Flu Shots

Today, I got a call from my pediatrician's office, letting me know that they were doing a pediatric flu study, and wanted Matthew to participate. They're compensating us for our time and travel, and the flu shot itself is, of course, free!!! With most places charging $25-$30 for the flu shot alone, this sounded like a great opportunity for us! Because Matthew only had one shot last year, as his first year, and was supposed to have had a booster as well, he is going to get 2 shots this year. Today we went in for the first shot. They also did draw blood, as part of the study. That part was sad, but he did so well!!! Now all we do is take his temperature every night for the next week and record it in a diary. We're also supposed to record any other symptoms as well. At the end of the week, we mail back the diary pages in a pre-paid envelope. For the rest of the study, we go back in a month for his second shot, and I believe we go back one month after that. There are also a couple of phone calls involved in the following months. I believe the entire study takes 6-7 months (in case you can't tell, I need to re-read the material again!)
Anyway, another great thing, is that if Matthew gets sick at all during the study, even if it's a non-related sickness, the office visit will be free, as they will take note of how any additional treatments may affect this flu vaccination.
I'll keep this posted as we go, in case a similar opportunity ever opens up for someone else, you will know what to expect. And because my obsessive-compulsive disorder won't allow me to post without pictures, I've included some of test-subject A!