With all the commotion over the H1N1 virus lately, I had to make up my mind quickly on whether or not I was going to vaccinate my special needs son, and his sisters. Frankly, the decision scared me a bit. I've never been one to rush into things without being educated. However, it is hard to educate yourself when there is SO much information online- much of it not valid. And with so many people having such strong opinions, I felt very torn between the two opposing sides. I had never even gotten myself or any of my children the regular flu shot, so to rush into this vaccination made me uneasy.

My 9 year old has Angelman Syndrome (AS). Many children with AS have respiratory issues when they get sick with colds & flus, and my son is no exception.  With him, and his younger sisters (ages 7 and 3), a simple cold settles right into their chest and has led to hospitalizations. They've never been bad enough that I've feared they wouldn't pull through- they just needed some extra oxygen and a little more care, but nonetheless, it is a concern every time I hear that first sniffle, that one of the kids will need to go to the ER at 3am.
 
Through the online AS community, I've learned about several children with Angelman Syndrome losing their fight with the H1N1 virus.  Every time I read it, the fear sets in, and the sadness for their family. I weep, because I can't imagine a life without my son, and my heart aches for them.  It has confirmed to me that I made the right choice for our family. We were fortunate enough to get one of the first offering of vaccines in our area. We had to wait 3 hours at my son's school, but all 3 of my children and I got the vaccine. Unfortunately, they quickly ran out of vaccines.  (In the next few days to come, priority groups were assigned to make sure those who needed it the most, received it). Yes, we indeed were very fortunate.

I'm still a little unsure about the vaccine. But, my options were to get it, or not to get it. If I didn't get the vaccine for the kids- if I didn't heed the doctors' warnings- and something happened, I would never forgive myself. By getting the kids vaccinated, I can "blame" the medical community if there are any long term affects. I did my research- the children's hospital and neurology department recommended my son get it. And I've made peace with my decision...