I’ve finally made my peace with the H1N1 vaccine and decided to get the shots for our family. For what it’s worth, this Wired.com article helped me decide to do it.
But I have another question for you. I heard a passing reference in the media the other day (note to self, must get over addiction to media!) to the fact that this may be one of the least-busy Halloweens in decades. I was surprised, considering it’s on a Saturday night and all, but even more surprised by the reason for the speculation. First, they said economic concerns may put a damper on trick-or-treating. Hmmm, okay, not so much for us, but then we’ve been relatively unscathed by the recession. The other thing, though, was fears stemming from H1N1.
My first reaction was to scoff. For goodness sake, is there no end to the chicken-little-esque panic over this damn flu? But, the idea keeps rattling around in my brain. Hmmmm. Do they have a point? Should I give all the little candy wrappers a swipe with a Lysol wipe before the kids dig in? Am I really going to buy that far into the hype?
What do you think? Have we gone too far, or do you think this is a valid concern?
I suppose if you are worried you could swipe the wrappers on the candies the kids are eating right away and then quarantine all the candy for 48 hours. Or use your own hands to unwrap and dump the candy into a bowl, then wash your hands. (So the kids don’t handle the wrappers and then touch their mouths.) Or give the kids a few pieces from your own stash during the quarantine.
I don’t think I’ll do any of this, though. I’ll be busy dealing with the angst of “I can’t have caramel because of my braces.”
Not doing that.
And will take my boy out trick or treating.
enough said.
Wired has been writing some excellent articles on the H1N1..
We’re getting them, as we can. I never get the seasonal flu, but since no one would have built any kind of immunity up to this newer version, and the fatalities are in young ones (not to mention hospitalizations) we’re getting this one.
Still going trick or treating, but as per usual, the legion of paranoid parents will either keep theirs indoors or go to the “rich neighborhoods” like they do every other year. Which is fine by me, cause it leaves us more candy. 😀 Frankly, in terms of people touching things, I worry more about bathrooms, public transit and other people’s mothers who can’t manage to cough or sneeze into their elbows.
I think worrying about the trick-or-treating is taking it too far. In fact, I think the whole panic is a bit much. We don’t panic about the seasonal flu every year, which might be less contagious but is also more deadly. So why the panic?
I am considering getting vaccinated, and getting my kids vaccinated, but I am not going to change my lifestyle. It’s just the flu, and we are generally healthy people. No need to panic, I say.
I certainly haven’t heard that… and I am pretty sure The Boy would be scandalized and never speak to me again if I even entertained the idea of canceling Halloweem. (Thanks for the link.)
I am on with Amber. It’s just a flu, another flu. Will take out my son. Too much fun !
(captcha : irritate)
That’s a bit much. You can be sure that the boy will be out in full ‘Luigi’ glory, trick or treat-ing to his hearts content 🙂 I mean really! His hands are in worse places on the school bus, etc.
Goodness, captcha: necrosis… maybe someone is trying to tell me something?!
I think worrying over H1N1 being passed by Halloween candy is a bit far fetched. If people are that worried, then maybe they should just hole up in a bunker until next summer.
Jake will be out for his last year of trick or treating, costume and all. If we don’t have that many kids this year, that’s okay with me. More candy for me!
I don’t think I am going to worry about that one. The chances of getting the virus that way are so slim.
You’re right…this is not just any other flu. Its symptoms do range a lot, but for some it can be devastating.
That said, when it comes to Halloween, I don’t think H1N1 will be a concern. None of the moms I know have even raised the notion of keeping their kids at home due to H1N1. Just generally, though, we seem to have less and less kids coming to our door with each passing year. Our own kids only go to about a dozen houses, tops. They get too excited about coming home to see what they’ve got to go to more houses than that.
Remember when life was simple?
Friends, one of the comments from this thread have been removed at the request of the person who left it, and a few of the subsequent comments slightly edited. I hope you understand. Thank you, as always for your understanding.
Well, it never occurred to me to be worried about Halloween candy but I will admit to thinking about H1N1 a lot more than I thought I would when I am out and about with the kids. At the library, or Tim Horton’s, or a public washroom . . . I’m always wondering if every touch is that much closer to us contracting it. Normally I am not a paranoid mom – at all – but my daughter became very, very ill last winter with the flu and was quickly sent to the hospital with pneumonia (all five of us had it, but she certainly had it the worst). It was scary and I can’t shake the fear of all of us getting that sick again this season. I am leaning towards getting the vaccine now, whereas two weeks ago I was dead set against it.
WTF? Man, I hadn’t heard of this one. Yet another worry to add to the list. But it certainly won’t stop the kids from trick or treatin — it’s a Canadian child’s right, isn’t it! (We missed it last year in Australia.)
I also did a post on H1N1 on my blog. The whole thing is very confusing and anxiety-ridden. Please make it go away.