The Flu Is Here

All of my nieces & nephews have had it , my mom has it , my daughter had it but thankfully not as severe as the others.......She's been sick since last Wed but is now starting to feel better which is great because school starts back here tomorrow~! I have not gotten it, and I got a flu shot. None of the others got a flu shot. PS, my daughter didn't get a flu shot because my ex threw a hissy fit about her getting one (he's against it)

Yes, today my daughter came home from school, telling me that a couple of her classmates are home sick the the Flu, and that "The Flu is here Mom...."

I got my Flu shot.
My kids got the nasal spray version.
My Hubby got his shot.
I have Asthma.
I also got the Pneumonia shot. Again, because I have Asthma.

"Tamiflu is for treating people 1 year and older with influenza (flu) whose symptoms started within the last 2 days. Tamiflu can also reduce the chance of getting the flu. Tamiflu is not a substitute for an annual flu vaccination." (quote from the Tamiflu website).

Now, if a Doctor is giving Tamiflu to people to replace a Flu Shot or to a person who does not even have the Flu... then that is not correct usage for it.

It has hit hard in my community. My daughter caught it from a girl at school and came down with it the day Christmas break started. And yes, she had a flu shot! She had a mild form of it, as did my other two kids. My husband and I did not get a flu shot, and we were both really sick for a week. I am still coughing two weeks later.

I am never skipping the flu shot again!

I saw on this news that this year's flu is supposed to be particularly nasty and long-lasting. The news predicted 1-2 full weeks out of school, and possibly another week or two of milder symptoms after that. I got the flu once a couple of years back, and although the severe symptoms only lasted about 5 days, the muscle aches and shakes actually lasted 6 weeks! That was back when I was in my health prime, too. It's a nasty bug!

Hopefully, Tamiflu will help your son and it won't be that bad for him. If he's feeling better already, make sure you continue to insist that he rest and drink lots of fluids. A common mistake when recovery feels fast is to dive right back into things before the body has truly healed, and then have a relapse.

I hope he feels better soon. A sick baby is such a hard thing.

Marilyn, I cannot believe you are taking Tamiflu if you do not have the flu. It does not prevent it. I work in medical field and have never seen a doctor give it just in case. I hope people who do not get the flu shot have a change of heart after seeing what is happening. The more people vaccinated the less flu out there. Herd immunity.

So sorry that your home has been hit with this, and I sincerely hope you don't have any annoying and rude remarks on this thread, BB.

Sometimes doctors won't give tamiflu to kids - my doctor wouldn't when my son was in middle school. There is also a window of time in which they will give it - the faster you get in and get diagnosed, the more chance you can actually get tamiflu from the doctor. After that window passes, it won't work and they won't prescribe it.

Flu will kick your butt, truly. You may find that he starts to feel better in a few days and will want to get up and be active. Don't let him overdo. All of a sudden, he could crash. What he needs most is rest, liquids and food. (According to the doc when my husband caught the flu back in JUNE!) The way the doctor explained it to my husband, if you fight the flu by not resting enough, it will win.

I'd expect a full week out of school to be honest. Get some stuff from the teacher and let him work on it when he's feeling better.

Hope SO much that the rest of the family doesn't catch it.

Dawn

oh no. poor baby. if your son didn't get the flu shot he may suffer for about a week. people who have gotten the shot can still get the flu but a milder version of it. honestly, except last year, we always get the flu despite taking the vaccine. if diagnosed with flu within 48 hrs of first symptoms, doc will recommend tamiflu. we have always been diagnosed within that time frame but i refuse to get the tamiflu for my kids (age 8) because of side effects. my husband has taken the tamiflu once and he recovered quickly and was less miserable.

I stayed with my granddaughter last friday because she wasn't feeling well. Next day she went to the doc and confirmed she had the flu. The pedi said I should get tamaflu along with my daugher and her husband. It's been 5 days since I've been exposed and I not sick. I am taking tamaflu. My daughter is very sick with the flu and her husband is not sick. They are both taking it. The pedi did not recommend tamaflu for granddaughter because she is 5 yrs old.and it's been known to cause hallucinations in children. granddaughter went back to school today because no more fever but she still has a cough.

Patty, I did get the flu shot. Go to the CDC website it states FDA
approval to treat or help not getting the flu with tamiflu for the 2012-2013 flu season

It is on th epaper website that this year has seen a big increase and hospitals have to turn away patients that are not critical. I have had the shot as well as my 2 youngest. I really need to get on the ball for the other 3 and make my husband get one. A sinus cold has been bad enough. And I don't feel like playing nurse right now even though that is what I would end up doing.

we get the flu shot so we haven't had that flu but we did have the stomach flu go thru for about 3-4 days. but my 10 year old son has a super bad cold and now has an ear infection. tomorrow will be day two of missing school!!

From what I heard, a doctor will prescribe Tamiflu for the most vulnerable population (young, old, health-compromised). Also, Tamiflu is most effective if administered within 48 hours of the flu.

To those playing Russian Roulette with this year's strain, I hear it is a pretty nasty one. You might want to rethink it and get your shot.

It's all over my community. Influenza B.

My entire family got the flu shot. A huge number of people in my church got it....none of us have.

Tamiflu might shorten the duration of your illness, but you have to get in FAST to get it and get started on it or it's worthless.

Prevention beats any cure!

Hi there-

The flu is def in our area. We are in colorado and the numbers are way off the chart. My kids did get the flu shot and they said it is pretty well matched up this season. I know alot of pharmacies are running out of tamiflu as it is in back order, so hopefully there is some in your area. So sorry to hear about your little guy :(

We all got the shot so I am hoping for the best! I hope he feels better soon. I have not heard of anyone getting it around here, at least.

I had it once a decade ago and it was 2 weeks of shaking, vomiting, massive weight loss, and blue skin. I thought I was going to die. I have never, ever felt worse. That was back in the day and I didn't get a shot, and now I always do because I can't go through that again!!

6 people have already died in Chicago.

It got to my house this morning. I feel terrible. Throat is closing up. Bones ache.might call about Tamaflu tomorrow.

The flu has hit our area early this year.
My husband got his shot at work in early Oct and the rest of us got it that same week at the pharmacy.
So far we have been spared (knock on wood).
Some neighbors and some kids at school have had it and they were just miserable with it.

Where I live the annual seasonal flu shot is available to all residents free of charge from family doctors or public health nurses. It is highly recommended for seniors, young children, health care workers, people with chronic illnesses, overweight or obese people, aboriginal people, pregnant women and health care workers. We get the shot every year, and fortunately my kids have not gotten the flu.

The flu is definitely on the NY area. It seems that some, even w the flu shot, are getting it, but to a lesser degree. I have heard of some adults getting tamiflu, but not for any kids yet. I think it has to be within a certain amount of time and does come with its own set of side effects. Ped said fever free for a day and then not contagious, but Ive read so many different opinions on this. I think when recovering, they can get so run down still for a few days, so keep them out as long as possible. Yet very tough for some parents I know.

We are crossing our fingers here. It is running rampant around us. We are in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area of Texas. Both my kids and I have had our shots. But what I have heard is ALOT of people with the flu shots have gotten the flu. Tamiflu does help but also around here some of the pharmacies have been out of the Tamiflu.