An F-bomb was dropped in our house last month. No, not that one. I’m talking about the dreaded FLU.
Growing up, I only remember thinking that the flu was no fun. As a parent, the flu is downright fearful. What if I get it and can’t take care of my girls? And worse, what if they get it? I’ve seen the conversations in the various mommy groups I belong to on Facebook; moms are scared. Every visit to a public place is wrought with fear of germs. My throat feels scratchy just thinking about grocery carts.
It feels like this flu season has been particularly scary. According to recent reports, the flu is killing up to 4,000 Americans a week. That is staggering. My news feed has been filled with stories about the flu, and it makes me want to stay home and hibernate until the coast is clear.
Despite our entire family getting flu shots at the beginning of the season, Zack was diagnosed with Influenza B a few weeks ago. This kind of thing can happen, even when vaccinated, because of the many different types of flu viruses. After we got the news, he barricaded himself in the basement and the girls and I kept away as much as possible. Thankfully — knock on wood — the girls and I escaped relatively unscathed and Zack was back on his feet a few days later.
Children under the age of five are among those who have a higher risk of developing serious flu complications, which is one of the reasons why making sure the girls both got the flu vaccine this season was very important to me. I can’t imagine how I might have felt about Zack having the flu if Margot was too young to get the vaccine this year.
Whether we’re out in the world or in our very own home, I try to do all that I can to protect our girls. That can mean anything from outlet covers and cabinet door locks to uttering the sentence “please don’t jump on that” about 20 times a day.
That protection also happened even before they were born. With a January and a March birthday, the girls were going to be born smack in the middle of flu season. Zack and I, along with our parents, got flu shots. We made sure we were up to date on the DTaP vaccine.
It sounds silly and naive, but it wasn’t until I was about to become a parent that I realized how important it was for me to be vaccinated, too — not just for myself, but to help protect my baby. And once I realized that fact, I became instantly aware of how my actions or inactions could also impact the health of others around me, outside of my family circle.
Becoming a mom helped me realize how much I still needed to learn.
Now, as a parent, I ask a lot of questions. But let’s be real, 90% of those questions have been in a Google search or mommy group post in the middle of the night when I’m up with one of the girls. Sometimes that is a good way to get an answer, but when it comes to vaccines, there is a lot of emotion, confusion, and misinformation online.
That is why I’m thankful for a resource like I Vaccinate, which provides information and tools for Michigan parents. The information is based on actual medical science and research, and the program has support of local and national groups, like the CDC. Have questions about things like vaccination schedules, the flu shot, and the importance of community immunity? I Vaccinate has an in-depth FAQ page that answers these questions and more.
Now that Stella is older, we have needed to explain why she sometimes needs to get a shot when we go to the doctor. I empathize with her worry; I remember the anxiety of getting a finger prick at the doctor’s office, let alone a shot. But so far, all we’ve needed to say is that she needs to get shots to keep herself healthy, just like brushing her teeth, getting a good night’s rest, and eating good foods.
Lately, the latter has been a battle, but there will come a day when she wants to eat something other than peanut butter sandwiches, right? Right?
There are certainly things I won’t be able to protect my girls from. If they’re anything like their clumsy mama, their knees will be scraped, their toes will be stubbed, and their fingers will be sliced on pieces of paper countless times.
These girls are my heart, and there are important things within my power and control that can help protect them. That is why I vaccinate.
