Swine Flu

[Barrister]

Someone from my office saw me getting the vaccine yesterday, and now several people have asked me about it - and said they probably weren't going to get it.

I've heard a lot of silly reasons so far...

[Tonitrus]

It is already mandatory for us to get the regular flu shot(well, the nasal mist too, except for certain people), and we should be getting this one sometime soon as well.

[Admiral Yi]

It is already mandatory for us to get the regular flu shot(well, the nasal mist too, except for certain people), and we should be getting this one sometime soon as well.

Just sign the goddamned waiver Tonto!

[MadImmortalMan]

Already had it. Not the shot. The swine flu. Not much point now.

[Martinus]

Where's the option "I live in a third world country where the vaccine will not be offered en masse."?

[Zanza]

I haven't really thought about it yet. They have recently started with large scale vaccination here I think. I guess I'll ask my doctor if she thinks it's a good idea.

[Barrister]

Where's the option "I live in a third world country where the vaccine will not be offered en masse."?

:nelson

[DontSayBanana]

North American, no.  I'm a student at a college campus with almost no other contact; high risk of contamination, low risk of complications.  My vaccination wouldn't really change much in the grand scheme of things.

[merithyn]

A perfectly healthy woman in her 20s in Mission died of this last week.

The thing that really pisses me off are all the people that decide not to get vaccinated because they dont think they will be affected simply because they dont get the flu normally.   I am not so upset that they are idiots for not recognizing that they are in fact in jeopardy with this new strain.  What really pisses me off is that they are not thinking about all the people around them that might die because of this.

I am glad you have rethought the matter.

Personally, I'd rather leave the limited supply of flu vaccinations to those who need them, i.e. those already at risk. Given that the public health department here is saying that those older than 24 without an underlying concern are at greatest risk, that doesn't include me. As for the kids, they've already been directly exposed to the disease for two months. Why waste the vaccine on kids who would have gotten it already if they were going to get it at all?

Besides, I've long believed that the best defense to any routine disease is to get it and allow your body to build up an immunity naturally. You want a vaccination, feel free to handle it the way you see fit, and I will do the same.

[Pat]

I'm not in the risk group but I'll ask for a vaccination when I see my doctor on Friday.

[merithyn]

Certainly not like the H1N1 we have here in North America.   This is a new strain and you certainly are at a greater risk of serious effects if you get it.  It is different from another type of flu.  This one kills healthy people....

The "regular" flu kills healthy people, too. What makes this one unusual is that it has a much greater impact on those who are normally considered "safe" from the danger of death due to the flu, i.e. teenagers and young adults. The same precautions apply for H1N1 as for any other: stay hydrated, stay in bed, and go to the ER if your temp spikes higher than 103F.

The problem is that teens and young adults don't do those things; they're used to being able to tough it out through a flu. This one they can't do that, and when the try bad things happen. In addition, this flu moves through the system much quicker, so you have to be more on-the-ball on the symptoms than usual.  Stay smart and this flu is no more dangerous to you than the seasonal flu crap.

[merithyn]

North American, no.  I'm a student at a college campus with almost no other contact; high risk of contamination, low risk of complications.  My vaccination wouldn't really change much in the grand scheme of things.

Hate to break it to you, but the danger ages are 12-24 for this one. I believe you're right in the mix there. You're actually in the "high risk of complications" on this one.

[Barrister]

A perfectly healthy woman in her 20s in Mission died of this last week.

The thing that really pisses me off are all the people that decide not to get vaccinated because they dont think they will be affected simply because they dont get the flu normally.   I am not so upset that they are idiots for not recognizing that they are in fact in jeopardy with this new strain.  What really pisses me off is that they are not thinking about all the people around them that might die because of this.

I am glad you have rethought the matter.

Personally, I'd rather leave the limited supply of flu vaccinations to those who need them, i.e. those already at risk. Given that the public health department here is saying that those older than 24 without an underlying concern are at greatest risk, that doesn't include me. As for the kids, they've already been directly exposed to the disease for two months. Why waste the vaccine on kids who would have gotten it already if they were going to get it at all?

Besides, I've long believed that the best defense to any routine disease is to get it and allow your body to build up an immunity naturally. You want a vaccination, feel free to handle it the way you see fit, and I will do the same.

It's not that limited, and I believe they are urging kids the age of your kids to get the shot.  Do not blame this on "limited supply".

And tell me - do you let your kids get 'natural immunity' to polio?  Chickenpox?  Measles?

[merithyn]

It's not that limited, and I believe they are urging kids the age of your kids to get the shot.  Do not blame this on "limited supply".

And tell me - do you let your kids get 'natural immunity' to polio?  Chickenpox?  Measles?

My kids have been exposed for the last two months - and two have probably already had it - while the world has waited on a vaccination. Around here, there aren't enough vaccinations to go around the schools, but that's okay, because the disease has already washed through.

As for the rest, my kids were vaccinated for polio, and measles as part of the MMR series. Chickenpox, however, they got "naturally", which was preferred to the vaccine, yes.

Just because I don't agree with some vaccines doesn't mean that I disagree with all of them. Some diseases are more dangerous than others. Chickenpox and the flu, however, do not fall into the same category as polio or mumps.

[viper37]

Viper, The H1N1 vac isn't exactly the same as the seasonal.

The H1N1 has an additional "booster" that triggers the immune system. For anyone with autoimmune symptoms like me or CK that should be considered before accepting

V

I don't know how it's called in english, but the "booster" you are referring too his already present in the seasonal flu vaccine distributed in Europe to about 45 million people without problems.

Of course if you have health problems you shouldn't rush to get any vaccine without speaking to your doctor.  I'm assuming people are healthy without chronical disease, and without allergies to eggs.

There are vaccines without the "booster" for pregnant women, and some other people.