What, you ask? The shot. The H1N1 shot. Yes. After such a long debate and research and swaying back and forth, we are now immunized. In the end, we decided that we will rather listen to people who know what they are talking about, like the doctors (my Dr highly recommended it and is getting it herself), Health Canada, public health nurse and the news. I am one of those that listen to what they hear on the news, they have doctors, investigate, show you both sides etc. Others think that this virus is a conspiracy of a government, or pharmaceutical companies, or both combined. I don't have a single reason to believe they are out there to get me, to hurt me, to make me vulnerable, to deceive me. If they are, well, I still don't have any proof about that.
Also, we have realized something most don't. We are healthy. We don't have any underlying condition. The one we know of, that is. Apparently up to 40 % of people who died (that's huge!) weren't aware they have any underlying condition neither ! So how do you know whether you have it or no ? And other thing, even if we get the swine flu and it's mild as most cases are (although where is the guarantee mine will be mild too?), we would probably pass it onto another person or people. This thing spreads. It's not like when I get it, it stops with me. There is a 5 days incubation period and within those five days I may get in touch with lots of people. I go to school. I go skating. I go to the store. I have a baby. All these people can get it from me if I am to get sick, and may have serious consequences. I do not want to be responsible. I don't believe I will die from the shot, and I don't believe it will make me more vulnerable. I also believe that the more people get sick the more chances it will mutate.
Of course there are doctors that will tell you it's bad for you. But those are very few of them. And of course, it depends on what kind of doctor you ask. A surgeon doesn't necessarily have the same updated information as the family doctor may have simply because they do not deal with it so they don't really understand. I hear it all the time, that this one and that one asked "the doctor", and when they say what kind of doctor, you can clearly see that they do not deal with the vaccinations. It's not that this doctor would lie to you, no, i don't think so, but they may not really know or they may be opposed to vaccination in general. And who will be the one hurt in the end? You. So that's another thing you need to be aware of and do your own homework.
Also, people say it hasn't been tested long enough. Apparently 33 years is not long enough. Or are they even aware that the first swine flu appeared in 1976 and that's when they started tested the vaccine? There hasn't been a single death from the vaccine and no side effects were ever recorded (this was on BBC few nights ago) And I trust BBC.
And I also would like to let you know that a 2 months old baby passed away from the H1N1 in Ontario. The parents weren't immunized and the baby got it from them. So again, how do I know that if I get sick, and pass it onto my baby that it will be mild? Because yours was, doesn't mean that someone else's, or mine, or my baby will be as well. I rather not take that risk.
A pregnant lady got sick and lost her baby. She was not vaccinated. She later said, that her uncle is a doctor who strongly advised her against the shot. She was asked what doctor, and she said a heart surgeon. Who doens't give vaccinations daily, so he didn't know neither. But becuase he held that "Dr." title, she just thought he knows it all.
Anyway, this post actually is not really about my beliefs (and I'm also not looking for opinions anymore since we're done with that - thanks to those who shared theirs before, really appreciated) but I want to share the actual process. I need to vent somewhere.
So I went to Mother Goose, the program we signed up for. We were not able to do few times before, as baby Moesha, wouldn't cooperate (naps etc) But this time she was ready. I stopped at the Health Unit to weight her. They told me I am now eligible for the shot (caregiver of an infant under 6 months) So I went to the walk in clinic. They told me the wait is 15-20 minutes. So I called my husband to come asap. He was not happy, he said he will get it in few weeks at his work. But I made him to come, in few weeks he may get sick. So we are waiting, waiting, with an infant in a room full of coughing people. Husband is mad that he will get sick. I go for a walk. We come back, now it's one hour from time we got there. They ask What doctor are we seeing? We don't know, or care, the first one available please. So they said it will take 20 minutes. I wonder, it was 20 minutes an hour ago. They said We have only one doctor here. Really? So then why do you ask me what doctor am I seeing, does it actually matter?
We never made it to Mother Goose. The 20 minutes turned out to be 2.5 hours. I was freaking out. I actually gave the nurse crap (and we went in shortly after just to wait another 20 minutes in the room itself) I don't care whether your wait is 20 minutes or 3 hours, but tell me, so I can go for a walk (or to Mother Goose in our case) and come back. There is really no point to wait for 5x 20 minutes. And also, when I asked to be let in a room to nurse my baby, I was told all are filled. So that poor alone doctor was in 11 rooms at the same time. Magnificent !
Finally we got our shots. It hurts. Did you know that? The doctor told us "It will take 10 days before your bodies will develop immunity so until then, wash your hands" Of course, we are going to. After that, we apparently don't need to wash our hands as we are immune. Never heard that before, but ok. This is Canada, after all, and we all know the quality of the health care (this post is written by someone who can compare the health care in the so called Eastern Europe, Czech specifically and Canada) But that would be a post for another day.
Bottom line, we got our shots and we are happy about that. I won't judge those that get this shot or those that don't, I think immunizing is important, but after all it's everyone's personal choice. I also hope that someone who choses not to immunize will not pass the virus to my child that cannot be immunized or one of my friends or relatives. As we know, people who are sick, regardless whether they know it or no, don't care and still go out. Today, we were in the store. A lady in a line up behind me, was on her cell phone, behaving very importantly telling someone I must have the swine flu, Im going to see the doctor. She hangs up, turns to Moesha and says: Oh what a cutie pie ! ... and grabs her hand. Great. Since we living with such morons, I think it's really better to get protected. Not only from the swine flu, but also from some people's stupidity.
