Swine Flu Parties: One shin-dig to ignore?
November 10, 2009 by Administrator
Filed under Health & Wellbeing
By: Barbara Carter.
Recently, a new trend has emerged. One, quite frankly, that worries me. It’s called the “swine flu party” and it seems to be catching on. The premise behind it is that if a child has the H1N1 flu, they are to expose other children to it so that their immune systems can develop a resistance to it. It was modeled after the Chicken Pox Party, where you expose children at a young age to the virus so it strengthens their immunity against it should they contract the disease again.
However, this isn’t the common cold or the flu. The H1N1 virus has caused hundreds of deaths in children and even more hospitalizations. There is no scientific proof that backs the claim of exposing your child to the H1N1 virus will build up their immunity to it. Even the CDC advises against letting your child attend one of these parties.
So what should you do for your little girl? My answer would be to do your research. This isn’t the typical seasonal flu, which in itself also kills hundreds of people yearly. This is a new strain of influenza, one that is currently a pandemic. While there is a vaccine, it is relatively new and experts are still watching and weighing its effectiveness.
The best thing to do is to protect your girls. Teach them effective hand washing. Use hand sanitizers sparingly (it is being documented that the overuse of hand sanitizers are causing viruses and bacteria to develop an immunity to them). Cover their mouth and nose when they sneeze, and keep them home if they have a fever, and for twenty-four hours after the fever has broke.
It’s our job to do what’s best for our little princesses. If you happen to get an invitation to a “swine flu party” it is my advice to trash such invitation immediately. There are enough people suffering from this illness, and there is no proof that exposure will lead to a stronger immunity system. The choice is yours, but this is one party I would not RSVP to.
Resources:
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I will have to decline a swine flu party for my children. Never heard of such a thing- a bit scary if you ask me. My girls just got their flu shots. Waiting to get H1N1. I need to get vaccinated soon as well. Want to protect everyone and get vaccinated before our little boy comes in 6 weeks. I hope all of your princesses are well!
Jen
Creative and Curious Kids!