Choosing not to vaccinate isn't worth risk, mom of H1N1 patient says

Jacob, an active, otherwise healthy 10-year-old from Mesquite, was enjoying the State Fair of Texas on a Saturday in late September when he began to feel sick to his stomach (which, lets face it, is probably not an uncommon feeling for many patrons of the State Fair's eclectic food offerings).

But by Sunday he was violently ill; vomiting, feverish and weak. After being admitted to a local community hospital early on Sunday, he was transferred to Children's with a diagnosis of H1N1 flu.

What started as a stomach ache quickly became very serious. By the end of the day Jacob had gone into cardiac arrest and had to be started on ECMO — a complex process that removed Jake's blood from his body, oxygenated it, then put it back in. This completely bypassed his heart and lungs, allowed his body to heal while keeping him alive.

Jacob's mom said, "He's been sick before but never, ever this sick."

For most, the symptoms of the H1N1 flu are no worse than a mild form of the seasonal flu. What has made H1N1 exceptional, however, is the very high number of children who have contracted it. Jacob, who has asthma but has kept it well-controlled, is typical of the highest-risk category for a serious H1N1 infection – a young person with an underlying medical condition.

For several very tense days, Jacob's parents waited and watched as the doctors and nurses at Children's fought the infection that was threatening his life. After spending three weeks in the ICU, Jacob finally improved enough to be taken off the machines that had kept him alive and he was moved to a regular floor of the hospital. He will remain there for several more days while doctors continue to monitor his progress.

The H1N1 vaccine was not available before Jacob was infected. Jacob's mother has heard about the concerns that some parents have expressed, but her own experience has taught her otherwise.

"I think the risk of the shot does not compare at all to what can happen with the flu," she says. "It's a $20 shot. Compare that to the [expense] we've probably accumulated for a month-long stay in the hospital and I think the value is pretty obvious."

No one can guarantee a vaccine will work exactly as intended for every single person who receives it. But for the vast majority of people who receive them, vaccinations do work as intended —preventing infection and protecting the public from the spread of disease.

"I think the shot is the best thing ever invented," Mrs. Henderson says. "The risks are so mild compared to the consequences."