Swine Flu Vaccine

After telling my friends about my family's possible swine flu experience over the last month or so, discussions about the upcoming vaccination have began. Months ago when the swine flu first became news, my husband and I, who have vaccinated our children for everything else, discussed the vaccine and agreed that no one in our family would be inoculated for the swine flu.

We based our decision on the past, when in 1976, more Americans died from the swine flu vaccine than from the disease itself...and many, many more were left with neurological problem. And although we have learned a lot about medicine since then, the one sure similarity between the vaccine from 1976 and the one that will be given in 2009 is that they're fast tracked and not thoroughly tested (like the other vaccines given to our children).

Making parenting decisions in personal...you need to do what works best for your children and your family. Each parent should educate themselves and come to a conclusion they feel confident about. I am in no way trying to influence your decision whether or not you vaccinate your children against the swine flu...I simply want you to know there is a history here and I aim to arm you with the facts. With that in mind, here is one article from the UK's Daily Mail that discusses the 1976 and the 2009 vaccines. It's a starting point for your research.