A warning, RE: Swine Flu Vaccine....

Well just an update to this from our end. We all had it on Friday. Ashton who is 3.5 immediately went really lethargic and felt really warm although he didn't have a fever. We were still in the doctors rooms when it happened. The doctor said if he didn't pick up to bring him back in. Probably about 5 hours later he started to become more alert. He slept for a while during that time, and by the time he went to bed that night was back to his old self.

So we're not sure if it was just a combination of shock/sore arm/lack of sleep for him, but he has never done that with any other needle. So that was our experience. Both my other boys and myself were fine.

Oh and the doctor had to double check what version he could have. Apparently there is a peadatric one for under 3yr olds. But cause he was over 3 he had the standard one.

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Well just an update to this from our end. We all had it on Friday. Ashton who is 3.5 immediately went really lethargic and felt really warm although he didn't have a fever. We were still in the doctors rooms when it happened. The doctor said if he didn't pick up to bring him back in. Probably about 5 hours later he started to become more alert. He slept for a while during that time, and by the time he went to bed that night was back to his old self.

So we're not sure if it was just a combination of shock/sore arm/lack of sleep for him, but he has never done that with any other needle. So that was our experience. Both my other boys and myself were fine.

Oh and the doctor had to double check what version he could have. Apparently there is a peadatric one for under 3yr olds. But cause he was over 3 he had the standard one.

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This is interesting, because I've read several times that children between 6 months and 9 years, have to go back after 28 days for a second dose. But when i asked the GP who did DS, DH's and DD's, she said it wasn't necessary for DS to have a 2nd shot?? I asked her on 2 seperate visits, along with the child nurse who also said the same thing..

That's really odd. We have to go back for the second shot. The dr actually showed me the paperwork that he had received the day before from the govt. So it's standard now.

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:hug: I'm sorry you experienced this - it must have been quiet scary for you.

When I read your post, my first thought was a faulty batch. Or it could be these people reacting to the virus... and it this is how they react to the virus, it concerns me how they would react to the virus proper. It will be interesting to see if the batch is recalled.

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there is no word of a faulty batch.
my concern would be a break in COLD CHAIN, if they were all from the same practice.

i just had an update on this.
but will ensure i tell all my parents to watch their children for 24 hours now. even though i usually tell them and give then a hand out of signs and symptoms.

please let the person who vaccinated your child know of the reaction as it needs to be logged in the immunisation reaction programme. and monitored.

there has been alot of cunfusion about doasge as well
as
under 3 gets .25 mls x 2 doses
3-10 get .5ml x 2 doses and
over 10 get .5ml x 1 dose

the 2 doses is because their system is not primed at all the receive the vaccine so one dose will not be effective.

the issue is the dosage mainly and confusion. so he may of received a larger dose than needed and thats why he became lethargic and sick

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This is interesting, because I've read several times that children between 6 months and 9 years, have to go back after 28 days for a second dose. But when i asked the GP who did DS, DH's and DD's, she said it wasn't necessary for DS to have a 2nd shot?? I asked her on 2 seperate visits, along with the child nurse who also said the same thing..

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if he has previously had a flu shot ( seasonal ) then no he only needs one dose as hius system is primed to accept the vaccine..

but if not he will need a second shot as the initial dose will be less effective

my kids have never had a flu shot in their lives, and I wasn't told that a 2nd dose would be needed.

they require 2 shots.

it get confusing when you do one swine then need seasonal as it is then 2 shots of seasonal as their systems need priming to recieve those doses of flu, H2N3 and H3N1 i think it is brain fried at the moment.

but yes they do require the 2nd dose.

if you are unsure check out NSW health it has all the info you need

my DD1 slept for 5 hours once we got home from having the shot. otherwise she was fine. we are to get a second dose for both kids in 4 weeks time also. DD1 had the 'adult' shot from the multi use vial and as she is over 3 and DD2 had the single use vial, the'kids' shot as she is under 3.

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I thought that the flu vax was not a live virus vax so you really shouldn't react like that?

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I don't know if anyone else has addressed this as I haven't read the whole thread...

It isn't a 'live' vaccine, but you still need an immune response for it to work (to develop the immunity). The virus won't/cannot possibly replicate, so no one else can catch it when a heightened immune response is experienced.

I went through a 3 day immune response to regular seasonal flu vax (and no one else at work did - same batch), but usually don't get particularly 'sick' when I get flu. Weird.

incidentally, live vaccines are attenuated (altered) to not replicate either. So they aren't transmittable, even though it's still a real virus.

I have spoken to a few different friends that had their kids immunised and a couple of them have said their kids were sick with a temp for a few hours after the vax. I don't think the vax would be faulty, it may just be a common reaction in young children. None of their kids had temps as high as 40*C though, they were all around 38-39*C. They all have to have a second vax too. The one lady whose DD has had her second vax, said that her DD didn't get a reaction to the second but reacted to the first. The others still have to get their second, so they are waiting to see how they go.

Our boy is booked in to get his 2nd shot tomorrow morning - 28 days later as per our doctor's instruction and all research I have done.

He had absolutely no reaction to the first one - was just his normal, very happy self.

Something interesting that my GP had to say about the whole thing, though:

I asked him if we should be vaccinating our boy against seasonal flu as well as swine flu and he said "don't worry about the seasonal flu one, in all honesty, you have had the swine flu one and that is all you have to worry about, in my opinion".

He added that he had just received the latest WHO newsletter and the highest fatality rate in first world countries in the Northern hemisphere during the past winter were healthy infants like our boy and healthy, young adults like ourselves :o

In response to Matryoshka, I am a well-educated and well-informed mother and I have weighed up the pros and cons and am extremely confident that the risk of the vaccine is nothing compared to the possibility of losing my boy.

the way a vaccination works is that it primes your body to fight the infection it MAY recieve if exposed from an outside source.
so you boddy goes through an immune response, so mild temps and feeling tired etc are normal and within limits.

the seasonal flu contains H1N1 but also the 2 other most common strains. as per studies in teh northern hemisphere.

the swine is monovalent meaning only coverage for ONE strain of FLU

For those that may be still interested in your children receiving the vaccine here are the latest dosage recommendations that you can print off and give to your doctor if need be

http://www.healthemergency.gov.au/internet/healthemergency/publishing.nsf/Content/2723D54E78BF5739CA2576400027E1E9/$File/ATAGI-child-H1N1-and-seasona-flu-vaccine-advice-mar10a.pdf

This link contains links to relevant official documents as well.

Influenza A (H1N1) update for GPs

I'm sure most of you have heard already, but all flu vax, including H1N1 have been suspended for children under the age of 5yrs as of today due to adverse reactions. Apparently they are looking into whether it's a problem with the vaccine or a bad batch.

So hmn looks like you guys were the beginning of many.

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I'm sure most of you have heard already, but all flu vax, including H1N1 have been suspended for children under the age of 5yrs as of today due to adverse reactions. Apparently they are looking into whether it's a problem with the vaccine or a bad batch.

So hmn looks like you guys were the beginning of many.

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It's good to hear they are doing something about it. I would like an explanation.

I'm wondering if it could have had sometihng to do with the storms here in Perth a few weeks ago. We had massive power outages for days, our house lost power for 30 hours.

When I tried to book my DD into our usual doctor for the vax, they informed me that they had to throw away all of their vaccines because they lost power in the storms. So I went to another clinic.

I'm just hoping the clinic I went to didn't use vaccines that were off because of a power cut. I will be VERY upset!

I was just reading up on this as my DD is due to have her second H1Ni (Swine Flu) shot next week. The article in the Courier Mail quoted Prof Bishop "said the ban did not extend to the swine flu vaccine that could still be given as a separate injection."

I'm off to see if I can find any further information on a Government site.

Wow, hmn, that would be absolutely awful if the clinic was that negligent. I suppose it would give some answers, but not make up for the trauma you have been through.

It is interesting that you mentioned the storage issue. Our GP makes sure that they get a fresh batch of the vaccine each week and only offer it on the day of delivery. So if you need a swine flu shot there it has to be on a Thursday. I suppose that way it is always fresh and the practice doesn't have to be responsible for the (apparently risky) job of storing the vaccines.

Not very helpful for the issue at hand, but for those still deciding whether or not to do it, my boy had his second shot yesterday and has been (and is still) 100% happy and healthy.

I hope everyone gets some answers soon :hug:

ETA - He has just had the H1N1 vaccine and not the combined one.

hmn One of the girls in my born in thread had the same problem with the power outage and her GP losing doses, she got her elsewhere and I'm pretty sure her bub was ok, so you could be onto something there with storage issues.