaction i would say it is safe.

I've already gotten the seasonal flu vaccine and I will get H1N1 when it becomes available.  I've talked it over with my doctors and have done independent research and I'm comfortable that the potential benefits outweigh the risk if I was to get the flu.

I think you also have to look at your particular area.  According to the CDC maps, the H1N1 virus is widespread in AZ where I live and more and more cases are popping up.  If I lived in Vermont where there have been no reported cases, I probably wouldn't get the shot.

The CDC announced the other day that of 100 pregnant women hospitalized with H1N1, 28 died.  That number was enough to convince me.

My 18 month old and I have already gotten the seasonal flu vaccine. When H1N1 becomes available at our clinic we will be getting that as well. The pediatrician suggested we both get it since I have a newborn. And like doc said its the same as the seasonal vaccine it just has a different strand. I'll take the risk I don't want my little one to get either flu.

Though I am not pregnant this flu season, I was for the last 2.  I choose to get the regular flu shot with both of those pregnancies. I have twins that were in their first and then second year of preschool when the babies were born and if I could help protect the babies by simply getting the flu shot myself- why not?!  When you are pregnant the immunization will pass through to the baby and help protect the baby once they are born.

If I were pregnant right now I would absolutely get the H1N1 for MYSELF only. I would not immunize my other children though.  I will also add that we have already had the swine flu pass through our home with my 5 year old getting it and while it wasn't bad for him I worry about how it may effect my smaller children.  That itself is not enough for me to go out and get them vaccinated though!

I got the flu shot this week, but I am still very torn over the H1N1 vaccine.  I had an appt with  the other OB in my office today and he highly recommended it.  I am going to do some more research. 

my doc strongly reccomended getting the h1n1 shot.  He said he just had a patient at 28 wks pg in the hospital for a month, on a ventilator, and on all sorts of meds that weren't so safe during pregnancy.   He said she was very ill and it was scary to watch her go through that.  He said the benefits of the shot outweighed the risks and wanted me to get it asap.   I don't plan on getting the flu shot though because I've never had it and been fine.  

also, I think he said to get the shot and not the nasal spray.  The shot is the dead virus and the nasal one is a live virus.  I am just trying to figure out if the shot is available yet in my area and WHERE to get it!



ETA:  I just found a pdf info file on the H1N1 SHOT, here it is:

http://health.utah.gov/epi/h1n1flu/groups/H1N1_Inactivated_V IS_09-10.pdf

Vaccines are available to protect against 2009 H1N1

• They are expected to be as safe and effective as seasonal flu vaccines.

• These vaccines are made just like seasonal flu vaccines.