Whats your take about H1N1 vaccine?

[redmanfixit]

One of the issues with any of the vaccines mentioned in this thread, are the presence of squalenes added to the vaccine to add additional irritation to the immune system to improve the immune reaction. There is some thinking that suggests this may be significant in Gulf War Syndrome. The Anthrax vaccine forced on the troops was rushed in production and poorly tested just like the H1N1 that's coming up. In this case it is thought to cause the emergence of auto immune dysfunction in some people. This seems to be not well understood. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, lupus, arthritis are all linked to this in Vets that were in the Sand Box, as well as others mentioned in the thread.

An under publicized and effective approach is from old medicine. Find and take a high quality probiotic. It should be a broad mix with at least 10 different organisms in it. Most of what you see in health food stores is the 3 organism common type which is better than nothing. You get these types of organisms from eating fresh (not canned) fermented foods like sauerkraut or kimchee. Yogurt and kefir also are good sources of these three probiotic organisms as long as you are not lactose intolerant. Again, naturally cultured.

Go to ercprobioticenzymes.com and look at the faq pages. There is also a pointer to a lecture on TED by Bonnie Bessler, a researcher at Princeton on bio-films. Yes I am involved with that web site and yes we sell stuff. If any of you want to buy what you find there, contact me and we'll sell it to members of this forum at a discount. The main reason is the FAQ pages, they are full of information about how the organisms effect the human immune system and why you should take SOMETHING like this all the time.

Find a local beekeeper. We're all over the place. One that has a bee yard as close to where you live as possible. Eat that honey as part of your diet. Blended, store bought brands aren't as effective in this way. Honey is loaded with leftover bits of protein and cell parts from all the organisms that the bees inadvertently gather up with the nectar and pollen. These are rendered inert by the enzymes the bees use in making honey and the high sugar concentration. If the biofilm in your gut is healthy, it will pass information to your immune system about the microorganisms that will be making you sick every year. Most of these bugs are in the area already, with a few exceptions, and it's kind of like a custom vaccine without all the downsides of industrial medicine. This is also a dandy way to help get rid of allergies. Bee are cool! The best health care I know of is not getting sick!

[lmccrock]

The regular flu kills scores more than this new "special" flue strain. Add my reluctance to obtain little tested inoculations and I'm out.

Exactly - I also never get the regular one either...

...makes me wonder why all the hoopla

Because people are dying from flu in the summer which is not traditionally flu season. Project that into winter, and it could get bad. I keep reading about outbreaks all over; I hope these reports of "H1N1" are not based on symptoms and have some lab work involved.

That said, I will skip the shots and my wife will get them, because she has respiratory problems. I have gotten 1 flu shot in the last 40+ years, when my mom was undergoing cancer treatments and staying with us after Katrina. I was sick for a week, although not as bad as having real flu, which I had exactly once in those last 40 or so years.

Lee

[redmanfixit]

Here is another perspective on Swine Flu vaccination. This guy is sensible and well educated.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles...lu-Vaccine.aspx

There are three references listed with the article. I found the third to be very interesting.

I edited this post to point out the above references!

Edited September 17, 2009 by redmanfixit

[Sharyn]

I'm a family medicine resident and thus more likely than most to get exposed either in the office or in the hospital. I have a wife that is almost 34wks pregnant, so we'll have a new baby around for all of flu season. I also work ridiculous hours, so losing a week to the flu is a no go. I'll get any flu vaccine they put out there and ask my wife who HATES shots to get the flu shot(s) for the first time. As someone above mentioned, the young and healthy are most at risk for serious problems. I'm a believer in vaccinations, but to work as they are supposed to, as many people as possible have to take them. When was the last time you heard of a small pox outbreak? The developed world doesn't see much polio anymore. The pertussis part of the tdap vaccine has dramatically changed the number of infants we see with whooping cough.

It frustrates me when people, especially medical professionals, compare influenza to any other vaccine. They're simply not the same. Our current medical approach will never eradicate the flu. Current medicine cannot prevent the spread from animal species (pig, bird) to humans or the combination of genes from human strains with animal strains... unlike the other diseases you've mentioned. Additionally, Smallpox and Polio are viral... but Diptheria, Pertussis and Tetanus are all bacterial. Highly contagious/infectious - yes, comparable - no. Viruses and bacteria are very different beasts.

The influenza virus and evidence surrounding it's transmission and progression is very complex/complicated. The influenza virus evolves rapidly and replaces a previous strain. Each season's flu vaccine is formulated from a previous influenza strain. A current vaccination may or may not produce immunity to a current strain. This is why people who always get the vaccine get sick one year when they didn't last year.

As mentioned earlier in this topic, the younger are at higher risk for H1N1 infection due to the belief that the older population has been previously exposed to a related strain and have already mounted an immune response. You can't say that immunizations are the sole reason for reduced mortality/morbity over the years. Medical advancements in treatment, health care, nutrition, personal and public hygiene, and knowledge are ALL contributing factors as well.

I don't promote or discourage the flu vaccine. If you feel that you need or want any vaccine, by all means, receive it. Personally, I don't receive the flu vaccine and will not receive the H1N1 vaccine. "Standard Precautions" along with common sense and good health practices will go a long way towards prevention. I work in a large hospital with a very vulnerable population. I have seen quite a bit of H1N1 without any related deaths.

Don't get me started on media hype... argh! FWIW, the term "pandemic" refers to cases of infections, not deaths.

Another FWIW, most antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections, kill the bacteria. However, antivirals, like Tamiflu, do not kill viruses.

My response is based on education and experience. However, there is a very interesting (and scary) book about the flu, "Flu - The Story of the Great Influenze Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus That Caused It" by Gina Kolata. It includes information on the evolution of H1N1 ("swine flu") and H5N1 ("avian flu"). IMO, a must read.

Hope that helps!

[Sharyn]

Here is another perspective on Swine Flu vaccination. This guy is sensible and well educated.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles...lu-Vaccine.aspx

There are three references listed with the article. I found the third to be very interesting.

I edited this post to point out the above references!

When I got to the statement "the risk of contracting cancer" I stopped reading.

[BritinUSA]

Thanks for the info, Sharyn.

[Classic_jon]

I would say it all has to do with your risk of being exposed and if you wash your hands or not...

A friend who is a teacher caught H1N1 at her school. What caused it?... One of the OTHER teachers who was sick, and did NOT stay home or go to the doctor, coughed and handled all sorts of things in the teachers lounge. That *ONE* teacher being stupid got SEVEN OTHER TEACHERS SICK! That was the only place they all could have been exposed as the other seven got sick within 24 hours of each other.

Funny thing is that only a couple of the kids got sick... I guess that was because they didn't handle the same things the teachers did....

My thoughts are this: Basically, yeah, Wash your hands and *don't be stupid* out in public and let someone cough on you. If you are at a higher risk of exposure and work with the public, go for it, if not...don't stress too much if you take the standard precautions.

[redmanfixit]

Here is a little more information about what's different about the present "flu Pandemic" we're being sold on I suggest you take time to listen to this report even though it's a little long. I have a suspicion that this information will eventually be blocked.

http://www.disinfo.com/2009/11/spanish-doc...bout-swine-flu/

Any of us with medical qualifications ought to take this nun's advice and check this out.