The Great Debate

H1N1 is all the rage right now. You hear everything from it's no worse than the regular flu to it can kill you or 75% of the workforce will be absent due to swine flu this year. The horror stories are discussed everyday. Employers don't know how to combat it so they start handwashing campaigns and distribute face masks. Is that truly the solution!?


Well, I'm not an alarmist and I don't want to take things to extremes. But the truth is pregnant women are in the high risk category for swine flu contraction due to high mortality rates. I want to be a realist and I want to do what is best for the baby. Which begs the ultimate question...Do I get the swine flu vaccine when it becomes available?

Pros

• Keeping me and the baby safe from the swine flu
• Not worrying about infection at work
• Would not use my sick time

Cons

• Unknown side effects
• Being a guniea pig
• Putting foreign chemicals in my body
• Getting 2 shots

I've never had a flu vaccine, I've only had the flu once in my life, but I do work in a school environment where the virus can spread quickly. If I wasn't pregnant I would not even consider getting the H1N1 vaccine.

At this point I'm going to talk to my doctor, do some research on the vaccine and then try to make an informed decision. The vaccine doesn't even come out until mid-October, so I have plenty of time to contemplate...