[mountaineermom]

do we have the authoriy to decide if fks get a flu shot?
I took FD to dr yesterday and she was far behind on her shots, so she had to get a bunch of vaccinations. They wanted me to come back and get her flu shot and then come back again once they get the h1n1 vaccine also.
they told me I didnt have to get her the flu shot if I didnt want to.
Should I be deciding that?

[kxl164]

Here, we don't get to decide. Anything that the health department recommends, the foster children should receive. So if the health department is recommending vaccines for children of a certain age, then all foster children of that age should be getting the vaccination. The birthparents can challenge that, but generally they would have to petition in court because when the state is in charge of the children the state makes the decisions for health care.

All states, and sometimes even county by county, are different though, so it depends on what is going on in your area. Here all foster kids receive all vaccinations including the flu vaccine yearly. Since our health department is recommending the H1N1 for all children they are required to get that too, if it is available.

[joskimo]

YOu need to check with your CW, in our state they sent us an email, if the kids' parents still had rights, then the parents decided, if parental rights were terminated than the state decides and the state is allowing foster parents to make that decision.

[stevenstwin]

Definitely do NOT make a decision of this magnitude (either for or against)! Depending where you live and the status of the kids, it will be the parents or the CW - but major medical decisions are not generally to be made by foster parents.