H1N1

I would be remiss if I didn't address H1N1 on this blog. It certainly is something that has become ever-present in our lives, and it seems like you can't go more than ten minutes without hearing or talking about it. Is it simply media hype or is it a true pandemic? I leave that to you to decide.

I have made the extremely difficult decision to get the H1N1 vaccination for the kids, and will get it myself when it becomes available for me. I struggled mightily with this decision, and read copious quantities of information both for and against the vaccine. In the end, my decision came down to one thing: Marin.

At almost 7 months old, Marin hasn't been exposed to much in the way of the cold and flu. The almighty 'they' are predicting that if H1N1 continues to spread at it's current rate, 1 in 3 people will contract H1N1. For our family, that means that 2 of us will come down with it. If she were to contract H1N1 it would be the first 'bug' her little body would battle. The fact that H1N1 seems to be so virulent and aggressive means that she would be at risk for having an 'extreme' case, and could potentially be hospitalized or worse. I can't risk exposing Marin to that.

So, today Aidan will get his first dose of the H1N1 vaccine at school, and tomorrow I will take the other three to the Dr to get their first dose.

Am I 100% sure that I am making the right decision? No. But, I made this decision in the best interests of my family, based on all the information made available to me. Only time will tell if it is the right one.

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Here is something my friend Laura passed on to me, and which I think is extremely useful:

Know the Difference between a Cold and H1N1 Flu Symptoms

Symptom	Cold	H1N1 Flu
Fever	Fever is rare with a cold.	Fever is usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of 100°F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the H1N1 flu.
Coughing	A hacking, productive (mucus- producing) cough is often present with a cold.	A non-productive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with the H1N1 flu (sometimes referred to as dry cough).
Aches	Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold.	Severe aches and pains are common with the H1N1 flu.
Stuffy Nose	Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week.	Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the H1N1 flu.
Chills	Chills are uncommon with a cold.	60% of people who have the H1N1 flu experience chills.
Tiredness	Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold.	Tiredness is moderate to severe with the H1N1 flu.
Sneezing	Sneezing is commonly present with a cold.	Sneezing is not common with the H1N1 flu.
Sudden Symptoms	Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days..	The H1N1 flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains.
Headache	A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold.	A headache is very common with the H1N1 flu, present in 80% of flu cases.
Sore Throat	Sore throat is commonly present with a cold.	Sore throat is not commonly present with the H1N1 flu.
Chest Discomfort	Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold.	Chest discomfort is often severe with the H1N1 flu.

The only way to stop the spread of the epidemic is to spread the awareness.