The Flu

Just want to let everyone know in case you didn't-- that the mist is a live virus which means it can cause flu  symptoms. It is a lot better to get the shot for your kids. I get that kids don't like shots but really, its one shot. My daughter has been getting the flu shot since she was able to and is 4 now. 

This year they are saying the flu will last about 2 weeks, so its better to get the shot. plus, it takes 2 weeks to develop the antibodies to the shot you just had so there was no way of preventing the flu that was already in your system. My suggestion is to get it earlier next year 

One of children got the flu shot, but she keeps getting sick. This is her frist year in school. The other people in the house have not yet got the flu shot, but will.

True. A lot of people think stomach bug="the flu" that the flu shot is for though, so they assume if they're puking (even without the other symptoms) they must have the flu.

If anyone's interested, this link from the AAP explains what to look for:

http://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/immunizations/Pages/The-Flu-Seasonal-Influenza-2012%E2%80%932013.aspx

If you think it's influenza, it's a good idea to go to the dr to get swabbed and see if it's really the flu and what strain.

I definetly make it a priority to get my four year old a flu shot every year, they give her the nasal mist so it doesnt hurt a bit, the first time she got a lowgrade fever now shes fine when she gets it. The flu can be more dangerous then people think and children and adults are dying from it, its scary! I havent gotten a flu shot myself because I have a auto immune disease tha prevents me from getting it , If I could It would be on the top of my list.You are not olny protecting your self but you are protecting your family and others!

nope. I probably will not. most people that I talked to did not this year.

I just got my flu shot today...praying I don't get it in the next 2 weekd before it takes hold :)

So sorry that your sweet baby has been so sick.  Hoping she will get better soon and stay better.

Oh no so sorry...hope it doesn't spread and that he gets better soon.

I got the flu right after I got my flu shot the day after Thanksgiving. The flu only lasted a few days but I haven't been "well" since. I got another cold right after that knocked me out and only got "over" it last week. There are still a few lingering problems to it. I also gave the second cold to my mom, brother and boyfriend. They probably wouldve rather gotten the flu and had it over in a few days.

We had upper respiratory infections only. I'm usually and honey, proplis and ginger sort of girl...But I was very pleased when my son's doc (who never gives antibiotics) gave me the script for it and even happier when I learned my doc called me in a bottle of cough syrup with codine along with my antibiotics. As a kids I went to one of those doctors who gave antibiotics for anything, they've always seemed like useless pills (particularly for strep because propolis does a much better job on it). This is the first time in my memory that antibiotics were the cause of my getting better, all the tea, honey, and ginger in the world just wasnt doing shit.

My family and I don't get flu shots, and we usually don't get the flu either, we just don't get sick much. I know there are those folks who do and once one kids got it, the whole house comes down like stacked cards.

My little one had her flu shot in October. She has also been sick non-stop ever since with back to back upper respiratory infections. She has missed half of her school days and has been to the doctor every other week. He keeps assuring me that it is just colds and one possible flu with related complications and that she is sick so often because we are new to the area and it is her first year in school. It has really sucked for her, though.

She has had 3 colds in her entire life before coming here. She has never had an ear infection, flu, strep or anything and in 3 months has had them all. Last week I got so angry with a mom for bringing her kid to school with croup and sure enough, my little one is sick again this week with a nasty cough and runny nose. Of 12 kids only 5 showed up earlier this week. All the rest were sick.

I never get the flu shot, I have bad reactions to them, but this year we are all having them.  There is just too much going around. I think they did get 2 or 3 of the strains correct in this years flu shot so I think it is worth it.

No one has had the flu here, yet! We've had quite a few other illnesses though. My 2 year boy is just coming off of Scarlet Fever, he's got peeling, itchy skin, but we are finally allowed to leave the house! My 4 year old boy has had both bronchitis and step so far! Our twins have only gotten colds, but Jack's managed to contract strep from Kendall.. Only me and my mum have not yet to get ill unless you consider my 24 hour stomach bug I got then it's just my mum. 

I got mine, but still haven't gotten the kids theirs yet. We live in Hawaii, so our flu season comes a little later than on the mainland. Hoping it's not as bad as they're predicting!

This is true in adults, but in kids, there may be nausea, stomach pain, and/or vomiting as a flu symptom. With the flu, there would still be  a dry cough, high fever, achiness, and chills though. Something that is just gastrointestinal without the other symptoms is probably a stomach virus as you mentioned.

Totally didn't know that! He does have a fever, but I guess it's just a stomach bug. He still has it. Ugh!

We all got our flu vaccines as well.  Madeleine caught the flu when she was 2 (during the H1N1 outbreak) because we hadn't been able to get vaccinated due to a shortage.  The poor kid was sick as hell for 3 weeks- coughing her little lungs out, had to wear surgical masks to and from the doctors office, had 2 chest x-rays, and had to be put on an inhaler and eventually Prednisone- it was awful. Since then we've been getting flu shots as soon as they become available.  

We all got the flu vaccine (mist for the kids, shots for DH and me). No flu here yet; hopefully we'll escape it.

fikefam, throwing up is usually associated with stomach bugs, not the flu that the flu vaccine is for, which is more body aches, fever, upper respiratory stuff. (It's confusing b/c a lot of people use "the flu" to refer to stomach bugs.)

Literally 15 minutes after I typed this Nolan puked. I guess the flu has arrived at my house :(