Flu shot - feeling terrible.

[Anonymous]

I just need to vent here- TIA for the opp. My DH insisted that DS get a flu shot this year. I do not believe in their efficacy - I read a lot about how it's too difficult to pin the vaccine to the strain o' the year. But he inSISted and so when the school was offering them and DH said please do it- we did. When we got there we were first in line. The lady said "shot or sniff?" (vapor- I did not know that was an option) I hesitated and she said "did you specially request a sniff?" and I truthfully said No. So he got a very painful scary shot with a long ugly needle by a fat ugly scary woman who was smacking her gum the whole time. I do go with the proscribed run of standard vaccines and I do believe in them - so it's not as difficult for me to make him step up to those. But this feels different. While we were waiting to leave, the line filled in, and I saw many parents taking advantage of the "sniff" opportunity, impromptu, while I did not. Ugh. I had never been through flu shot line before and wasn't thinking fast enough. I just can't get this scene out of my mind and I feel badly about it.

[Anonymous]

Even if this year's flu isn't the same strain as the vaccine, if your DS contracts the flu it will be less severe. The flu shot really isn't all that painful, either - my DD actually prefers it to the mist. I won't even address your other comments about the appearance of the person who administered the vaccine, or why you feel your DS suffered so terribly - you are overreacting in a way that indicates anxiety.
Your son is just fine - deep breaths!

[Anonymous]

thank you. sniff.

[Anonymous]

Actually, so far it looks like they've matched the strains well this year. You are right in that every year they don't, but so far indicators are that they got it right.

So I wouldn't worry about efficacy.

[Anonymous]

Side effects of the spray can be more severe than the side effects of the shot. see http://children.webmd.com/vaccines/flu-shot-nasal-spray

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just need to vent here- TIA for the opp. My DH insisted that DS get a flu shot this year. I do not believe in their efficacy - I read a lot about how it's too difficult to pin the vaccine to the strain o' the year. But he inSISted and so when the school was offering them and DH said please do it- we did. When we got there we were first in line. The lady said "shot or sniff?" (vapor- I did not know that was an option) I hesitated and she said "did you specially request a sniff?" and I truthfully said No. So he got a very painful scary shot with a long ugly needle by a fat ugly scary woman who was smacking her gum the whole time. I do go with the proscribed run of standard vaccines and I do believe in them - so it's not as difficult for me to make him step up to those. But this feels different. While we were waiting to leave, the line filled in, and I saw many parents taking advantage of the "sniff" opportunity, impromptu, while I did not. Ugh. I had never been through flu shot line before and wasn't thinking fast enough. I just can't get this scene out of my mind and I feel badly about it.

wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even if this year's flu isn't the same strain as the vaccine, if your DS contracts the flu it will be less severe. The flu shot really isn't all that painful, either - my DD actually prefers it to the mist. I won't even address your other comments about the appearance of the person who administered the vaccine, or why you feel your DS suffered so terribly - you are overreacting in a way that indicates anxiety.Your son is just fine - deep breaths!

I agree with this PP - it sounds like what you're really upset about is that your DH insisted your child get a flu shot this year. My two year old and I got our flu shots together a few months ago and unless your child received some super extreme version of the shot that I don't know about, I can tell you that the flu shot was not especially painful nor was the needle particularly huge - unless your child had a bad reaction you're not mentioning, I don't think he's really suffering over this.

[Anonymous]

The flu is a serious illness. It can kill people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just need to vent here- TIA for the opp. My DH insisted that DS get a flu shot this year. I do not believe in their efficacy - I read a lot about how it's too difficult to pin the vaccine to the strain o' the year. But he inSISted and so when the school was offering them and DH said please do it- we did. When we got there we were first in line. The lady said "shot or sniff?" (vapor- I did not know that was an option) I hesitated and she said "did you specially request a sniff?" and I truthfully said No. So he got a very painful scary shot with a long ugly needle by a fat ugly scary woman who was smacking her gum the whole time. I do go with the proscribed run of standard vaccines and I do believe in them - so it's not as difficult for me to make him step up to those. But this feels different. While we were waiting to leave, the line filled in, and I saw many parents taking advantage of the "sniff" opportunity, impromptu, while I did not. Ugh. I had never been through flu shot line before and wasn't thinking fast enough. I just can't get this scene out of my mind and I feel badly about it.

wow.

My reaction too. Not nice, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just need to vent here- TIA for the opp. My DH insisted that DS get a flu shot this year. I do not believe in their efficacy - I read a lot about how it's too difficult to pin the vaccine to the strain o' the year. But he inSISted and so when the school was offering them and DH said please do it- we did. When we got there we were first in line. The lady said "shot or sniff?" (vapor- I did not know that was an option) I hesitated and she said "did you specially request a sniff?" and I truthfully said No. So he got a very painful scary shot with a long ugly needle by a fat ugly scary woman who was smacking her gum the whole time. I do go with the proscribed run of standard vaccines and I do believe in them - so it's not as difficult for me to make him step up to those. But this feels different. While we were waiting to leave, the line filled in, and I saw many parents taking advantage of the "sniff" opportunity, impromptu, while I did not. Ugh. I had never been through flu shot line before and wasn't thinking fast enough. I just can't get this scene out of my mind and I feel badly about it.

What you should feel terrible about is your horrible attitude, OP.