To Vaccinate or Not?

Yesterday, my daughter came home with her Tuesday folder and inside, it was crammed full of last week's tests, classwork and this:
This was the front page of a packet of documents which included several permission forms, influenza reporting forms and information sheets on the two vaccines. I just don't know what to do.
My instincts are screaming at me and telling me to keep my children as far away from these vaccines as possible. Then, I watch the evening news and hear about the death of yet another child who was otherwise healthy. And I get scared.

The schools in our district are full of sick children. There are signs everywhere in our town from the orthodontist's office to the restaurants asking people to keep their sick children at home. One salon had this posted on their door: "If your child is too sick to go to school, he shouldn't be getting a haircut." And I agree. I've always thought there was something selfish and stupid about people who drag their infected selves into the workplace to show the boss the level of their dedication or who send their ill children to school with a belly full of ibuprofen to mask the fever.

The simple answer, it would seem, would be to hedge one's bets and get the kids inoculated but honestly, the whole thing feels a bit like drinking the purple Koolaid to me. On one side, there are heaps of health care professionals who have said that they won't vaccinate their own children and I think that is very telling but on the other side is this giant knot of fear in my belly; the what if? What if one of my kids contracted H1N1 and died? I understand the odds of this are very slim in the big scope of things but is any parent willing to roll the dice when it comes to the safety of their child?

So, there is no clear answer and I am still conflicted. I have until October 30th to make the decision.

I just wish I had a clearer sense of the right thing to do.