DD won't get the flu shot (Ugh)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn't get my first flu shot until I was in my late thirties. And then I got the flu. I haven't missed it since.

Do people die from the flu? Yes, but they are typically in their 80s.

Let it go.

The strain that is currently circulating is H1N1. It typically kills healthy young adults, more than any other group.

That said, you can't make her do it. You can tell her that she is an idiot and give her information about H1N1 to read.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in my 30s never have gotten the flu shot and I've never once had the flu.

You can't force her

Yes I can actually, until she's 18 I can.

Actually, you can't.

You won't find a single medical practicioner that will forcibly administor non-life-saving medical care on a teenager. Not one. The age of consent in most states is around 14-16. While she may be a minor, she still has control over her own body. It's just the same as if you tried to make her get a tattoo. While you may think it's what is best for her, that's a matter of your opinion.

The flu shot is reccomended for small children, the elderly, health care workers, child care workers and those in confined populations (military, prison, etc) There is NO blanket recc for normal healthy adults who don't fall into those categories and are therefore not at increased risk.

I'm a physician

[Anonymous]

I agree with pp. OP let this go--you do sound really controlling and I support flu shots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The flu shot is reccomended for small children, the elderly, health care workers, child care workers and those in confined populations (military, prison, etc) There is NO blanket recc for normal healthy adults who don't fall into those categories and are therefore not at increased risk.

I'm a physician

There isn't? "Routine annual influenza vaccination of all persons aged 6 months and older continues to be recommended" seems like a blanket recommendation to me.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/acip/2013-summary-recommendations.htm

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in my 30s never have gotten the flu shot and I've never once had the flu.

You can't force her

Yes I can actually, until she's 18 I can.

Actually, you can't.

You won't find a single medical practicioner that will forcibly administor non-life-saving medical care on a teenager. Not one. The age of consent in most states is around 14-16. While she may be a minor, she still has control over her own body. It's just the same as if you tried to make her get a tattoo. While you may think it's what is best for her, that's a matter of your opinion.

The flu shot is reccomended for small children, the elderly, health care workers, child care workers and those in confined populations (military, prison, etc) There is NO blanket recc for normal healthy adults who don't fall into those categories and are therefore not at increased risk.

I'm a physician

No way are you a doctor. Or you are very wrong about the recommendations, which is quite scary.

[Anonymous]

Your DD is making a decision that many, many governments across the developed world have made. You need to respect your DD's decision, as I'm sure she will respect yours.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/17/health/flu-vaccine-policy/

[Anonymous]

I don't know if it helps at all but I never got a fly shot until this pregnancy. I've also never had the flu. I know they aren't related but she's at a pretty robust age as far as actually being able to fight off flu.

If you are worried maybe go over the symptoms of flu vs. common cold and how to recognize early so that if she does feel it coming she can go get tamiflu in the early window?

[Anonymous]

OP, I'd be OK with her making her own decisions. But I would tell her that if she doesn't get the flu shot and does get the flu, she's quarantined to her room and you aren't going to wait on her. This would be less to teach her a lesson and more because I wouldn't want to be exposed to the flu in my own home when I took every precaution myself.

Part of being an adult and making your own decisions is accepting the consequences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd try to make the argument that she is endangering people who don't have her excellent immune system (see the other thread about flu shots decreasing the spread of the flu). I'd try to get her to read an article or two about otherwise healthy people who have died of the flu. And then I'd back off and let her be.

This, DD. She is at the age when it's all about her, and she feels invincible, and I'd wager she has friends who feel the same way and are saying they won't get the shot either.

And she has no idea that the flu actually is a bitch if you do indeed get it (one bout of the body aches would teach her that) and that it can kill people. Statistically it's most dangerous to the very young and the very old but it can kill healthy young adults too.

I'd show her the stats (go to the Centers for Disease Control web site) and information about the idea of "herd immunity." I bet she's never heard of it. Also, if she has classmates who are not as fit as she thinks she is, she needs to understand she's protecting them by getting a shot herself. She'll say, but the idea is that I am not going to get sick! Well, the idea is that I'm not planning to get injured as I drive around today either but I'm wearing my seat belt as protection -- same idea, to me. I can be a perfect driver and someone else can hit me; I can be in perfect health with a strong immune system and if someone coughs in my face I am indeed going to get some level of sickness, very likely.

None of these ideas may wash with her if she is doing this really mostly to assert her independence. Pity, because if she does get the flu and gives it to others -- it could have been prevented.

Oh, and if she's arguing that claptrap that some adults use: "Well, it's only a guess each year about which strain of flu will hit, so I could get the shot and it covers one strain but the one going around is a different type, so what's the point...." The answer there is that ANY flu shot for any strain does provide some protection from all of them, and though she might get another strain not specifcally covered by the shot, the effects will be less. (That is exactly what happened to me and I know, having had flus earlier in life, that the symptoms were not nearly as bad as they could have been.) Again, that may not wash with her. If she's being stubborn, and doesn't go for the "it's not all about you" concept, but you want to pursue it, she might listen to the doctor and some horror stories about teens with flu....

[Anonymous]

If you care that much, why don't you just bribe her to the get the shot - it works for my kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She is 17, 18 next month. She says that her body can naturally fend off illnesses. Says she doesn't "believe in it". She refused to get the shot for the past 2 years and says that she feels healthier. In all fairness she has not gotten so much as a cold since then. DH says we can't force her to get one. WWYD?

she sounds stupid. But then again, if she gets the flu and dies we will have one less stupid person on the planet. I would tell her that you are the mom, therefore you make the rules and your rule would include protecting your self from a possible deadly virus. Does she believe in the BCP, or she will go all natural with that too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She is 17, 18 next month. She says that her body can naturally fend off illnesses. Says she doesn't "believe in it". She refused to get the shot for the past 2 years and says that she feels healthier. In all fairness she has not gotten so much as a cold since then. DH says we can't force her to get one. WWYD?

she sounds stupid. But then again, if she gets the flu and dies we will have one less stupid person on the planet. I would tell her that you are the mom, therefore you make the rules and your rule would include protecting your self from a possible deadly virus. Does she believe in the BCP, or she will go all natural with that too?

Do you think that the choices for contraception are:

1. oral contraceptives
2. nothing?

They're not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She is 17, 18 next month. She says that her body can naturally fend off illnesses. Says she doesn't "believe in it". She refused to get the shot for the past 2 years and says that she feels healthier. In all fairness she has not gotten so much as a cold since then. DH says we can't force her to get one. WWYD?

she sounds stupid. But then again, if she gets the flu and dies we will have one less stupid person on the planet. I would tell her that you are the mom, therefore you make the rules and your rule would include protecting your self from a possible deadly virus. Does she believe in the BCP, or she will go all natural with that too?

You realize you are calling millions of people around the world stupid here, right? The US is pretty out there when it comes to mass flu vaccination. Many doctors in other countries (e.g. in Europe) do not agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She can talk to my friend. He arrogantly refused to get the shot and has now been flat on his back for almost two weeks. It's a bad flu this year.

oh no! God forbid you should get sick and have to rest!

sick leave, anyone?????????????????? That's what it's for.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She can talk to my friend. He arrogantly refused to get the shot and has now been flat on his back for almost two weeks. It's a bad flu this year.

oh no! God forbid you should get sick and have to rest!

sick leave, anyone?????????????????? That's what it's for.

+1

What are you two even talking about? He wishes he'd gotten the shot now. And he was recently laid off, so sick leave is not an option. That probably didn't occur to you, as you were too busy figuring out how many question marks would make your point.

In addition, your thinking most people have two full weeks of sick leave--to spend on one illness--is further proof that you're talking out your a$$.