I don't really consider the Journal of the American Medical Association to be a "sensational news network" -- Critically Ill Patients With 2009 Influenza A(H1N1) Infection in Canada – http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/2009.1496 Critically Ill Patients With 2009 Influenza A(H1N1) in Mexico – http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/2009.1536 those are the links to the articles about Canada and Mexico-- both countries show that the highest numbers of deaths from H1N1 are in young or middle aged previously healthy adults. Also, I can't find the link right now but there are already an incredibly high number of children in this country who have died from H1N1 (incredibly high compared to the number of kids normal seasonal flu kills in a year) Also, the CDC is saying that after heath care workers and pregnant women, healthy people aged 6 mo- 24 years (or anyone that cares for someone under 6 mo) are the first in line to get the vaccine. why would they vaccinate them before the elderly if the elderly were at a greater risk? Ya, I know that H1N1 fatalities aren't comparable to malaria, AIDS--whatever. But I'm not particularly concerned about getting any of those things. As a healthy young adult living in the US, I'm most concerned about this new strain of flu that is targeting and killing people like me. Seriously- I wouldn't recommend a seasonal flu vaccine for very many young, otherwise healthy adults- but I would recommend H1N1 for them simply because they're at a higher risk than most people. H1N1 is nothing to freak out about, but be sensible- if you're part of a high risk group, get the freakin vaccine.
Well, as long as we realize that high-risk means most likely to die - not simply most likely to get the flu - then maybe the links should be re-checked... That's the whole high-risk assessment. It isn't a case of who may get the flu, but who may die from it. That study still suggests that older patients are more likely to die. I think it's interesting, though, and not shocking to see a rise in younger persons (although I wouldn't call them healthy) that are either obese or morbidly obese, as noted in that study. You're not healthy when you're morbidly obese. You're already causing a great strain to your body, and your immune system weakens. Based on that figure alone (which was slated as one of the higher risks among younger people who were infected and died), it is not surprising that more young people are becoming severely ill from the flu, considering the high rate of obesity that the world has seen. Here is the CDC link with an explanation of who is more likely to get the flu versus who is more likely to die from it: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/recommendations.htm
I voted that I had it and it wasn't bad, but I guess that's relatively speaking. It didn't have me moaning in bed (not in the good way) the whole week. I'd say the worst day was the first day (last Sunday), and after that it got progressively better. But, a week later (yesterday) I was back at Patient First feeling bad again and turns out I have bronchitis. Or maybe mild pneumonia. So now I'm on antibiotics. My daughter, who just turned 7, had it at the same time and she is 100% better. Last Thursday I heard about a first grader one town over, who died from it. It's been pointed out numerous times this isn't statistically more deadly than the regular flu, but regular flu deaths don't make the news and so it isn't in my face. The more I read about people that are otherwise healthy dying from random shit, the more I can understand why people become hypochondriacs. I have to mentally slap myself a lot these days to keep from wigging out.
um, There is no cure for the common cold because there is no common cold. Its a similar set of symptoms caused by hundreds of viruses. So to " cure the common cold" you would need something that inhibits and or kills every single virus causing those symptoms. If you think you really as qualified as a doctor, go take the MCATS. Tell us how you do.. FOCUS: I've been told I had H1N1 but they never did a swab so it could have been anything really. My only symptom was trouble breathing. Having a heart condition doesn't make it that odd of an occurrence.
Also from JAMA Canada article They do say at the end that most young people who were received those treatments were able to survive through the critical stages of illness, so I guess you're right there.. but still, do you want it to come to that? mechanical ventilation? a week in the ICU? this is why old people get seasonal flu shots- why I think that people in at-risk groups should just get the H1N1 vaccine
I kind of have to laugh about the debate on whether people should or shouldn't get the H1N1 vaccine. In my neck of the woods, it isn't even an option. My daughter's school was planning to administer it tomorrow, but it was postponed indefinitely because there is a shortage. A lot of locals got pissed off when they found out that adults were standing in line at the schools to get vaccinated. The health department finally had to say over a megaphone that any adults getting vaccinated were taking away a dose from a child.
Fuck vaccines. But I think this fellow has something differnt to say. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gwUdmPl0bU
...and that's just to get your foot in the door prior to spending 5-8 years doing the most grueling postgrad studies imaginable. If by "enough research" you mean "4 years of science in college, the MCAT, 4 years of medical school and internships that leave you with literally no time to sleep, and 1-4 years of specialist training" then yes, anyone who does "enough research" can become a "pill pusher". You have no idea what you're talking about. You have nothing to contribute to humanity. Kill yourself.
[x] Had it, wasn't that bad. Granted, it wasn't lovely, it was still a terrible time, but for me it was no worse than what might be called, "Standard Flu". I had no energy when at my worse, every time I coughed (all the time for several days unless I kept my mouth shut and didn't swallow, breathe, or try to clear my throat) I felt as though I would hack up a lung and I felt an intense pressure behind my eyes and against my nose, along with a high fever. I thought I had the flu, it wasn't until I spoke to a doctor after being sent home from work (I returned, thinking I was doing better and at the stage where I would be able to cope with a day's work if I took care of myself, only to feel like I'd been hit by a freight train within the first hour of the day and my symptoms became much worse) that I was diagnosed with the piggy cold, and subsequently hurried out of the surgery (with orders to stay in bed) in order to cut down possible infection of other patients. Even at its worse stage, it still felt like the bout of flu I experienced a year ago. The most irritating thing was being under a Doctor's and Family house arrest with nothing to do, especially after being signed off until a particular date, so even after making a full recovery, I couldn't return to work for another three days and wasn't receiving sick pay, while going out of my mind locked in a house with nothing to do. I didn't help my case by returning to work with a pair of pigs trotters I'd bought from a supermarket and pretended pig trotters for hands was a symptom of H1N1 to wind up the poor lass at work who unfortunately believes such wild statements. At least during the reprimand, my boss admitted to seeing the funny side.
You know what? Fuck H1N1...all I can think about after reading Nettdata's original post is Snatch fish. Holy shit, how has no one mentioned this yet? They swim up your urethra and live there! How is this not on the news? Focus: No one I know has had it, but everyone who got sick went in to get checked out, which is probably a good thing. I might get the vaccine when it's available, but haven't decided for sure. "H1N1 will kill you!" "The H1N1 vaccine will kill you!" Talk about rolling the dice.
I teach in a public middle school and right now we have only had two or three confirmed cases of the swine flu. There is another school in our district though that had a whole class of 28 with it and they shut down the school for a week. The second week of school I came down with flu-like systems that lasted about a week, but my doctor just said it was the seasonal flu not the swine flu. I've never gotten a flu shot and I've always fared just fine. This is my first year teaching however so we'll see how the rest of the year goes for me.
Please, educate us on the toxic ingredients of vaccines, citing credible sources. I cannot believe the fear mongering of people all of a sudden about these vaccines. If you have children, are you going to refuse the measles vaccine, along with all the others they receive in school? Seriously, if you aren't going to get the vaccine because you don't see any real threat from the swine flu, because you've never had a flu shot before and have never gotten the flu, because you can't afford it (not sure if this is an actual problem, I'm on my parents health plan still) or because you're too lazy to go out and get it, that's fine. You're own choice, and there's no way I can argue against it. But to say that there's toxic ingredients in the vaccine that, they themselves, are extremely dangerous and that you think are bad for you? Give me a break.
I have gotten both the Flu vaccine and the H1N1 vaccine. I am an RN, and my hospital basically required us to get the regular flu vaccine. They have always had the policy that if you didn't get the vaccine, and then got the flu, you were not allowed to use your PTO to be paid for your absence. This year they took it a step further and said that anybody who didn't get vaccinated would have to wear a mask anytime you were in contact with patients. Fuck that. The H1N1 was optional so I opted to get it, I really rolled the dice and got the live attenuated virus in the nasal mist because even though I am a nurse I am a pansy about needles so selected the non-needle option. I haven't developed Guillain-Barre or sprouted a second head yet, so fingers crossed. As far as what I have actually seen regarding H1N1, I am also a NP student and am doing clinicals 3 days a week at an Internal Medicine office where the average patient population is elderly and generally have multiple chronic diseases. I haven't seen a single case of H1N1 yet (although there have been quite a few panicked people thinking that they did have it). Now the Family Practice and Urgent Care in the same office who typically see the younger and healthier patients have seen many many many. I don't even know if they are swabbing them anymore, but diagnosing via the symptoms.
I'll even save you guys the lit review and provide some interesting reading regarding the additives in vaccines. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/c ... 112/6/1394 I have more if this doesn't convince you. Seriously why are people listening to that damn Jenny McCarthy and Oprah (and now Suzanne Somers with her natural remedies to cure cancer) regarding healthcare matters. I understand that there is nothing wrong with challenging your health care provides, but taking the advice of Playmate of the Year and Singled Out host over your Physician just does not make any sense. Do your own research people.
I won't be receiving the H1N1 vaccine. Although H1N1 is particularly virulent, its lethality is 1.2% - in my view, that's not something to get overly worked up about. On top of that, though, there are several aspects of the vaccine that make me question its widespread use. First, the decision to hurry the vaccine to market gives me some serious pause. This has backfired in terrible ways before (think Vioxx and DES) and, although I understand the vaccine isn't a traditional drug (in the sense that it's not a small molecule), I think any major push to release a treatment without the proper testing can result in catastrophe. Secondly, vaccination against a virus that mutates as quickly as influenza does not seem like the best idea due to the development of resistance. Although vaccination has been widely successful against viruses like smallpox and polio, both those viruses are confined to 2 or 3 strains. Strains of Influenza are much more ubiquitous and adaptable. Vaccination against a particular strain may come close to eradicating it, but Influenza will likely mutate anyway. If this particular mutation were to figure out some way to escape the immune system, that would be particularly disastrous. Lastly, I won't get into a discussion about thimerosal and autism, since nothing supports that link, but to me, willfully introducing even a low dose of mercury to your brain isn't necessarily the best idea. The way I see it, if you don't have an above-average change to be exposed to the (relatively non-lethal) virus, I really don't see the point in taking a potentially dangerous prophylactic. I think the words "Never waste a good crisis" aptly apply here.
I hope I'm not giving people the wrong idea here. I'm not saying that vaccines are bad at all. Vaccines for measles, polio, etc. are important because they successfully prevent terrible diseases. In my experience, flu shots are not particularly successful. And as far as I can tell, the swine flu is just a new strain that is no more or less deadly than the regular flu. I don't know if this vaccine (or even the 1976 one) actually has any harmful ingredients, but I am suspicious of something that is rushed into production based on unnecessary hysteria.
You know, you seem a bit naive in what you said, but my head just about blew up reading this post. 1. Explain where "proper testing" was not done for this vaccine. If this can be found, show comparisons to vaccines that are accepted in the standard regimen, and what testing was done with them before they were released that made them safer upon release than the H1N1 vaccine. I know the FDA seal of approval isn't quite an imprimatur of safety, but it still has gone through the same testing that everything else goes through. 2. The term "resistance" is used in the entirely wrong context here. Absolutely wrong. Your body makes antibodies upon presentation of viral antigen from the vaccine; unlike anti-virals (to which resistance is rapidly developed) the vaccine doesn't treat - it simulates having gotten the disease in the first place. What you mean by "resistance" is actually mutation. If the virus mutates enough that the antibodies do not recognize the virus, then we'd have a different virus on our hands. This would happen whether or not we vaccinated, and would not necessarily be more (or less) deadly than the current version running around. In any case, it's quite safe to say that even if H1N1 mutates enough to evade the antibodies, the partial immunity conferred from the vaccine will be of benefit; see, for example, how the 1918 flu did not kill more elderly people as much because of a previous strain that had gone around decades before which conferred partial immunity. 3. Thimerosal has not even been in standard vaccine stocks for several years; some flu vaccines do contain it, but there are flu vaccines available without it (I don't know if it's in the H1N1 vaccines, or which stocks might or might not have it). And, like everything else that goes through the FDA, it has been tested and quite frankly the very emotional argument of "It's Mercury! It's bad! I don't care what the science or data says, we shouldn't be putting it in our bodies!" is an absolutely terrible one. At best it is, as I said, emotional and entirely unsupported by data, and at worst, it devolves into Jenny McCarthyism (which is emotional, entirely unsupported by data, and responsible for the maiming and deaths of far too many children). As I said in another point in this thread, it's not because the vaccine is bad, but because seasonal flu vaccines are sometimes formulated to protect against the wrong viruses that are causing the flu in any given season. In any case, I'm throwing my hat in with this sentiment: It doesn't particularly matter to me if you do or don't get the vaccine, but I can't stand the wild misconceptions and misinformation running around.
And you're not only on the internets but on a random messageboard too? Welcome, click any thread and your head may explode. I have a cold right now. I've had it for just shy of 2 weeks. Up until this point I hadn't been sick with anything (cold or flu) for in upwards of 2 years. I haven't had a flu shot since childhood and am one of "those" that thinks if I did I'd contract it. Right or wrong I'm still alive and just as bitchy as ever. My Mom volunteers at the hospital and gets hers for free. When I spoke to her last week while sick she, proceeded to give me the flu shot talk. I asked when she got hers, she said a few weeks back, ya know right before she got sick. I take the easier route, I get lots and lots of vitamin C, from the screwdrivers.
H1N1, And really flu vaccines in general. Never had a "shot" nor have I ever contracted the flu. I see them as pointless. That rap has to be one of the most unintentionally comedic things I have ever witnessed.