Swine Flu vaccine

The boys got their first flu vaccine last week. We go back for another shot later in October. Looks like they may also get the swine vaccine since it has been FDA approved. I am already hearing of confirmed cases of swine flu around Houston. It will be a bad season and I am not wanting to risk having the boys get sick so I am insisting that Rod and Tang get a flu shot.

I had sent our au pair coordinator and email asking about their policy on this and I was told that they do not require their au pairs to get shots. This surprised me because au pairs are around children. Caring for kids is what they do. How can an agency not take precautions and require them to get shots or at least provide means for au pairs to get them at discounted rates? That is a failure on their part.

Two of Tang's au pair friends were sick last week, not from swine, thankfully. But in a house full of kids, sickness spreads like wildfire. There are places like CVS and Walgreens that are providing shots for around $25 so we will take her to one of those locations. Luckily, my company provides vouchers for their employees and family to get shots. Rod will get his first flu shot ever. I say you just need to do it. Suck it up.

Not wanting to be around lots of people has put a damper on some of our plans this season. There was a rice festival and some play dates that I want to take the kids to but I am concerned about their exposure. I know I am being overly protective and probably not helping their immune system to develop but that's the way it's gonna be this year. I can let them play in dirty sandboxes, eat dirt and roll around in used Kleenex to toughen them up when they are older.