# If Your Sending Your Kid To College



## WACOUGAR (Dec 20, 2006)

This is just a heads up to anyone who is getting ready to send their kid off to college either for the first time or they are heading back this year. Learn from us as our daughter is one of the few who headed off to college a couple of weeks ago. Most will be heading off shortly. As the headlines say, flu is running rampant on the college campuses. She was hit with it over this past weekend. She goes to Washington State University. They have had a few confirmed cases of Swine Flu, but most of the flu cases have been just regular flu. Fortunately, the health center has been on top of this and has sent out a great questionairre/survey to all the dorms and frats and sorority houses so if you have any symptoms you just go from one question to the next to see how bad you are and then if necessary call the health center for further evaluation and testing. My daughter called and through listening to her symptoms, they were sure it was garden variety flu, but she ended up quarantined in her dorm room for about 3 days until she finally felt better.

My intention was to have her go to the health center for a flu shot, but I didn't think she would end up with the flu in August!!! Anyway, she will be going down there in the next week or so once she is 100% and get the shot so this doesn't happen again. The close living quarters and with the flu going around the way it is this year, it is just asking for an epidemic on college campuses.

Be sure your kid has a flu shot BEFORE going to school. Just a heads up!!

Kelly


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## SoCalOutback (Dec 18, 2005)

Read this before getting the swine flu shot.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12...hs-America.html


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

the stomach flu has hit here. My daughter had sister in law stay a couple weeks ago and the SIL and the SIL son had it during the night. The next morning they and my sister and niece had yard sale there. My sister and niece got it a few days later and it's a rough one. My daughter or grandaughter did not get it.

The respiratory/head cold is here too, I had it for 3 weeks, my Grandaughter had it and now my daughter has it very bad in her lungs, she is asthmatic and gets pneumonia very easy.


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## WACOUGAR (Dec 20, 2006)

SoCalOutback said:


> Read this before getting the swine flu shot.
> 
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12...hs-America.html


I'm just talking about a basic flu shot, not the swine flu shot. By the way, the few cases of "swine flu" that they have had at WSU have been very mild and nothing to worry about. The only concerns are if someone has a chronic condition on top of it like Asthma or Diabetes or other issues. I don't think people should be getting all worked up over swine flu, but I do think caution from parents and getting a flu shot for your kids who will be living in close quarters with flu really going around. My daughter never gets sick ( I have seen her really sick about 3 times in 18 years) and she gets this within 2 weeks of living on campus.

Also send them with plenty of Purell because you forget that for most of them to wash their hands after sneezing or whatever required going down the hall to the bathroom. By then they have spread germs everywhere. A pump of Purell in their room is great!!


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

SoCalOutback said:


> Read this before getting the swine flu shot.
> 
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12...hs-America.html


Just great. That is the place to go for all the news. I think if you look to the right of the article and see what else is written by this fine publisher you will see that the information about the vaccine is nothing more then hysteria reporting.


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## 5th Time Around (Jul 8, 2008)

The regular flu vaccine is currently being shipped to doctors. We recieved a partial shipment of our order all ready and have given 100 shots in the last week. The side effects are minimal. We have seen one adverse reaction out of 100. Here in Florida we have alot of cases of swine flu. My kids pediatricians office is seeing at least 2 confirmed a week. The health department doesn't want to test anymore because it is so common.

The best piece of advice to keep this from spreading is "if you have a fever - stay away from everyone" until the fever breaks. By the time a case is confirmed the person has already contaminated friends, family, and the doctors office and their staff!

It is your decision wether you believe in vaccination or not.


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## Camping Fan (Dec 18, 2005)

Also, please make sure your kids have received the meningococcal meningitis vaccine (Menactra). This protects against a particularly dangerous form of meningitis that is easily spread among college students living in dorms or other group housing settings.


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## Kenstand (Mar 25, 2004)

I was at the doctor today and ask about getting the flu shot now. At his office they follow CDC guidelines and don't give the shots until mid-October. He said the ideal time to get the shot is mid-October to mid-November. He mentioned the protection from the shot is good for 4 - 6 months and that getting the shot now allows the protection to end too early which causes a rise in flu cases in the spring.

My daughter heads off to college next week and I was hoping to get her a flu shot now too.


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## 5th Time Around (Jul 8, 2008)

Depends on what part of the country you are in also. We are warm all winter and we see flu starting early.


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## SoCalOutback (Dec 18, 2005)

CamperAndy said:


> Read this before getting the swine flu shot.
> 
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12...hs-America.html


Just great. That is the place to go for all the news. I think if you look to the right of the article and see what else is written by this fine publisher you will see that the information about the vaccine is nothing more then hysteria reporting.
[/quote]

Agreed that dailymail is not the greatest publisher but that does not negate that fact that the British government has warned doctors of a potential higher risk of contracting Guillain-Barre Syndrome associated with the swine flu vaccine. Also note that in 1976 more people died from the vaccine then they did of the flu.

Here is good assessment of some of what happened in 1976:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-0...-flu-1976_N.htm


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

SoCalOutback said:


> Read this before getting the swine flu shot.
> 
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12...hs-America.html


Just great. That is the place to go for all the news. I think if you look to the right of the article and see what else is written by this fine publisher you will see that the information about the vaccine is nothing more then hysteria reporting.
[/quote]

Agreed that dailymail is not the greatest publisher but that does not negate that fact that the British government has warned doctors of a potential higher risk of contracting Guillain-Barre Syndrome associated with the swine flu vaccine. Also note that in 1976 more people died from the vaccine then they did of the flu.

Here is good assessment of some of what happened in 1976:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-0...-flu-1976_N.htm
[/quote]

Get 40,0000,000 people to walk the length of a football field and you will have more drop dead then died from swine flu in 1976 but we should not stop walking. How many that had the vaccine didn't die from the flu because they had the shot? Life is a tough call but for me when the shot is available I will get it since I travel a lot and have now reached the age when the typical (not just swine) flu kills.


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## WACOUGAR (Dec 20, 2006)

Kenstand said:


> I was at the doctor today and ask about getting the flu shot now. At his office they follow CDC guidelines and don't give the shots until mid-October. He said the ideal time to get the shot is mid-October to mid-November. He mentioned the protection from the shot is good for 4 - 6 months and that getting the shot now allows the protection to end too early which causes a rise in flu cases in the spring.
> 
> My daughter heads off to college next week and I was hoping to get her a flu shot now too.


If your daughter is heading off now, then 4-6 months of protection would be great starting now. I would still consider it. Like I said, my daughter just got to school a couple of weeks ago and came down with the flu. It is really running strong on the campuses ( and I am just talking regular flu as well as mild cases of swine). When they live in such close quarters, I sure would suggest it. You might consider calling the health center at her college to see if they have a recommendation.


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## Camping Fan (Dec 18, 2005)

SoCalOutback said:


> Read this before getting the swine flu shot.
> 
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12...hs-America.html


Just great. That is the place to go for all the news. I think if you look to the right of the article and see what else is written by this fine publisher you will see that the information about the vaccine is nothing more then hysteria reporting.
[/quote]

Agreed that dailymail is not the greatest publisher but that does not negate that fact that the British government has warned doctors of a potential higher risk of contracting Guillain-Barre Syndrome associated with the swine flu vaccine. Also note that in 1976 more people died from the vaccine then they did of the flu.

Here is good assessment of some of what happened in 1976:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-0...-flu-1976_N.htm
[/quote]

As the USA Today article mentions, lessons were learned from the 1976 Swine Flu vaccine, and the approach this time is different - testing the H1N1 vaccine for safety and effectiveness BEFORE releasing it for use, rather than rushing it out as was done in 1976. Here's a link to the CDC web page about the H1N1 vaccine, lots of good info to be found through the links on the left side of the page also. CDC H1N1 information


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## BigBadBrain (Aug 26, 2004)

The intent of the original post is a good one. However, you can only do so much. When my daughter launched off to college (3 years ago) the President of the U gave an address to the parents. He started it out like this:

"I know it will be hard on both you and your student but it is best if you let them stay at school for the first six weeks without returning home. It helps them aclimate to their new home and reduces the impact of homesickness. Oh, and when they DO come home, they will be sick with something, almost without fail."

With those encouraging words we left our oldest kid and went home and started wringing our hands. Six weeks later our kid came home - sick - and couldn't wait to get back to school.

Sick is part of school. Try to minimize it but you can only do so much.

BBB


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Current information on the topic.

Swine flu deaths in the USA


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Another update.

Swine flu deaths

So how many die before the odds of the flu getting you or a rare brain disease getting you from a vaccine, that you would choose the vaccine?


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## mmblantz (Jul 1, 2007)

My oldest daughter and her cousin were born on the same day. They later got their MMR shot for school at the same time. Her cousin was the one in a million that developed a rare brain disorder and was dead in a few months afew days after her 6th birthday. We still get all of our shots for our kids even though our family was struck hard and will never be the same. Get your shots. The benefits far outweigh the risks. ---Mike


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## WACOUGAR (Dec 20, 2006)

mmblantz said:


> My oldest daughter and her cousin were born on the same day. They later got their MMR shot for school at the same time. Her cousin was the one in a million that developed a rare brain disorder and was dead in a few months afew days after her 6th birthday. We still get all of our shots for our kids even though our family was struck hard and will never be the same. Get your shots. The benefits far outweigh the risks. ---Mike


Thanks for your reply. Right now they are saying that there are 2000 cases of the flu that have hit the WSU campus. It can't hurt to have the flu shot. It is just going around hard this year. I am done talking about it now. I just don't want other kids to have it in there first week on campus if it can be avoided.


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## JerseyGirl86 (Mar 30, 2009)

I have always been the type who completely panics when any type of flu makes the news. I remember crying at the pediatrician's when he told me he couldn't get the flu shot that year. We had a family dr. who was like an uncle to us and he gave my kids the shot and didn't even charge us. I was so grateful for the peace of mind he gave me that I never let a time go by that I didn't thank him.

We all take a risk by giving our kids vaccines but the chances of them getting the disease are so much greater. My oldest had gotten pnuemonia and the flu 3 years in a row and was so sick that I worried myself to death over something happening to him. All 3 of my kids have gotten flu shots ever since and haven't had anything more than a cold or maybe 24 hour virus. A big weight is lifted off my shoulders every year they get the flu vaccine.

Swine flu shot? I need a little more proof of its safety, but I believe it will become mandatory for children in so many years.


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