Swine Flu

[Drakken]

Absolutely. Got the flu vaccine each year for the last three years, will certainly take that one.

My girlfriend having only one kidney and being immunodepressed, I have the excuse to go get the flu shot next week. 

They won't believe you! 

She'll be with me, we get vaccinated together. Besides, they do no verification. No one is returned home.

Just to be sure, though, I'll give a call to the CLSC.

In any case, I'll use my hated mother for once. She is a chain smoker and has emphysema. 

[ulmont]

The CDC did have a chart, and I'll see if I can find it tomorrow, that basically showed that every tested flu for a while was h1n1.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2009-2010/images/image411.gif from
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/

You can see that where they subtyped A influenza, it's H1N1, and that basically nothing else is popping up (the only other significant entry is A (subtyping not performed)).

[Valdemar]

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.

I have actually no technical knowledge on either flu, I was refering one of Denmark's leading doctors in the MS field,

According to his replies, MS patients are ordinarily recommended seasonal flu vaccine, because the effects of ordinary flu is a heigthened risk of a MS attack due to the activity of the immune system.

However, the H1N1 vaccine is containing a booster NOT present in ordinary seasonal flu vacine, and as such that booster may trigger the immune system in a different way than the flu would, and as such heighten the risk of an MS attack.

The H1N1 flu vaccine does not contain any new adjuvant (aka your booster). Squalene is used in seasonal flu vaccines in Europe since 1997, and is still used today.

Both flu vaccines are the same, nothing more, nothing less. The only thing different is the antigen (the dead virus that has ceased to be and is gone to meet its maker) used.

Nope, the adjuvant isn't used in seasonal Flu vaccine all over Europe. I checked, it isn't used in Denmark nor in Germany, but it IS used in the Netherlands for instance.

So my argument stands. Unlike ordinary seasonal flu vaccine in DEN the H1N1 contains an adjuvant that WILL make it act differently than ordinary flu vaccine.

V

[Berkut]

But what does your doctor(s) say?

The pediatrician encourages it because he doesn't see the point in anyone getting any illnesses if they can be prevented by a shot. If there were a shot for a stubbed toe, he'd encourage it. *shrugs*

you are comparing H1N1 to getting a stubbed toe?

Nobody dies from a stubbed toe Meri - people do in fact die from H1N1.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree. Why anyone would forgo getting a shot to prevent a potentially life threatening disease is rather beyond me, but I guess we live in a free country, so you can evaluate the risks to your family as you see fit.

Hell, even absent the fact that it can kill you, why even run the risk of a serious illness if it can be avoided?

[Valdemar]

I guess we will have to agree to disagree. Why anyone would forgo getting a shot to prevent a potentially life threatening disease is rather beyond me, but I guess we live in a free country, so you can evaluate the risks to your family as you see fit.

Hell, even absent the fact that it can kill you, why even run the risk of a serious illness if it can be avoided?

I agree with Berkut on tis one.

The only exception I can find is situations like mine where there is high uncertainty about what effects the vaccine may have long term on my chronical disease

V

[Barrister]

And nothing stops you for giving both h1n1 and seasonal flu vaccines to your children. In Canada the only advice is to wait 21 days between the two shots to allow the h1n1 antigen full time to provoke a sufficient immune response in the receiver, which takes between 7 to 14, and sometimes all the way up to 21 days.

At the vaccination clinic here in Whitehorse they're jabbing everyone with both almost simultaneously.   

[The Brain]

And nothing stops you for giving both h1n1 and seasonal flu vaccines to your children. In Canada the only advice is to wait 21 days between the two shots to allow the h1n1 antigen full time to provoke a sufficient immune response in the receiver, which takes between 7 to 14, and sometimes all the way up to 21 days.

At the vaccination clinic here in Whitehorse they're jabbing everyone with both almost simultaneously.   

It's different for Indians.

[Valdemar]

And nothing stops you for giving both h1n1 and seasonal flu vaccines to your children. In Canada the only advice is to wait 21 days between the two shots to allow the h1n1 antigen full time to provoke a sufficient immune response in the receiver, which takes between 7 to 14, and sometimes all the way up to 21 days.

At the vaccination clinic here in Whitehorse they're jabbing everyone with both almost simultaneously.   

Yeah, they just want to get rid of you.. why wait 21 days for the second poison shot?

V
It's different for Indians.

[viper37]

And how many have died of H1N1? How many were "healthy"?

27 deaths as of last April.
None since the 2nd outbreak.
However, about a dozen people (no more precisions) are now under intensive care due to H1N1.
None have died yet.  They may all survive, they may all die, half of them may survive, we don't know yet.

What we know, is that so far in Canada, since the 2nd outbreak, 3 healthy young people have died form the H1N1 strain of influenza.  Last one is a 13 year old hockey player.

And that did scare me.

Not because I'm afraid to die, I don't care.  I'm old enough, I've seen everything I really wanted to see in life.  But I'm afraid to be a carrier and transmit the disease to someone else around me who could get really sick.  And also, by getting the vaccine, I reduce the overall chances of seeing this virus mutate.

[Ed Anger]

Got my wife and the kids the nasal spray. I didn't get one, as I wasn't in the group allowed to have one.

[viper37]

When I see numbers - hard statistics - that show me exactly how many "healthy" people have succumbed to this flu compared to the "regular" flu, I may change my mind. However, until then, it's all just anecdotal.

I'm sorry, but that's silly.
By then, it will be too late.
Getting the vaccine will likely prevent such stats.
Even if it doesn't kill, even if it doesn't leave you with any problems, even if it's just a big cold you or your kids end up getting, why on earth would you risk being sick when only a damn vaccine will prevent all this??

[viper37]

No, because if you've HAD the disease it's better than the vaccine.

No, it's not better than the vaccine.  It's the same thing, except you were sick, if you had the disease.

[viper37]

Got my wife and the kids the nasal spray. I didn't get one, as I wasn't in the group allowed to have one.

I'm glad to have met you.  We will sing songs in your honor, commenting your brave fight against the overwhelming forces of the H1N1! 

[viper37]

The H1N1 flu vaccine does not contain any new adjuvant (aka your booster). Squalene is used in seasonal flu vaccines in Europe since 1997, and is still used today.

So, the word is the same in english and french, then...
Nice.

The adjuvant is called MF59.  Anyone can search on the WHO site for details of its safety.

[garbon]

I've never had a flu shot that I recall (likely had them when young).