When I was approached by Mom Central Canada to participate in a blog tour promoting the H1N1 information provided by the Ontario Ministry of Health, I was more than happy to sign on.* As Mom Central noted in their original pitch to me, “The Ontario Ministry of Health is the reliable source for up-to-date information about the H1N1 vaccine in our province. By sharing their useful links and tips we can help ensure that Moms have access to the information they need this flu season.”
It’s been a little over three weeks since we all received our H1N1 vaccines. Tomorrow, if all goes according to plan, I’ll be taking Lucas for his booster shot. (If you didn’t catch the news, the booster shot is now only required for babies aged six months to three years old.) Considering how much I dithered and agonized over getting the shot in the first place, I am so glad and so relieved that I did. I’m no longer flinching over touching surfaces with my bare hands, and walked rather confidently through the office the first day of my new job this week, shaking hands with dozens of strangers as I went. I’m not sure I could have comfortably done that just a month ago.
If you’re considering getting the shot for yourself or your family (and the government just announced this week that the general population is now welcome to receive the vaccine) the Ministry of Health has provided a list of vaccination clinics throughout Ontario. If you’re here in Ottawa, you can visit the City of Ottawa’s H1N1 sub-site for local site information.
The other reason I decided to participate in this blog tour is because I think the information organized on the Ministry of Health’s web site is pretty useful, and well-organized. For example, there is an interactive self-assessment tool that will walk you through the various signs and symptoms of flu, and whether you should treat your child’s (or your own) illness at home or visit a flu assessment centre.
I have to admit, I’m feeling a lot less panicked by the H1N1 flu than I was about a month ago. I’m not sure if that’s because I feel that the family is reasonably well-protected because of the vaccine, or because the media hype is dying down. But I have a colleague whose 17-year-old son just this week became very ill with H1N1, so it’s not yet time to declare the battle over this virus over.
If your child is sick, here are some guidelines to follow from the Ontario Ministry of Health:
What to Do When Your Child is Sick with Influenza
1. Treat your child’s fever* Take off heavy clothing and blankets.
* Dress the child in lightweight clothing and keep the room temperature at 20°C (68°F).
* Give acetaminophen or ibuprofen for fever and muscle pain in the dose recommended on the package (unless your doctor says otherwise).Note : Do NOT give acetylsalicylic acid (ASA or Aspirin®), or any cold medicine that has ASA, to children or teenagers under the age of 18.
2. Treat your child’s other flu symptoms
* Encourage your child to get plenty of rest.
* Use salt-water nose drops to treat a stuffy nose.
* Ask your pharmacist about any over-the-counter medicines for cough.
3. Protect others from flu* Keep your child at home until his/her fever has been absent for at least 24 hours and he or she is feeling well enough to resume normal activities. It’s important for your child to stay home if there’s fever so that the virus doesn’t spread to other children.
* Your child can return to school 24 hours after the fever has resolved and he/she is feeling well enough to get back to normal activities.When should you seek medical care for your child?
Use Ontario’s influenza assessment tool to see whether your child needs medical care.
Call Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000 or your health care provider if your child is under age 5 and develops flu symptoms. The risk of complications from flu is higher for children under age 2.
*Disclosure: I will be compensated for participating in this blog tour with some sort of “Fight the Flu” kit containing items to help keep the house germ free, and will be entered into a draw to win an Acer Notebook computer. The remuneration was secondary to my decision to participate, though, because I think there is a huge amount of conflicting information out there and I am happy to provide a link to the Ontario Ministry of Health for what I believe to be extremely reliable and reputable information.
The website http://www.fightflu.ca is also very informative.
Can we still be friends even if I didn’t get my family the shot? *wink*
Of course, Amy! Just maybe not in person until after flu season! *wink*
Seriously, I truly believe it is up to each family to decide what is right for them and I would never begrudge someone their right to choose one option or the other.
Thanks for this info, Dani. What wonderful public service work you are doing via your blog.