Editor’s note:
The Reporter asked area moms if they plan to get the H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine for their children. The following are some of their responses.

Lots of kid contact

As the Agricultural Ambassador of Fond du Lac County, Brenda Gudex is in contact with hundreds of school children — and their germs — on any given day. This is a concern for the young mother who has a 5-month-old infant at home.

“I hope to get vaccinated soon because of the age of my young daughter,” Gudex said. “If she were old enough, I would have her vaccinated as well. In the meantime we use a lot more hand sanitizer and use proper hand-washing techniques.”

Although Gudex feels that the flu hasn’t reached pandemic level, she is concerned with news of vaccine shortages and reports of deaths from the flu.

“I don’t think there’s enough emphasis on this strain until it hits our area. What’s going to happen when
schools and businesses start closing?” Gudex asked. “I really don’t think people are prepared.”

High risk

The shortage of influenza vaccine has Becky Towne on edge. The Lamartine mother of three is especially anxious for her 6-year-old son who has asthma and is deemed at higher risk to develop complications from the flu.

“We’re on a waiting list right now,” Towne said regarding receipt of the vaccine. “In the meantime, I try to sanitize everything, including the shopping carts I use, and I am giving my kids vitamins every day.”

While constant reports of the spread of H1N1 and accompanying deaths fill the media every day, Towne thinks it’s necessary.

“It scares a lot of people, but I think it’s important to be informed and educated about H1N1,” Towne said.

‘Natural’ immunity

When health officials begin to dole out school-based vaccinations, Christine Ewerdt’s sons won’t be standing in line.

“Swine flu is everywhere. My 10- and 11-year-old sons have already been exposed to it,” Ewerdt said. “Vaccinating the children in December is a joke. By then my children will most likely have already had the swine flu themselves.”

Ewerdt said she would rather have her children build up a natural immunity to disease by fighting it off themselves.

“We live in a world where we inoculate our children for everything. I don’t feel that our children are developing the antibodies they need to fight off illnesses,” the Waupun mom said.

Ewerdt said the vaccine shortage, in her opinion, is another example of government dropping the ball for citizens.

“I’m not concerned by the shortage, nor am I surprised by it,” Ewerdt said. “I’ve yet to see flu season approach and see the government actually supply enough of any vaccine.”

Children’s Museum reacts

Andrea Welsch is always surrounded by kids — and the potential for illness. She not only has four children of her own ranging from 2 to 11 years old, she also serves as executive director of the Fond du Lac Children’s Museum.

Welsch said her family has always practiced hand washing but, in light of H1N1’s effect on children, she has her little tykes visiting the sink more often. Hand sanitizer works too, but it burns on dry skin.

“I’d go for soap and water before I’d go with sanitizer,” she said.

She said her kids have had a couple of colds but no one has contracted the flu or H1N1.

At work, Welsch and the volunteers try to ensure the flu doesn’t infect other children or go home with the adults. The museum once offered bottles of hand sanitizer but demand has spiked so much that staff had to install an industrial-size dispenser. Anything that touches a child’s mouth immediately goes into a wash bin, and all toys are cleaned daily with hospital-grade products.

Education has proved to be one of the most important components, she said.

“It’s still a safe place to play,” Welsch said. “But if your child is sick, please keep them home.”

Pediatrician caught virus

Amy Emmer-Sheldon, a pediatrician with Aurora Health Care in Fond du Lac, sees H1N1 several times daily. It came as no surprise to her when she caught it.

As a health-care provider, she was fortunate enough to receive the H1N1 vaccine. She and her two children, ages 2 and 5, also received the mist for regular flu.

Five days after having the H1N1 vaccine, Emmer-Sheldon said she developed a headache and muscle aches. A fever began that evening and a cough persisted days later.

“Usually it hits you like a ton of bricks,” she said.

Both children fell ill within a few days, developing fevers and coughs, she said. Her husband, who didn’t have a flu shot, dodged the bullet.

Emmer-Sheldon said she tested positive for H1N1, and she’s certain her children had it since their symptoms mirrored hers and followed so quickly after she showed signs.

Like other moms, she said she kisses her children, handles their food and tucks them into bed. Preventing the kids from catching H1N1 would have been a monumental task.

Surprisingly, everyone had manageable symptoms and recovered relatively quickly. Emmer-Sheldon said she missed only one day of work and had symptoms for less than one week. Her children ran fevers of 102 maximum and they were up playing in a couple days.

Their illness seemed less severe than those she typically encounters at work. She said she frequently treats children with fevers of 105 degrees, and many little ones are beyond miserable with the aches and pains wrought by such high fevers.

She said she didn’t develop H1N1 from the vaccine, but did wonder if it helped her fight the disease.

Unfortunately, for those hit with worse cases of H1N1, few things offer comfort. She said doctors have a very limited amount of Tamiflu, which must be reserved for only the worst cases. Tamiflu also only works within the first 48 hours of symptoms, so it wouldn’t help those who’ve been sick for three days or longer.

Tylenol and Ibuprofen are the best bet for relief, she said. They reduce fevers, which cause the bulk of discomfort.

Old-fashioned wellness

Good old-fashioned wellness tips have kept Julie Garrison and her family healthy this fall. The Fond du Lac woman has three children, ages 6, 10 and 12, and, despite “their classmates dropping like flies (from H1N1),” everyone is still illness-free.

Garrison said her family takes vitamins, including vitamins C and D, to combat the flu. They don’t get flu shots but instead rely on a healthy diet and thorough hygiene to beat back germs. As soon as the kids arrive home, they head straight to the sink.

“We’re big on the preventative — getting lots of sleep, eating lots of fruits and vegetables and drinking a lot of water,” she said. “I don’t remember the last time we had a cold.”