My Advice: Get the H1N1 Vaccine!

[boreas]

The H1N1 vaccine is very very safe. Never 0% risk in a vaccine, but it's all about risk management. The risk of catching the H1N1 and getting severe symptoms is very small. The risk of having problems with the vaccine is just smaller. Vaccines are one of the great medical discoveries. They saved our society from the horrors of Polio and other terrible diseases.

As a pharmacist, I've got a cynical view of the Pharmaceutical Industry. The big pharmas are mostly about making money, no doubt about that. Yet, some good comes out of it, and this vaccine is part of that. If the vaccine wasn't available, would it be bad? Maybe not because the H1N1 flu is not as dangerous as we first thought. But it's available, so we might as well use it. I know my wife, two little girls and I will get the shot.

Phil

[Banshee]

Originally Posted by MSG'

H1N1 = FLU

its becoming spring in austrailia and only 200 people died of h1n1 out of 22 million... and the president declares a national emergency?!? give me a break

Australia has a completely different climate and a half a world away. As well the swine they raise is a different variety of pig or pigs. When you have a pig population in a certain geographical location (USA), it may or may not spread to others (Australia) unless a traveler from USA transmitted it to the pig stock in Australia. Remember SARS in China which was a huge concern? H151 Avian flu? Those mainly affected the Aisian sector from my recollection and were a serious threat here with no real issue in the US. If I remember, an epidemic effects a certain geographical area of the world, a pandemic effects the entire world.

An epidemic could be a pandemic if not controlled or addressed.

[Brokinarrow]

Originally Posted by Banshee

Australia has a completely different climate and a half a world away. As well the swine they raise is a different variety of pig or pigs. When you have a pig population in a certain geographical location (USA), it may or may not spread to others (Australia) unless a traveler from USA transmitted it to the pig stock in Australia. Remember SARS in China which was a huge concern? H151 Avian flu? Those mainly affected the Aisian sector from my recollection and were a serious threat here with no real issue in the US. If I remember, an epidemic effects a certain geographical area of the world, a pandemic effects the entire world.

An epidemic could be a pandemic if not controlled or addressed.

just so we're clear, everyone realizes you can't catch H1N1 from pigs right? Lets not freak out like Egypt and start killing off pigs (tis what happens when idiots are in charge of government)

[2ndgenz28]

Originally Posted by Brokinarrow

(tis what happens when idiots are in charge of government)

Now you know the rules, no taking shots at the prez and his admin.

[meanmike]

Originally Posted by Brokinarrow

just so we're clear, everyone realizes you can't catch H1N1 from pigs right? Lets not freak out like Egypt and start killing off pigs (tis what happens when idiots are in charge of government)

I thought you turned into a pig if you got it. Honestly though screw that shot and the regular one for that matter.

[MyNewSolstice]

Originally Posted by boreas

The H1N1 vaccine is very very safe. Never 0% risk in a vaccine, but it's all about risk management. The risk of catching the H1N1 and getting severe symptoms is very small. The risk of having problems with the vaccine is just smaller. Vaccines are one of the great medical discoveries. They saved our society from the horrors of Polio and other terrible diseases.

As a pharmacist, I've got a cynical view of the Pharmaceutical Industry. The big pharmas are mostly about making money, no doubt about that. Yet, some good comes out of it, and this vaccine is part of that. If the vaccine wasn't available, would it be bad? Maybe not because the H1N1 flu is not as dangerous as we first thought. But it's available, so we might as well use it. I know my wife, two little girls and I will get the shot.

Phil

Thanks phil for a pharmasist point of view!

[MyNewSolstice]

Also I am just posting my experience and what you take from it is your choice...EG My advice! All I can say is that I wish I'd got the vaccine....Take it for what it is worth!

[drtwo]

Originally Posted by MEDISIN

You received a live attenuated virus which would have given you some aches and pains but was NOTHING like full-borne influenza. If you truly did have influenza then you were exposed to it in the community in addition to receiving the vaccine. Remember it takes a couple of weeks to mount an immune response and get those antibodies circulating.

As for testing a vaccine against a virus that changes with geography and time, there are too many constraints to evaluate a vaccine the way we evaluate other biologics. We're forced to do the best we can with the little time we have. Yes there is some inherrant risk, but go back and read the OP...

One of you is almost right the other is partially correct. The SHOT is a KILLED virus just like the normal seasonal vaccine. The process of the flu vaccine development and production has decades of well established testing and safety. Don't listen to the hype about that. It's made the same, by the same companies, same process, same buildings, the same way, but the difference is which strain they contain to protect from.

The H1N1 vaccine is also available (just like the typical seasonal vaccine) as a nasal spray (flumist) which is an attinuated live (weakened virus) that can only work in the cooler nasal passage rather than in the lungs. So it can't give you the full clinical influenza. I've had this type for a couple of years and I have had no symptoms at all. See also the pharmacy discription above.

This H1N1 has mostly been a kids illness and lots of pneumonias are developing as a result. But I've also seen several adults do very poorly and needed ICU care.

Some kids are getting just a couple days of fever and get over it quickly, but don't count on it being as mild in every case. Get vaccinated and at least decrease your chance of a week of feeling like hell and a week off (usually without pay). Plus hopefully you won't spread it to that kid or adult that won't do so well...

[Banshee]

Originally Posted by Brokinarrow

just so we're clear, everyone realizes you can't catch H1N1 from pigs right? Lets not freak out like Egypt and start killing off pigs (tis what happens when idiots are in charge of government)

H1N1 originated in swine and mutated so it could be spread human to human. If you read my post, you could "read between the lines".

You have a specific breed in a geographical area, it may or may not mutate to transmit to humans. Thus Australia had no outbreak.

By taveler, I meant any transmitter of the H1N1...I should have said transmitter.

[MEDISIN]

Originally Posted by drtwo

One of you is almost right the other is partially correct. The SHOT is a KILLED virus just like the normal seasonal vaccine. The process of the flu vaccine development and production has decades of well established testing and safety. Don't listen to the hype about that. It's made the same, by the same companies, same process, same buildings, the same way, but the difference is which strain they contain to protect from.

The H1N1 vaccine is also available (just like the typical seasonal vaccine) as a nasal spray (flumist) which is an attinuated live (weakened virus) that can only work in the cooler nasal passage rather than in the lungs. So it can't give you the full clinical influenza. I've had this type for a couple of years and I have had no symptoms at all. See also the pharmacy discription above.

This H1N1 has mostly been a kids illness and lots of pneumonias are developing as a result. But I've also seen several adults do very poorly and needed ICU care.

Some kids are getting just a couple days of fever and get over it quickly, but don't count on it being as mild in every case. Get vaccinated and at least decrease your chance of a week of feeling like hell and a week off (usually without pay). Plus hopefully you won't spread it to that kid or adult that won't do so well...

Absolutely right. Wasn't thinking IM vs intranasal 15 years ago. Flu-mist has been in use for longer than I've been a pharmacist, but not quite 15 years

[texan]

Originally Posted by meanmike

Honestly though screw that shot and the regular one for that matter.

what if the government included an audio video recording capsule kinda like the dennis quaid injection in innerspace or another mutated bio germ that will require every american to visit a hospital under new management on the anniversary of the shot or what if and man this is really scary! what if we continued to listen to the media instead of high paid drug companies and politicians who know jack spit about anything other than how to reach their favorite lobbyist

I'm not informed enough to make a winning argument and have tons of respect for medical doctors. I'm just a little jaded with Americans and their medicine. A pill for everything. Can I get a pill that will remove my desires to be a smartass all the time. Seriously, I am glad for what we have, the longer I can stay out of a doctors office or hospital the better I feel....

how about a pill that will make me NOT want to hit 5000 rpms in 6th gear every time I think i can