H1N1 Vaccine?

[Alexander Quinn]

Originally Posted by Phalanx

I assume you avoid all anti-bacterial products, too?

Actually, yes. Why pay $4 for a 10 mL bottle of chemicals to wash your hands with, then have to wash your hands with water to get rid of the chemical smell when you can skip step one and be done with it.

Sorry for the sarcasm, but nothing is ever going to convince me a vaccine for a virus that is in the spotlight as a media darling is a good idea. There have been strains of "swine flu" for years; it's not a new thing, just a stronger than usualy strain of this specific flu; and again one that has done such a small amount of comparative damage. If I'm going to be scared of some medical boogey-man, it'll be heart disease or cancer.

Being prepared is one thing, but lining up just because someone tells you to line up and getting a shot because someone tells you to get a shot that may or may not help against a virus that may or may not be a real threat just seems like lazy medical reasoning, sloppy governing and mindless living all rolling along on the coattails of news programs giving us flashy stories and sticking a face up alongside it to personify and add emotional impact. Traditional yellow journalism at it's best.

You at least have hunted down facts to back your opinion, and for that you have my respect, but most are just doing what they're told because someone told them to. They're scared to sneeze because the media has forced onto them the idea that H1N1 is this great mythic killer that is going to cut them all down if they don't run and get shot up with a drug (given what a vaccine does, it qualifies as a drug pretty strongly) that I have little reason to have faith in.

Of course, time will tell how it all works out. Maybe it'll help squash a harmful infliction from the face of the world...or maybe it'll turn people into zombies. Seriously. Maybe.

[devilsknight]

See now that's why when my buddy graduated from University in Architecture...first thing he said he was gonna do is build himself a zombie proof house !

And no i'm not kidding He showed me the blue prints LOL

Hey does anyone else remember that other "pandemic" called Bird Flu ?! It was suppose to kill everyone on the planet ? What ever happened to that pesky bird flu ?!?!

[devilsknight]

Originally Posted by Pascal

You seemed to imply that you and your baby were healthy enough to pass on the shot and I'm just saying babies are vulnerable no matter what. No need to overreact, we're just discussing.

From this quote please tell me where I might have "implied" my son was healthy enough to pass on the shot...please...!

The clan here decided against it as well. My son is right on the border for the age where he can/can't have it. So we're just taking some more than normal precautions like sanitizing our hands etc etc.

I've never been a strong believer of the flu shot anyways, and the fact they are pressing this vaccine on everybody just makes it an easier decision to NOT get it. Fear mongering at it's best.

Speaking of that Mississauga hockey player, the flu kills like 100,000+ people a year, the only reason why he made news was cause he died of H1N1. The media failed to mention that after he starting showing symptoms and was told to rest, he also went to a hockey tournament and played...which probably weakened him enough for the virus to take control. He also further infected like 4 other people on his team...

I'll put my faith in my immune system and do my best to not catch it. I'm not one to take medications when I get sick anyways.

I really only support the vaccine for those at risk and vulnerable, not for the healthy.

Anyone else wondering why people 65+ are virtually immune from H1N1 ?...probably because they didn't live in a time where a pill or a needle were pushed so hard on them.

I only overreact when people put words in my mouth when they have no business doing so ! Your response had nothing to do with a discussion just merely manipulating what I said...that or you just post to post...

[Phalanx]

Originally Posted by Alexander Quinn

...all rolling along on the coattails of news programs giving us flashy stories and sticking a face up alongside it to personify and add emotional impact. Traditional yellow journalism at it's best.

...

Of course, time will tell how it all works out. Maybe it'll help squash a harmful infliction from the face of the world...or maybe it'll turn people into zombies. Seriously. Maybe.

... O.o

I'll definitely agree that the media isn't doing anyone any favours. As I said earlier, fear mongering works both ways, and the media plays on those fears for ratings (that goes for how they're handling the flu and the vaccinations). I blame the 24 hour news cycle... but that's another discussion entirely, I think.

[Pascal]

Originally Posted by devilsknight

From this quote please tell me where I might have "implied" my son was healthy enough to pass on the shot...please...!

That's what I understood from this:

Originally Posted by devilsknight

The clan here decided against it as well

+

I really only support the vaccine for those at risk and vulnerable, not for the healthy

You say your family is refusing the shot and that you don't really support the shot for the healthy. Your family is refusing the shot, therefore you consider your family (and that includes your baby) healthy enough to pass on the shot.

No need to be outraged man.

[devilsknight]

Originally Posted by Pascal

That's what I understood from this:



You say your family is refusing the shot and that you don't really support the shot for the healthy. Your family is refusing the shot, therefore you consider your family (and that includes your baby) healthy enough to pass on the shot.

No need to be outraged man.

It's a shame you missed this sentence.

My son is right on the border for the age where he can/can't have it.

Pretty sure that was the reason I stated as to why he wasn't getting the shot.


Considering I never defined a "healthy" person, your assuming...and assumptions are the mother of all fuck ups !!!

There's no outrage, just trying to correct people who pick and choose words.

[Shepp]

I don't get flu shots. Mainly because I am batshit terrified of needles.

I'm a fairly healthy guy in my mid-20s, so I figure I've got a fighting chance against H1N1. As far as I know, the thing just hits like a really hard flu.

And I'm not confused about what a flu is either. That stuff will really weaken you and land you in the hospital for a couple of weeks. Its not one of those small fever, 24 to 48 hour "flu" illnesses that people get every so often.

I've had the Australian Flu (according to my doctor, that's what I had) for a couple of weeks, and that stuff was so bad I measured my temperature at 104 at one point, where I was closer to 102 for the rest of the time. That and I was hallucinating something fierce.

For an entire day I was terrified to get off of the couch or let my feet touch the carpet in the living room. I was absolutely certain that the space between the couch and coffee table was occupied by tiny quarter-sized spaceships that wanted to harvest the material of my legs to make a mothership and mount an invasion. I finally worked up the courage and strength to climb over furniture to eventually get to the bathroom, which was fine because the floor wasn't carpet.

Yes, the flu messes you up. In hindsight, I probably should have gone to the hospital.

If the vaccine could 100% protect me without any chance of side effect, then I'd be all for it. Hell, I'd be all for getting knocked unconscious for a week and being injected with every vaccine on the planet if they had a 100% success rate with 0% side effects.

But the fact that there are possible side effects, and that they may not 100% protect me makes it seem like a huge gamble.

Plus, the last time they made a vaccine for Swine Flu back in like the 60s or 70s, the vaccine ended up killing some people.

If I do end up getting it at some point, it'll be well after its been established that the vaccine has a proven track record.

[Phalanx]

Early studies on the adjuvanted vaccine showed that it was effective in 80% of the people tested. New results came in today which showed that it was over 90% effective in pregnant women. Odds of a seriously adverse reaction to the flu vaccine are less than 1 in 1,000,000... You have better odds of getting in a serious car accident than having a serious reaction to the flu shot. Just something to think about the next time you get in a car.

Also, the 76 swine flu vaccine was addressed earlier in the thread. The 76 GBS outbreak was linked to a batch with bacterial contamination, not the vaccine itself.

Time article on H1N1 vaccine effectiveness

FAQ from the Montreal Gazette

[Sokar]

Nope. I'm not high risk, in my late 20's and have no pre-existing conditions that put me at much danger.

That and I think I might actually be suffering from it at the moment anyway. My symptoms match the card that was sent out detailing all the symptoms, but then again that's not much different than most flu's that I've had before, so I'm not sure.

I'm just a little more careful about making sure to cover my mouth if I cough, etc... I'm probably borderline OCD when it comes to washing my hands and keeping them free of oil anyway, so I'm not seeing much issue there.

I'd much rather see someone with kids, at a high risk of developing complications, or at a high risk of contracting it (ie police, ems, etc) get the shot first.

[Poho]

Given current infection and death statistics, I am not nearly concerned enough to take a vaccine that isn't 100% safe and ready.