H1N1 Vaccine

[RogerH]

My wife and I both got the H1N1 vaccine. I got the nasal spray and she got the injection. We are both Registered Nurses and in the ER. Some of our colleagues did not get it.

I guess what pushed me "over the fence" was seeing (2) patients in their 20's and (1) in his 30's be admitted to the hospital with H1N1 and they eventually died. Now there were many admitted that eventually went home, but the fact that these were young healthy adults was the surprise. As a previous poster stated, the vaccine is produced just like the seasonal vaccine and many have been given without incident.

Some years I get the flu vaccine, others I don't. Sometimes I get the flu even if I had the shot, it just means that I picked up a different strain, or I was exposed just about the time I was vaccinated.

Everyone has their reasons/beliefs. To each their own!

[Streakerfreak]

One thing needs to be cleared up here

Many people believe the flu/H1N1 shot can cause the flu. There is no live virus in the vaccine so it truly cannot cause the flu. However, some people do experience one of the common fall or winter viruses shortly after vaccination and will simply mistake those infections for the flu. Other times they have picked up a different strain then what the shot was for or have been infected around the time of the shot so they mistake it for the shot giving them the flu.

I poo pooed the H1N1 Virus like many others and payed no attention to it...that was until Jenn started to check in infected patients daily. She started working there back in October 2008 and since that time she has brought home and given me 2 different strains of flu, 3 Upper respiratory infections, and 2 multi day stomach bugs.

[RogerH]

You are correct! (The nasal spray for H1N1 is considered "live" but attenuated, meaning it has lost its virility).

[Streakerfreak]

You are correct! (The nasal spray for H1N1 is considered "live" but attenuated, meaning it has lost its virility).

Right, though I keep forgetting about the nasal spray.

[Desolation]

Went to the Dr'z last week a follow up visit.
He asks me if I am going to get a flue shot, actually advised it.
I asked which I should get and he says I have to get the shot and that even if I wanted it, I could not get it, because there isn't any available.
I said fine because I didn't really plan on getting one, but if I change my mind... The reply was by the time we get enough, you wont need to get one. RIP

[78Bronco]

I'm not getting the vax. It's just the flu. Media is serving FEAR. People die of the flu every year, so H1N1 wont be any different. So much for evolution, humanns are getting weaker and weaker.

[RMP&O]

Heck NO I wouldn't get the vaccine. I don't trust the government to have my health in their best interest. Just look at the FDA for many examples of that. Also the vaccine is proving to be worse for you then the swine flu. Not to mention how quickly it was rushed out, no way it has been tested enough.

There are other ways to beat the flu and or not get it besides taking some governement cooked up shots.

my .02

[HanzoSteel]

I'm healthy and usually never get sick so I won't be getting it, but I would recommend a child getting it.

[AndrewP]

Heck NO I wouldn't get the vaccine. I don't trust the government to have my health in their best interest. Just look at the FDA for many examples of that. Also the vaccine is proving to be worse for you then the swine flu. Not to mention how quickly it was rushed out, no way it has been tested enough.

There are other ways to beat the flu and or not get it besides taking some governement cooked up shots.

my .02

There are a lot of uninformed people out there and you seem to be one of them. As has been stated, this isn't the government's vaccine. And tell me how it's worse than getting the H1N1 virus itself? It will keep you from getting this particular strain of influenza A.

This Influenza is not really different from any influenza A. Most healthy people will have a 7-10 days of illness and a week or two of recovery. No big deal right? Except a few will die, as with any influenza A. With the vaccine you get to skip the 3 weeks of illness/recovery. And you won't end up in the dead pool either. That's a pretty good deal.

I fully agree that the media has hyped this like the OJ Simpson trial. It makes people watch the news. It is just the flu, but it's real flu, and most people don't have even partial immunity to this strain.

Remember that in industrial settings, influenza vaccines cut winter absences from work by 40%. That says something right there.

If you have access to this vaccine, take advantage of it. There is no downside.

And yes, I have personally had the vaccine.

[ddog45]

I am a respiratory therapist in Longmont and feel if you dont want to get the shot or nasal spray quit talking about it and get out of the way so someone who wants it or feels they need it. Im so sick of hearing people complain about it if you dont want the vaccine and want to gamble on not geting the flu go for it. We have had a few deaths related to the flu in people with other health issues. I am young I am healthy and I feel good about my health but when patients come into the hospital and cough in my face I feel the need to protect myself anyway possible a little huf of the flu doesnt seem nearly as bad as ending up on a ventilator.
If you are overweight and out of shape maybe you should cut to the front of the line because you are at more risk than the rest of us.
Good luck stay healthy