H1N1 flu vaccine
 

I'll get a poll up in a second.

Pregnant women routinely top lists of people who are at risk of death for H1N1. You are 6 times more likely to die of it if you are pregnant. (Regular flu is dangerous for both mom and fetus as well.) It acts very quickly and aggressively on weak immune systems, and you could be in trouble before you even realize it's flu.

I am not a regular flu shot person, and I don't often get sick, but I am going for it. I work in a very public environment. I just had a regular old common cold and it knocked me on my ass. I read a bunch about the vaccine and feel confident that the shot is safe and that I'd feel better getting it.

I called my provider this week and they said they might have it in a couple of weeks and to keep checking back. I wish that those of us who want it could be notified by email or something, though I figure the stampede will be crazy regardless.

FYI, there's a nasal spray vaccine that is safe for non-risk groups. It's a weak flu vaccine, so the rest of us can't get it. They've rolled out tons of that for the health care workers, for obvious reasons.

So, are you wary of the flu, wary of the vaccine, or not wary at all?

I'm going to get one. I think Costco here is selling them as well as Longs Drugs Stores. Count me as not wary at all.

I usually miss getting the flu shot. The same will probably happen again this year, unless it's convenient.

The one, and only time I got a flu shot, I was never so ill in all my life. My doctor recommended it, gave it to me and I never quite forgave him. I caught every passing bug within 15 feet of me.

I've probably been exposed to H1N1 thanks to a person in our office who was down for the count with it, but, have remained unaffected.

No flu shot for me, but all the clorox wipes and disinfectant all over our office is slowly turning me into a germophobe.:)

CP - check with your local drug stores. They have been giving them out and insurance has been covering it.


I won't be getting it. Besides not being high risk 1) I've had one flu shot and it knocked me on my ass more than any flu ever has. 2) I hate, hate, HATE needles. 3) I cant do nasal sprays because of sinus issues.

If I was in a high risk group or in regular contact with someone who was, I'd probably suck it up. But I'm not, so I won't be. I also don't get the regular flu shot.

Probably won't get it. I'm a bit leery of it for some reason... like it's a new windows operating system and I want the masses to beta test it out first.

I've had the flu shot this year and will likely get the h1n1 shot. Me and flu do not get along well. My asthma puts me in an at risk group so I should avoid the nasal spray, but it means my shot would be covered.

I'm not high-risk but I want the shot. It seems like a slam dunk decision to me.

I would take the nasal spray if it was offered to me, but not interested in the shot.

Maddie's in a high risk group because of her diabetes. Her docs office said to check back at the end of the month, they still don't have it. We've already gotten her the regular flu shot.

Where have you seen that offers the H1N1 shot? There are lots of places that offer the regular flu shot but I haven't seen H1N1 anywhere.

That's not quite what the statistics say. The statistic being reported is that 6% of the US swine flu deaths have been pregnant women, while pregnant women make up only 1% of the general population. While that means 6 times as many as one would expect have died, it doesn't mean they're 6 times more likely to die than someone who isn't pregnant. To know that you'd have to know infection rates and some other numbers.

Not that the statistic isn't cause for concern. Even if it is simply indicating that pregnant women are more likely to contract H1N1 and therefore even dying at the same rate as the general population they'll account for a disproportionate number of deaths, that's a good enough reason to take the precaution of the shot. But "6 times more likely" isn't quite an accurate picture.

This interested me, GD, so I googled. CDC sez (in spoiler box because I don't know how many details CP and GD want. When I was expecting, I preferred to not think of these things.) :

Source is here.

After having heard a program about the really disgusting and patently unsafe methods of preparing vaccines, I'm never getting one again.

(Not that I have in forever anyway.)


No, I can't relate to you what I learned. I forgot everything but the taste.

I could be wrong, but I thought I saw it at CVS and Target.

Dude, that was the "Jungle" and they were talking about meat packing plants...

(just kidding).


Can you link to a source?

This is what I meant. Sorry for the poor choice of words, thanks for the clarification.

Not at CVS in CA

I'm not seeing anything on Target's website, and they
aren't listed on the CA page.

Nope. My sources are not internet. (That's not to say there isn't copious material about the harm from, and shoddy manufacturing and safety approval practices of vaccinations on the internet. Google is your friend.)

Sorry! :(

Most of which is b.s.

eta: just one fact (found in 30 seconds) to back up my statement - at least 44,000 people have already been vaccinated in China with reports of only 14 adverse cases — and it’s not certain that those adverse outcomes are even linked to the vaccine.

Really? Reports??? In CHINA?

Please forgive me for laughing at the thought of any of that being accurate.


I'm not at all saying whatever anyone might find on the internet about vaccine dangers may be 98% tinfoil-hat stuff, but officialdom in China as source of reliable information is just as absurd.

Those numbers come from WHO, not from China's government.

But like I said, that was just the first stat I found. Plenty more out there, the most important being that A) the H1N1 vaccine is being produced by the same producers, on the same equipment, with the same process that the "regular" vaccine has been for the past 30 years with no ill effects (Jenny McCarthy can go screw) and B) even with the accelerated time table to get the H1N1 on the market, there have been several different clinical trials already that have shown it to be as safe as the general flu shot.

Safe as the general flu shot is not nearly good enough for me.

I'm not in a high-risk group, so I have the luxury of using my own anti-bodies, and I'm fine with that.

And what exactly are you afraid of with the flu shot? (yes I will keep harping on this because fear based on utter nonsense puts public health at risk)

BTW, one more fact (true of both the H1N1 vaccine and the regular seasonal vaccine). The shot contains no live virus. The nasal spray does contain live virus, however it is a modified virus that is unable to incubate at body temperature so once administered, it dies.

Well, with alzheimer's kicking in at an alarming rate, I cannot recall the things I heard that put me off vaccines many years ago.

I also can't recall the things I learned about the benefits of vegetarianism, but I stored my considered opinion in my soul and I intend to be non-carnivoristic in my next life ... during which I will also not contract the flu.

Olivia and I already got a regular flu shot. We will definitely get the H1N1 shot when it is available here (although, based on the diagnoses in O's school, we are well into H1N1 contagion). Unfortunately, from what I understand, you big city folks are getting the lion's share of the vaccine first, leaving us second rate cities to die off of in a pandemic so you can come in and take all of our land for your own pleasure.

Well...screw you too. :mad:

;)

CP - I'll ask Ken to find out about the vaccination for you. I think they've been getting them in limited supply, and he usually knows when shipments arrive. :)

News reports quoting how many deaths lately make me think about reconsidering.

How many people die from the regular flu?

H1N1 is a new strain of the flu and the news is making things worse by hyping up the panic levels.

What panic levels? All anyone is saying is keep your hands clean and get immunized if you can, especially if you're high risk.

The reason H1N1 is getting the amount of attention is two-fold.

1) It's particularly virulent. It spreads more easily and causes more severe symptoms than most seasonal flus.

2) That alone wouldn't be all that big of a deal, if swine flu had come on the scene in time to be included in the seasonal flu vaccine. But by the time H1N1 began to spread, production of the flu vaccine had already begun.

The flu is a serious matter. It's wiped out large chunks of world population several times through history. The only reason that it doesn't really do that anymore is that the CDC and WHO and related agencies have pretty good strategies for controlling outbreaks. But that strategy involves some educated guess-work, it's not fool proof. When they guess right (most of the time), we all hardly notice. A good chunk of people get themselves immunized, we all are fairly good about washing our hands, and things remain relatively in control, business as usual.

But those rare cases where they guess wrong, they need to make some noise and get people's attention. Business as usual is not going to cut it. If we were to just try to breeze through flu season thinking that the normal amount of people getting the seasonal flu shot and assuming the normal level of basic hygiene are going to keep us as safe as normal, we have a problem. People need to be aware that some extra precaution is necessary.

I feel sorry for the CDC. What a sh*tty position to be in. If they don't do their job, thousands die. If they do their job, people see nothing happen and then bitch at them for interrupting their day with some reminders to wash their hands.

Lack of mass flu deaths is not proof that the warnings were b.s. It's proof that the extra awareness has done its job.

CP - Target doesn't carry the nasal spray vaccine, which is the one used for pregnant women. Ken said it's best to go through your doctor for that one.

Err, the nasal spray is NOT for use with pregnant women. It contains live virus.

Not here, we're a level-headed bunch. It's the same thing the news does with everything - sensationalize.

I agree the Flu is a serious thing. I'm lucky I'm not in a high risk group and that I have a strong immune system, even though from what I've been hearing that doesn't really help with this since the body will attack itself. So I'll wash my hands and be a bit more cautious and go on my way.

I agree.

That's not what I was saying. It seems that people have forgotten that people die from the regular flu and now it's zomg people are dying from the H1N1 flu with absolutely no recollection that people die from the regular flu.

Young otherwise healthy people generally don't die from regular flu. It's mostly the elderly and the already infirmed. Young otherwise healthy people have been dying of swine flu (less so in the US than, say, Mexico, but it's still a cause for greater concern than the general spate of flu deaths).

Hrrrm. Either he or I got it backwards. :blush:

Actually, I'm rather surprised at how level-headed the media has seemed on this. Can you provide a link?

I will be getting it as soon as it is available to me. I got the flu shot this year. As in previous years, my only side effect was temporary pain at the injection site.

Just stuff I see on TV getting ready for work. No links.

It seems that I am being misunderstood. I think it's a serious issue and the shot/spray is good to have for those who need/want it. I think it's safe to take and my reasons for not taking it have nothing to do with it.

I also think people who aren't in the high risk group and aren't around people who are should let those who are in the high risk group get first dibs (this goes for the regular shot too).

I may be more blase about it because so far, this area is not hit hard. And my opinions are subject to change. I'm not stating (nor have I claimed to state) hard and fast facts, just my thoughts.

Oh, you watch TEEVEE. That explains it. Yeah, TV news has been horrible and exploitative for at least 10 years now.

I do not consider TV news as actual reportage. It's entertainment. I don't care which network, which anchors. When Hal Fishman allowed bimbos into the studio and attempted to banter with them, I stopped watching TV news.

Specifically I turn on the Today show in the morning because that's the least revolting to my senses so I can find out if anything major happened overnight.

I'm still pretty much on my complete news hiatus that started when we started bombing Iraq and pick and choose what I read about online.

Unfortunately I suspect the majority of the population still watches the teevee news and reacts accordingly.

I'm actually not getting the vaccine, but mostly because I typically have a bad reaction to them... not flu reaction, but I think it's linked to my mild egg allergy. I've had two in my life, and the most recent was a few years ago when J was on a medication that brought his immune system down.

Now, if I was high-risk, or J was in that situation again, I'd consider it, but otherwise, no. The fact that there's H1N1 doesn't change that. At all.

So I just make sure that I wash my hands, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers (hate the gel stuff, as it's kind of sticky and doesn't dry as fast as it should to really get the job done, so I use a spray), and just take general precaution. I've had two people in my office get diagnosed, and one that didn't get tested, but his doc said "it's probably what you have, but you're not high-risk, so we're not testing you." It didn't seem toooo bad compared to regular flu.

After waiting in a long line, I got de-swined Saturday. Hopefully, my immunity kicks in before I get sick from the symptomatic person ahead of me who was pulled out of the line.

I happened to sneeze as a triage worker passed by, and she grilled me as to whether I was sick. I convinced her I wasn't, so I got to stay in line. However, I also heard rumors that the symptomatic people, rather than being denied shots, were going to the head of the line. (Links! Recht!)

I was thinking about way back when every kid had to have a polio vaccine, you went to the local elementary school gym and lined up. Every kid got a sugar cube with the dose dripped on to it. Either the vaccine cost nothing or it was nominal, like $1.

The government was serious about eradicating polio, a very serious disease. I realize H1N1 is no polio but young people have died from it. Why are we not making this vaccine available at every elementary school gym? Why are we not making the vaccine free or available for a nominal fee, instead of the $24.95 (charged to insurance, if you have it)?

Then this morning, NPR did a piece about the manufacturing snafu (not the right word because it has to do with inability to pre-determine yield/potency) that lead to L.A. getting only 300,000 doses for an area of 6 million, for example. Read the piece here.

I'd wager that back then there were fewer people who questioned the "governments ulterior motives" when it came to the vaccine and took it because it needed to be done.

The problem with so many of the diseases these days is their ability to quickly mutate thanks to the overuse of sanitizers and anti-bacterial agents. If Polio was still around I suspect it would keep mutating making the eradication of it more difficult. It wouldn't be surprising to see more and more cases of diseases that were thought to be nearly eradicated due to the increasing numbers of people who aren't being vaccinated.

You can file the mistrust of government under Nothing New under the Sun. For example, the next town over to where I live refused to fluoridate for two decades. The Water Department began adding fluoride to
the city’s water in 1950. They waited a month to tell residents, fueling rumors of communist plots. Those conspiracy rumors are still around. It wasn't until 1972 that the voters allowed fluoride in the city's water.

My insurance never seems to cover flu vaccine. I really don't understand why. I'm high risk. Hopefully, I have some immunity to the H1N1 now. I'm still going to try to get the shots at some point.

Isn't $1 in the Polio vaccine era pretty much equal to $25 today??

You have a good point, iSm. I'll pick 1964 because I can remember the polio sugar cubes and I was 7 that year. This inflation calculator sez $1 in 1964 is $6.80 today.

It's not considered a mandatory vaccine, so no coverage. After all - you wouldn't want federal employees getting perks like flu shots.

Indeed, federal employees should probably be intentionally infected with a host of communicable diseases to encourage self-reliance and local solutions.

Ummm, my manager mentioned that one of our coworkers sent an email saying he's out today, tested positive for H1N1. Said coworker apparently just showed up. I'm considering arming myself with one of the 1 gallon jugs of hand sanitizer that are at every sink in the building to squirt in his general direction should he wander my way.

HR should send him home.

So - those of us who have insurance do not have shots. The free clinics have them.

I finally broke down and called my local free clinic, designated for pregnant women's shots. I had no problem getting an appointment for a couple of days from now.

I feel bad "taking a shot away" from someone who can't afford insurance, but with my very public job, I just can't wait anymore.

I visited my doctor today and they are out of regular flu shots. I'm on a waiting list for the general flu. (Like the General You, only different.) I'm still not convinced I will get the Pork Shot. (Like Pork Chop, only different.)

In theory, distributing them via the free clinics makes sense - those who are uninsured will cost the state more money if they get sick and have to seek medical treatment vs. those with insurance that will pay if they get sick.

CP - I'm glad you looked into getting the shot elsewhere. I would think that OB offices would be close to the top of the list for places to receive shots from the suppliers. I hope you are able to secure one for Greg too.

OB offices do not supply shots at all. I read an article on this a while back. They don't have the setup or staff to administer shots, so sending the shots there wouldn't work well. It's up to the regular providers to give them. Why they aren't giving at least some of these to the providers, I don't know.

Well that's stupid (not the OB's not set up to give them, the not giving them to regular providers with the caveat they go to x group then y group first).

This whole distribution thing seems to be one big FUBARed situation fueled by the media (yes, on the teevee where the masses get their news from).

Hmm, now I'm really confused as to how the media has anything to do with the distribution of the vaccine.



I got an email today from the City which I thought might be worth sharing, though those who aren't in OC (or don't have kids, so it'll be even less) won't have much to see here, but I find the whole process interesting, so here goes.

Note that next-to-last bit about child deaths. If you follow the link:

From the little I've seen (and it's been enough to form an opinion) they are telling people to go to clinics then interviewing those who are being turned away. It seems that the message that the high risk group (and who they truly are) who is getting priority is lost somewhere.

Since you don't watch teevee news I don't expect you to have the same conclusion.

I know this might not be a popular opinion, but I think it's just plain time for a pandemic.

Please tell me this is supposed to be funny.