In early October WHO stated vaccine safe in over 10 yrs old, but nder 10's needed more trials. Not sure if these have been done yet & completed.

Am going to speak to GP tomorrow but wether I get any sense out of him is another matter.

I was happy for Alasdair to have the MMR but I'm completely torn over the swine flu vaccine like many of you are. I just feel it's been rolled out so quickly. I actually got a letter through asking for Alasdair to take part in the trial of the vaccine and that was only a month or so ago so I don't see how it can be being given now and it makes me wonder if it's been trialled enough. It's so hard to do the right thing isn't it...

Thanks for all your replies. My youngest is due to get her vaccination on Wednesday now. All the info I have read on whats happening with the mutations and young kids getting sick I am veering towards getting it done. She does have a small hole in her heart, not sure if this would cause complications or not but I just think I would be on edge all the time if I dont get her vaccinated. I am petrified of anything happening with getting the vaccine and its difficult because I dont have a doctor here in Norway yet, so the only option to get info is to try and phone my Health Visitor back home but when I asked her about getting myself done she wouldnt advise, told me it was up to me to investigate and come to my own decision!

Why is all this so difficult to decide, I just want to enjoy the rest of my pregnancy and prepare for xmas but Swine Flu is forever on my mind, arghhhhh!!!!

We are all bookied in for Wed, but may have to cancel son's appt pending outcome of GP looking into safety for him. Either him or practice nurse is phoning manufacture to see what they say.

So is your 8 year old def getting it but the 5 year old is a question mark?

No 5 year definitely getting it, not sure about the 8 yr old. They are both asthmatic.

Problem is 8 yr old has a bad fish allergy, had one bite of fish, spat it out as hurt him & his mouth came up in massive hives. OH rushed him down to Drs ,by the time he got there no more tnah 5 mins later his lips were swelling. He had to have anti-hist & high dose steroid, admin by nurse who was on phone to GP who rushed from home to surgery with green light on car. Lo's heart was racing & we had to stay @ Dr's for 4 hours b4 he was happy to let us go.

Were looking into challenging him with fish in hospital, but paed ran allergy test & said not worgth the risk.

Dr has phoned GSK who manufacture vaccine & they were useless, just siad admi 22 million vaccines & no one had reaction but GP said thats no real help. Normally he would advise on way or another but in son's case tough one to call.

He is now phoning paediatrician for his advice. Still have appt booked gor him, but really not sure what to do.

He did say in general being in the south west we are being much less affected & it isn't the pandemic as expected, but if it were to to get bad he is @ higher risk.

So I'm really stuck as what to do. It was tough enough deciding to get the vaccine for me, now this.

So waiting on another call back. Am keeping his appt for Wed for now, but may cancel it if not heard from paed.

Thanks for the reply. Thats a tough situation, doesnt help when you cant get any straight answers from the medical world to help with the decision. Hope you get a clear answer before Wednesday.

I have been on the WHO website today trying to get info and looking at the situation in Norway it seems to be one of the places with very high flu activity. Its difficult though because I dont speak Norwegian so not picking up on any stuff in the news/papers etc so kinda sheltered. I am just going on the news from UK. Although there is stuff on Yahoo about the mutations etc in Norway.

I think I am going to go ahead and get my two vaccinated and just hope for the best. I think the fear of them getting ill is going to cause more stress than getting the vaccine. I have read tonight that another 5 year old has died, its just so scary. The media are condeming people that are anti vaccine and how its not helping in the fight to stop it spreading. I cannot see anything on WHO website saying no dont vaccinate children under 5 just that they are monitoring the effects of the vaccine so we are guinea pigs but can't chance not getting it and them getting seriously ill.

I get the feeling of damned if u, damend if u don't.

If u do you worry about possible side effects, but if u don't vaccinate then u r lo gets swime flu, well the possible consequences just don't bear thinking about.

I spent all day yesterday researching the adjuvant - squalene, & thiomersal, all possible side effects are not sientifically proven. There was a law suit in the states saying thiomersal is linked to autism, but it got thrown out of court especially as when they removed it from all the childhood vaccines ( polio etc) incidence of autism continued to rise.

I could find no sensible medical site that could prove any link with autism or auto- immune disorders (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis) etc only sites I could find were the typical anti-government uncle sam etc is evil, out to get you etc.

Parenting is tough at the best of times, but this has got to be the toughest decision I've had to make to date.

I just came here to ask the same question. I am torn too its so difficult! I just had a call from my GP receptionist to say that they are vaccinating all children from 6months to 5 yrs old and I dont know what to do??? my two are coming up 10 months and 3 years old totally unsure ....x

Its a real toughie for sure. Paula do your lo go to daycare/ nursery. How much contact do they have with other children.

Are u a SAHM, where does OH work.

I think u really need to take these into consideration as to the risk of exposure.

My eldest 2 are at school full time & I work in close proximity to the public every day, who moan a bucketful if u so much as sneeze, yet come in coughing & spluttering full of cold & heaven knows what, so from that point of view, if this does reach pandemic levels then personally I think we need to be vaccinated. My youngest however only does 2 half days @ pre school & therest of the time is @ home with daddy so her risk is much lower, so will have to see what to do if she gets called for vaccination.

I have opted for the vaccination route as for us I feel that is the right choice.

I think you need to weigh up the risks of being vaccinated, against the risk of catching swine flu & the relative risk of complications.

I'm pg & my eldest kids are asthmatic so are ar greater risk of complications.