I can hardly wait for my kids to get the swine flu vaccine.

Now hear me:  The decision on whether to get the H1N1 vaccine is very personal.  Every parent must decide for themselves whether or not this is the right choice for their family.

But considering the amount of people getting sick all around us right now,  I think most parents should at least consider the vaccine.

My friend's daughter recently battled what she was told was a "moderate" case of swine flu.  A week after getting sick, this little girl was still in a battle to get all of her strength back.  She's going to be just fine, but the poor kid missed a full week of school, and her mom had to take some time away from her job to take care of her.

That's tough.  There is nothing worse than seeing your kid sick.

Both of my children have appointments at our pediatrician's office to get vaccinated.  Ashley had been scheduled to get the mist earlier this month, but couldn't because she received her seasonal flu mist less than 28 days ago.

By the way, I couldn't be happier with the staff at my pediatrician's office.  They've been offering their patients the swine flu mist for over a week now.  In fact, one of the doctors in the office told me they make sure to place a call at least once a week, to make sure there are supplies of the vaccine on hand.   And I find that the nurses at the office are wonderful about answering questions ad nauseum about the vaccine.

Of course, I realize my clinic is also among the lucky locations that has received an adequate vaccination supply.   I have interviewed doctors at other clinics who wish their practice could get more H1N1 vaccine in-house.

So until my kids get the vaccine, I'm making sure they wash their little hands as often as possible, and I pray the parents of sick kids have the good sense to keep their children at home.

These days... we just can't be careful enough.