flu vaccine

dakotajo

so I've heard if you already got the regular flu shot first it leaves your body more "open" to the h1n1 virus? also, I wonder how many of us are carriers right now and would the vaccine do any good if it takes 10 days to be effective?

MafiaPrincess

Yes. It's still women mid twenties to thirtys that are the highest risk group.. this is the second kid to die in Ontario in a few days though.. the other child was younger. Middle age and lower seems to be the 'target group' in general they'd like to see getting vaccinated. I wasn't totally sure.. but with healthy generally healthy young people dying.. I'm not risking it.

Mdawn

I can't even seem to manage to get the regular seasonal flu shot. Everyone in my area is out of them. I doubt I'll be able to get the H1N1 either when it comes out.

pittsabowawa

Sounds reasonable to me

Meg.. you reminded me of something I didn't think about. I work with disabled kids twice a week... I think I may reconsider getting the shots to help lower the risk of passing it onto them. Not that they're immune systems are deficient but I don't know if they are or not.

hulkamaniac

I'm the same way. A year or so ago I fell about 6-8 feet off a ladder onto a stone floor and broke my wrist. In the ambulance the paramedics asked me what my pain level was. I told them about a 6 so the decided to start and IV with pain meds. I begged and pleaded with them not to start the IV. I told them I would rather have the pain than the pain meds. I literally begged them not to. Sadly, I lost the argument because I was strapped to a gurney at the time. That's my story about fearing needles.

ValtheAussie

I am going to make sure that my college age son gets it. A healthy 17-year-old who lived in a town nearby died over the weekend within 24 hours of falling ill. Lots of people who get it get a mild case, but you don't want to be the exception where it is fast and fatal if you are in one of the groups likely to have this happen.

txcollies

Not getting it, won't ever get it, won't be made to get it, nor regular flu vax either. I got the mist two years in a row, and my unvaxed family was just as healthy as I was. It didn't do a thing...

GottaLuvMutts

Saw an article in the University's newspaper the other day warning people that not getting the vaccine is akin to taking your life in your hands. Dramatization anyone? When I taught undergrads, I used to get sick like twice or three times per quarter. Now that I don't teach anymore, I'm not exposed to all their germs and I don't get sick much at all.

I'm not afraid of doctors, I'm not afraid of needles, and I wouldn't pay a cent for the vaccine, but I think I'm still skipping it.

On the subject of reactions to vaccines, my last TB test, which was about 15 years ago, landed me in the hospital with a neurological problem. Thankfully it was temporary, but I scared my parents and doctors to death. So I don't sneeze at the risk of a reaction, particularly when it's something new.

RonE

I'm sorry but that's like saying my dog didn't use heartworm prevention and didn't get heartworm.

It's a personal decision but I'm baffled by the number of people who are more afraid of the needle than of the flu.

Please, if you do get the flu, stay away from people - especially me.

wvasko

Hulk,
We do have something in common as 2 years ago I also took header off ladder on concrete and snapped a wrist and broke 2 ribs on the fallen ladder. We live in rural area and just drove to ER where they just put some type of temp cast on wrist and x-rayed chest. 1st x-ray reading showed 1 broke rib but when they sent to the back up lab they found 2 ribs broke(isn't that special) but 2 days later the bone specialist person viewed wrist and told me that he could operate and put screws, pins etc in wrist. I told him at my advanced age I thought I could get along with out the extra hardware. He prescribed some Oxy-something pills and that was it. 2 years later and wrist is about 95% back, I can do standard push-ups and light weight curls etc and all is good. I am not into heavy pain medicine and our ER never even offered any. I had to put correction based dog training off for 2 months and then slowly worked back into program.

Wife and I both got our standard Flu shots and are not eligible (due to age) for other H1N1 stuff and this will give us a chance to see how the vaccinations affect others first.

ioreks_mom

i won't be getting it. last year i got the seasonal flu shot and i had a very painful reaction. i don't want that to happen again i am sensitive to eggs (not quite allergic, but getting there) and i think that was the problem. if i didn't have this reaction i would be getting the vaccines (H1N1 and seasonal) because 1) i don't want to get sick and 2) i have ferrets and i don't want them to get sick. there is no close vet and i don't know if they will last the 2 1/2 hours to drive to the vet if they ended up with the flu! i am going to be extra cautious not to get sick to start with and if i do end up sick i will wear a mask, gloves and clean clothes every time i go into their room.

ThoseWordsAtBest

Too late for me. I'm sick as all get out. All the cough syrup in the world is barely keeping my lungs in place and the aches are unbearable. I'd like to thank all the jackasses at my job who are sick, show up, complain about being so sick, and hack all over the computers. All the hand washing in the world didn't save me.

FilleBelle

For you (and for everyone scared of needles) there are other options. Ask your doctor about FluMist...it gives the vaccine in a nasal spray.

ioreks_mom

the flu mist doesn't use eggs? i am not sure we have that in canada? i have never heard of it being used here.

FilleBelle

If I understood what I read about the vaccine correctly, egg product is used a binder to keep all the other stuff that makes up the vaccine shot together. Such a binder would not be needed for the mist.

I could be wrong. I was looking at the information about it in my doctor's office, but I was also on painkillers for an infected wisdom tooth, so I wasn't at my best and I'm definitely fuzzy on the details.

wvasko

That's the same program etc that I heard on TV news so it must be true.

Inga

I have seen a few people die from it already. Granted those folks were not the healthiest people to start with but... My friends bosses daughter died from it last week. She had down syndrome but I think otherwise healthy.
I have to because I have direct patient contact. I have already had it and I am not growing a beard or anything like some folks think might happen if they get it. lol I have also seen how nasty it effects people and how long they spend in the hospital. To me, it is worth it.


For those of you that are afraid of needles ask your doctors about the nasal mist. You won't even know you had it.
I did have to sign that I was not allergic to eggs though for that as well. You do have to be under 50 to get the mist as it becomes less effective for anyone over 50 years old, they need to get the shot.

FilleBelle

Darn it. I could have SWORN it was egg free.

Disregard me, guys...I'm clearly in no shape to be giving medical advice!

ioreks_mom

i thought that the virus was incubated in the egg...see, that shows how much i know! haha!

i don't know for sure but i am really nervous. they were saying on the radio the other day that people with egg allergies can get the vaccine but there is a protocol that involves giving 10% of the vaccine and waiting a certain amount of time and then if there is no reaction giving the other 90% of the vaccine. maybe i will have to look into this.

txcollies

I never said I was scared of needles, in fact, I'm not. :-)

But after having done extensive research, I've chosen not to take the jab.