Paula Meersman's kids, Mitchell, 15, and Dani, 14, have never missed a day of school.

"We're a very healthy family," the Mishawaka mom said, "but it pays to be cautious."

As such, she plans to have her children vaccinated for the seasonal flu, but she's not so sure about the H1N1 vaccine.

Before making a decision, Meersman plans to talk to her family physician.

Denise DelGianni, a Granger mom of two, is also conflicted about getting her kids the H1N1 vaccine. It was produced rapidly, she said, and because of that, she has concerns about its safety.

DelGianni asked her kids' pediatrician if he plans on having his own children vaccinated, and he indicated he was.

"His answer gave me more comfort, but did not calm my nerves completely," she said.

These moms are not alone.

Dr. Jesse Hsieh, a primary care physician with offices in South Bend and Granger, said local parents have a lot of questions about both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 vaccines.

And in fact, an Associated Press-GfK poll published last week concluded that 38 percent of parents say they're unlikely to give permission for their kids to be vaccinated against H1N1 at school.

Some parents polled said they were worried about possible side effects of the new vaccine, while others said swine flu is no more a threat to their children than seasonal flu.

Hsieh said he understands his patients' concerns, but he's still advising those who are eligible to get the vaccines.

"We're not backing off on that at all," he said.

People who are around newborns and family members of chronically ill kids, especially, should be vaccinated, he said.

As to the swiftness with which the H1N1 vaccine was developed, Hsieh said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with physicians and health-care workers across the country, are watching very closely now to see if people who have been vaccinated for H1N1 show any ill effects.

Pros and cons

Mark Lindholm, a chiropractor from Elkhart, is set to answer questions about vaccinations at a meeting of the Goshen Holistic Parenting group at the Goshen Public Library at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

In a phone interview last week, Lindholm said, "(Vaccines) are a freedom of choice issue.

"Parents should be informed," he said.

One of Lindholm's concerns about the flu vaccines is the thimerosal — a mercury-containing compound — they contain.

Childhood vaccines once contained the same preservative, he said, but it's been reduced or eliminated from most over the years.

Some studies, he said, have linked thimerosal to autism.

Hsieh acknowledged some people are concerned about thimerosal, but there are thimerosal-free seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccines available, though there is a limited supply, he said.

Lindholm said another of his major concerns with the seasonal flu vaccine is that it's been shown to be ineffective.

"If it's not going to be helpful," he said, "it doesn't make sense to expose kids to the risk."

Hsieh disagreed, saying the vaccine is indeed effective, though the older one is, the less effective the nasal mist vaccine is, he said.

Finally, Lindholm said, he fears that people who are vaccinated will adopt the mind-set that they don't have to wash their hands frequently, eat well and get plenty of sleep to ward off the viruses.

Lindholm said he takes the time to talk to his patients about natural things they can do to boost their immunity, such as bulking up on antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables and taking vitamin C supplements.

Getting enough vitamin D is also important for immunity, he said.

"Prevention is really my way of looking at (the issue)," he said.

Tracy Agostino, of South Bend, meanwhile, has three kids. The younger two are students at Clay Intermediate Center, the school that sixth-grader Mercedes Lewis attended before she died from complications from H1N1 flu last week.

Agostino said she hasn't had her kids vaccinated for flu in the past, but this year is different.

"This is hitting home. It happened so fast," she said of the little girl's death.

Deanna McCool, a Mishawaka mom, is frustrated that her 3-year-old, Natalia, is not able to get either the seasonal flu nor the H1N1 vaccine because of her allergies and asthma.

She must rely on other people to vaccinate themselves and their children to help reduce her daughter's risk of contracting either of the flu viruses, she said.

While McCool thinks vaccinating kids against flu and H1N1 is a responsible thing to do, she doesn't believe it should become mandatory.

"If someone carefully considers the risks and decides not to vaccinate, I respect her opinion," she said. "For many who don't want to vaccinate, however, I think it's a knee-jerk reaction."

Hsieh has a similar attitude.

If you're really worried about the H1N1 vaccine, don't discount it altogether. "Just don't be the first in line (to get it)," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.