liar liar pants on fire!

So at my last early childhood clinic my midwife casually asked if Katelyn and I had been vaccinated for swine flu yet. I scoffed (inwardly) and said that I don't like the idea of something that hasn't been around long enough to be proven safe, and besides, I ALWAYS get sick from the regular flu vac. I also stated that surely Katelyn has enough going on in her little body with the usual vaccines and I didn't think that it was desined for babies! She said "Piffle!" and "its just a shot you won't even notice it so off you go."

ANYWAY after a few more stories about us dying from Swine flu in the upcoming winter and blah blah blah, I went to the surgery and tried to book us in to get it done.

First dubious moment: The receptionist confirms that the vaccine is just for me hey? When I say no for both of us, she tries to conceal a concerned look and hands over some disclaimer forms and an information sheet.

DISCLAIMER FORMS??? HELLO?

Dubious moments 2, 3 4 and 5 come from the info sheet....not for people allergic to eggs, swelling and irritation at the site of the needle, links to some disease that I have never heard of but apparently getting that is better than getting swine flu (WHAT??!?!?!) and this gorgeous HAPPY little girl playing on my lap giggling and the other kids in the room.

Right so in we go to the nurses station. She asks me if I am sure I want to vaccinate my 7 month old baby. Hang on. I thought that was what I was MEANT to do. So she says that she doesn't want to sway me one way or another, that is it my choice and they have done a FEW babies but not many, and "THEY" recommend that anyone over the age of 6 months should be vaccinated.

Well....isn't that a diplomatic way of quietly screaming "DON'T DO IT!!"

I asked who "THEY" were, only to be told that "THEY" are the government. Right, so not doctors then.

I asked for a personal opinion, but as you can guess they won't give me one. Then suddenly, here it came, MASSIVE WARNING BELLS, "you may have to hang around for half an hour afterwards to make sure she doesn't go into anaphalactic (sp?) shock."

EXCUUUUUUUUUUUUSE ME? You can step away from my precious child with that poison thank you very much!

Anyway, I was here now and I had just wasted 30 mins of these ladies time trying to get them to TELL ME, that it wasn't a good idea, and that the under 10's vaccine has only been out for a month with a few incidents that are somehow kept out of the papers and the public ear! So I figured I had better let them jab me, and that Katelyn would get her antibodies from me, even though we are so isolated the chances of contracting the piggy flu are very slim, but it was too late.

An hour later walking around town my arm tingled and I went to feel it. It felt a big tingly and numb, so I looked over and saw this THING attached to my arm, I just about swatted it of when I realised that it WAS my arm! Just a huge big swelling protruding from where she had stuck me with the needle. I headed straight for the pharmacy and got to a chair just in time before I felt like I was going to black out. I instantly had a massive migraine and felt ROUGH!
My friendly chemist Amal (I think..I may have been calling him the wrong name) said that I was about to get really ill over the next few weeks as, of course, I had been injected with a virus. Duh! Well why won't they admit that at the surgery instead of telling me not to be a baby and I'll be fine and that its all in my head or a coincidence when I get sick from the usual vaccine! SO now I sit and wait to be hit by a lovely bout of internal swine flu. Yippee! Fingers crossed my reaction yesterday was all I will get but Amal was almost positive he'd being seeing me in 7 days time to prescribe some lovely dugs for me. At least the upside is we have a caring chemist and don't have to pay 58 dollars to go see a doctor to be told we have a cold!

Anyway I have rambled on enough, I just needed to vent, so thank you for your ears (or eyes) and THANKGOODNESS I didn't poison my baby with this ridiculous "Vaccination"

ps..please excuse my shocking spelling, my fingers move too fast for my brain!