H1N1 Vent

Okay, so all over the news...it 's mass panic. Get your shot, these are the symptoms, take precautions, be prepared etc... etc.. etc...

I have been debating on and off whether to vaccinate my kids or not. As of right now, I'm a BIG NO!

• this vaccination has not been tested. Who's to say in a year from now there is not any complications due to the ingredients of the vaccination
• the rush into production, get it out there
• I keep thinking isn't the human body better off fighting this thing and the immune system learning to cope? Remember the penicillin backlash?
• In Canada, the vaccine has adjuvant, mercury. Maybe it has the same amount equal to a can of tuna. But, am I not injecting that into my three year old's vein?

One minute, I am "YES"...the next "NO". There is no guarantee the vaccination will even work. Why? They don't know. It hasn't been tested. Those who are getting vaccinated now; are the guinea pigs.

If this H1N1 could get any more ridiculous, it does. So my son Carmelo has been fighting a viscous cough. Like anything else, I don't believe in sending my children to school sick. I loathe those perfect attendance awards. Don't come and tell me that no child ever gets sick!? Disease is spread by contact with others. If people kept their kids home when they were sick: less chance of others getting it, and disease spreading, in my humble opinion.

Back to Carmelo. This morning he woke-up with every symptom of H1N1. Headache, vomiting, fever, lethargic (the kid peed on the bathroom floor because he thought he was at the toilet!). Of course, with all the mass panic going around. We all panicked!

We called tele-health. Do to the overwhelming flood of calls, a nurse will return my call in: 8 hours. Unbelievable.

I called the school to inquire about the absenteeism rate. They could not disclose that information to me. Just know, it is high. Any confirmed cases of H1N1? Can't disclose that either. Great! Be sure to print off 800+ letters though letting us all know there's a case of head lice in the school!!!!!

I called the pediatrician's office. Apparently, we are to treat it like any other flu. There is no swabbing, or tests to be done. Assume, it's just a flu. If he's symptoms get worse...bring him to CHEO (our ER). "What do you mean get worse?" If he has trouble breathing, or his hands and lips start to turn blue. If he's fever get's higher than 104. Thanks.

The government and health officials have been preparing for this flu pandemic since the spring...with their advertising and hand-outs. Telling us to 'be prepared'. You aren't even prepared to test those who have all the symptoms in the first place to confirm the H1N1. But, you are telling me to be prepared?! Then, when we are 'confirming' ourselves through symptoms, you then advise me to treat it like a regular 'flu'.????

Unbelievable.