Whats your take about H1N1 vaccine?

[Sean Gaines]

without getting political, I think of it like a gun

Its better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. If they are claiming 30k dead from H1N1, plus the regular flu that kills thousands a year. I have a daughter that I love and am not going to take a chance, or base my decision on a hunch, gut feeling etc.

Thats just my take

later

[Jadeslade]

I will probably get it. One problem is that there enough people around who remember the disaster of the swine flu vaccination in 1976 (or have an interest in history) and the various problems of different vaccines over the years-autism, allergic reaction, ineffective, etc. The jury is still out, but each person has to weigh the benefits versus the risk. It should be given by a health department or in a physicians office by experienced personnel (which is not always the doctor). I hope it will be ready.

[LPatterson]

My mother died of influenza at age 20 so if there are shots that can keep me alive longer I am all for it. I'm a retired vet who got shots against anything and everything including a couple different trips to SEA and I never got anything that penicillin couldn't cure. My shots are free and part of my benifits so I am going to get as many as they want to give out and I fit in the upper end of the age scale.

[ChrisMcCracken]

As a Family Medicine resident, how do you answer the charge that this vaccination hasn't received enough testing to be used on the American public as the guinea pigs? Just curious!

I don't remember the details, but there were some scary reactions to one of the previous specialized flu vaccines. They still were very rare. What I can say is that they've learned from them and made adjustments. The key is that the shot doesn't give you the flu. It won't cause autism. It will cause an immune response that may not feel great for 24-48hrs, but nothing a little Tylenol or ibuprofen can't treat. Ultimately there are some people that aren't going to trust the idea of vaccinations no matter what. It's really unfortunate because its those people that are reducing some of the "herd" immunities and allowing diseases to come back. I usually remind people that 100 years ago people were very used to losing children to common disease. We take it for granted that most of our kids survive to adulthood today.

[Viggen]

Last week it was the bird flu, this week it's swine flu, next week maybe it will be a horse flu. The bigger the better.

If you feel more comfortable getting some kind of an injection that may or may not work against whatever strain of flu actually happens - go for it. Most years the CDC guesses wrong on the type of flu innoculations to push. Maybe they have the swine version figured out.

And why is flu season in the fall and winter? Maybe nutrition?

[ChrisMcCracken]

Last week it was the bird flu, this week it's swine flu, next week maybe it will be a horse flu. The bigger the better.

If you feel more comfortable getting some kind of an injection that may or may not work against whatever strain of flu actually happens - go for it. Most years the CDC guesses wrong on the type of flu innoculations to push. Maybe they have the swine version figured out.

And why is flu season in the fall and winter? Maybe nutrition?

The flu circles the globe. Usually starting in asia and spreading around to us. Different countries have the flu at different times of year. The fall and winter are probably worse for us because that's when kids are in school. Children, like rats, are very efficient vectors of disease.

[-JQ-]

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

[bkeeler]

..... What ever happened to the West Nile virus that was talked about non-stop haven't heard anything about it this year. Still on the fence with H1N1.........

BK

[murkish]

..... What ever happened to the West Nile virus that was talked about non-stop haven't heard anything about it this year. Still on the fence with H1N1.........

BK

It has been too dry for the mosquitos to be a problem in Texas this year. No mosquitos = no West Nile virus.

When the mosquitos come back, so will the virus.

Jack

[eerw]

..... What ever happened to the West Nile virus that was talked about non-stop haven't heard anything about it this year. Still on the fence with H1N1.........

BK

we had one case in the state so far this year...done considerably from 2007 when we had 576 cases and 7 deaths.

been wet this year too..

[Carmoney]

The only problem with flu vaccines is when people stubbornly and irrationally refuse to receive them.

We've offered them at my office for years. As a rule, those who get flu shots stay healthy all winter, and those who refuse to get them wind up out sick (which costs me money). My wife works at a big hospital and it's the same story there, year after year.

[Precision40]

My Dad has suffered from some serious neuological diseases (Myasthinia Gravis and guillain-barre') that the Dr's have said is a direct result of taking the swine flu vaccine back in the late 70's.

I've had one flu shot in the last 15 years and have only gotten the flu once in that entire time. So no, I will not be taking it. Drugs that are rushed to be developed and marketed by the Govt. as a "good thing" doesn't sit well with me.

[vluc]

Our practice has already started giving flu shots. We are waiting to see what the deal will be with H1N1. My wife and I went through the '76 deal, was sicker than I had ever been in my life afterwords, she was just mildly ill. Probably have my DNA sample next to Scully's.

Never got the regular flu shot in spite of all my years in hospitals and medical practices. Did last year just so SWMBO would get off my back about being mid-50's and not getting shots. Though I am not clinical, I have almost as much face to face with patients, and have rarely gotten sick, and I've been doing this since 1979.

That being said I will probably come done with every case of flu imaginable this year....twice!

Edited September 3, 2009 by vluc

[bkeeler]

..... What ever happened to the West Nile virus that was talked about non-stop haven't heard anything about it this year. Still on the fence with H1N1.........

BK

It has been too dry for the mosquitos to be a problem in Texas this year. No mosquitos = no West Nile virus.

When the mosquitos come back, so will the virus.

Jack

It has not been dry here in Missouri. Still haven't heard anything about it.

BK

[Steve J]

..... What ever happened to the West Nile virus that was talked about non-stop haven't heard anything about it this year. Still on the fence with H1N1.........

BK

It has been too dry for the mosquitos to be a problem in Texas this year. No mosquitos = no West Nile virus.

When the mosquitos come back, so will the virus.

Jack

On the contrary, there have still been a couple of cases of West Nile this year and mosquitos identified as carriers in the Waco / Temple / Austin area. Obviously, it's small - on the scale of Brown Recluse bites.

[Paul Santiago]

The last time I had to get a flu shot was 1981. It worked. I got the flu for the first time. I haven't had a flu shot since and I haven't had the flu since. I'm going to keep my string going.

[Nik Habicht]

And why is flu season in the fall and winter? Maybe nutrition?

Where are people in the fall and winter? Indoors in most of the U.S. If an infected person sneezes or coughs outdoors, there's virtually no chance of another person inhaling or ingesting any of the microbes --- unless they're getting sneezed on. Microbes are dispersed pretty rapidly. Have the same scenario occur in the living room or class room, especially if the infected person coughs or sneezes regularly, and the odds of picking up the infection go way up.

Hand washing, covering the nose and mouth when coughing/sneezing, proper disposal of used tissues can all have an impact on controlling the spread of the infection....

[mdstihl]

The bad thing is, eventually we are going to have a true epidemic of something that is highly contagious and fairly fatal. But, with the constant over-hype and over exposure of every stinking thing that comes down the pike, many people (just like me) will ignore it. (just like I've ignored every other scare-mongering tactic in my life, be it flu, disease, political or whatever)

[Jadeslade]

What happened in 1976 was a PR disaster for vaccination. Guillain-Barre Syndrome was reported at 10 times the normal rate(approx. 1/1,000,000) in people receiving the swine flu vaccine compared to the regular flu vaccine. It was essentially halted by media exposure. The current theory about autism and vaccines is not that it causes autism, but may trigger autism. This was first ascribed to the thimerosal (an organic mercury preservative) in MMR vaccines. Thimerosal is no longer used, but the public perception of vaccines has become clouded with doubt. This is unfortunate, because the whole premise of vaccination is protection for those susceptible by vaccinating everyone against it. It works by overwhelming the virus in transit-halting epidemics. Just because you do not get a particular flu does not mean you are not carrying it to someone who will die from it. Getting vaccinated is something you do for yourself and the public at large. Our government and medical community do not work in concert here-so the subject becomes fractious, filled with rumor, misinformation, and in some cases ignorance. If you have no contraindications to a vaccine, the vaccine has a good chance of working, and reliable physicians unequivocally back it; it should probably be administered. All vaccines carry the risk of local and systemic reaction -like having a cold and/or lump where it is given, but that is not the same as getting the disease. A vaccination is not to be taken lightly, but should not be dismissed out of hand as a knee jerk. It needs careful consideration and perhaps consultation with a physician you trust.

[Flatland Shooter]

Interesting read on the swine flu vaccine.

http://caracommunity.com/content/h1n1-vacc...ndependent-view

[SiG Lady]

No way am I letting some clowns shoot untested disease into my bod. I seldom get raging flu any more (mild stuff, yes, but nothing to worry about) and I've NEVER, EVER submitted to a "flu shot." I have a profound concern about side-effects and the so-called vaccine doing more harm than the illness. I routinely contact the outside world in many ways and will likely do no more than rinse my hands off a bit more often this fall--if I can remember to.

What really ticks me off is the CONSTANT barrage of panic, alarm, fear and loathing spewed non-stop by newsoids on TV...!!! My God, enough already!! They're making it sound like an unstoppable, hostile invasion from Mars, for God's sake!! People get the flu every year by the thousands. It manages to even kill a fair number of people every year. So what...! Jeez. Enough already.

The people that really need to worry are folks who place their youngsters in day-care situations. They can be raging, non-stop petri dishes for illness. My 'vaccine' this season will be to intentionally avoid young children and stay away from aggressive health care providers with needles.

[Chills1994]

Media hype.

Sensationalism sells...well, more commercials during the TV news.

If it bleeds it leads....

Look on the bright side, if the bird flu becomes pandemic like and kills off a lot of baby boomers, well, social security might actually be salvageable for all us Gen X-er's.

[mdstihl]

Siggy, I avoid small children at all costs, always. Germs have little to do with it, though.

[fuzzysights]

Has anyone noticed that all of the major outbreaks of swine flu, bird flu etc happen in less developed countries? Basic sanitary living has a lot going for it. Our company offers flu shots for free, including the H1N1 this fall, and about 1/3 of our employees get it. This past flu season must have really been a bad batch of vaccine since 3of 4 of my guys that received the vaccine missed 3-5 days of work with the flu and the other 6 of us did not get sick. Someone mentioned that polio is gone in the U.S. now that everyone is vaccinated. They stopped giving that vaccinne many years ago.

MDSTIHL, are you a saw doc? Are you a dealer in Maryland?

[ChrisMcCracken]

Someone mentioned that polio is gone in the U.S. now that everyone is vaccinated. They stopped giving that vaccine many years ago.

Once the disease as been eradicated from the population, the vaccine is no longer needed. Hence, why small pox vaccination is no longer given. Some bugs will always be present though: flu, tetanus, varicella, etc.