Children fight H1N1 in the Tri-Cities
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H1N1 And Children
Health officials encourage parents to get their children the H1N1 vaccine.Nine year-old Frank Wadewitz has H1N1.
“I couldn’t even get down the steps when we were coming to the emergency room,“ said Wadewitz.
Frank wasn’t feeling well one day at school, he went to the doctor that afternoon and was taken to the hospital two days later with a very high temperature.
“Never dreamed two days after the diagnose that we would be here at the emergency room,“ said Edith Ann Buckles Wadewitz, mother.
Frank isn’t unique. An untold number of children in the Tri-Cities are fighting H1N1. Dr. Joe Ley is Chairman of Pediatrics for Holston Medical Group. He said they are seeing more children come in with H1N1 and the seasonal flu.
“We’ve had probably almost a doubling of volume at this time compared to this time last year,“ said Ley.
So which children are most at risk for H1N1? Dr. Ley said children from birth to 6 months of age who aren’t allowed to have the H1N1 vaccine, also children with asthma or other chronic diseases are also at a greater risk for H1N1.
Even though there is some concern over the H1N1 vaccine and complications like fevers and soreness, Dr. Ley is convinced that all children should be vaccinated.
“We’ve seen kids now that have had the vaccine and tolerated it very well. We would expect that they should do quite well just like with the regular flu shot,“ Ley said.
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This is acceptable-but you need to instruct people answering the phone in Wash Co Va how to field the calls. They are telling hysterical mothers that they have the vaccine, but it is reserved for pregnant women. If you had a high risk child, how would that make you feel??
In Mount Rogers Health District, the local health departments are offering H1N1 immunizations to patients at high risk. Initial shipments of vaccine are licensed for only certain ages which restricts who can receive vaccine. We anticipate receiving additional vaccine soon. For more information, please call
Washington County Health Department 276-676-5604 or 276-645-0947
Bristol Virginia Health Department 276-642-7335.
ldkaylynn—NO, those are not the guidelines from the CDC(anyone high risk)-The rules are being made by each health dept as they go along. Most other health depts have used their stocks for high risk children AND pregnant women,not just pregnant women. Hopefully,soon everyone needing vaccine will be able to receive it.
You’re asking the wrong person entirely. These are not my guidelines, this is the process the CDC and health departments are using to decide the greatest risk. More pregnant women have died than children with asthma to date. Whether or not I have tried to explain this to a child is irrelevant as I don’t make the rules.
And musherl, there are varying degrees of high risk, this is common sense.
ldkaylynn-how could you say pregnant women are more deserving than a small child? Sometimes a cold can kill a child with asthma or a compromised immune system. Have you ever held a child trying to breath and can’t? Have you tried to explain to this child? If a vaccine can prevent possible death of a child, how can anyone decide who is worthy to be saved and who isn’t?? Everyone deserves better than this.It gets frustrating to call Va Health Dept daily, to hear’we only have shots for pregnant women,call back tomorrow’.Maybe the virus will be gone soon and all will be safe.
I’ve alerted the proper authorities over five years now and there are none. Flu isn’t the big picture problem here, MRSA is and soon MRSA will be old news as we begin to hear more about VRE. For more info just copy/paste my link and see where these deadly infections are coming from, it may surprise you and it’s in your back yard.
http://www.wisecountyissues.com/?p=62
I’ve asked the proper authorities over and over how many more children and innocent people have to die before we address filthy health care facilities and it’s impact on our communities. Last Sunday Congressman Rick Boucher told me in person he would study diligently my concern. Can’t wait to hear back from him on that. Probably will just give more excuses and concern for the survivability of the profit machine than the patient !
Pregnant women AND children with chronic diseases are supposed to BOTH be HIGH RISK and first in line.. I guess the Washington Co., Va health dept makes their own rules. Someone needs to alert the proper authorities about them withholding vaccine from pediatric asthma patients.
We need to be looking out for kids with a flu bug and MRSA as it’s a lethal combination.
http://wisecountyissues.com/?p=94
The CDC predicts that 1 in 3 pregnant women who contract H1N1 will die. They are weighing who is highest at risk. Asthma is a complication but children with it are not considered a higher risk than a pregnant woman who is already immunocompromised and has a decreased lung function on top of that. Their body is also supporting an additional life. This should have been nipped in the butt to begin with and enough vaccines SHOULD have been produced so that this decision wouldn’t have to be made. This shortage is just ridiculous.
I have also seen that the Dr.family have had the vaccine when it is not available for anyone else. To a point, you can understand this. The Dr. doesn’t want to take this crud home to Jr. What burns me is the Washington Co Va. Health Dept( don’t know about the rest) will tell you they have some vaccine—it is reserved ONLY for pregnant women.I have tried since the shots came here to vaccinate my high risk child(asthma) to be told daily"what we get is reserved for pregnant women”.Try explaining this to a sick child. Stinks to me. All children should be protected first!!!!
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