Flu shot heresy (Read 2156 times)

"With consensus unlikely on this issue, can we at least agree to throttle back on the rhetoric?"

 

 

Throttle back?  Throttle back??  No.  I do thank you - you've convinced me I need to push even harder.  This is absurd.  PEOPLE ARE RISKING THE LIVES OF OTHER PEOPLE, don't you get it??   My head is exploding again.

  

This is an attempt at irony, right?  

Look, according to the morning news, as of this week, the government is nearly 30 million doses short of their projected supply of H1N1 vaccine, so most of us are likely to be exposed to and probably get the virus before next spring anyway, making this discussion moot (at least for the near future).  But, even were this not the case, you might want to consider leaving the 'exploding head' hyperbole aside and opt for a more even-tempered style of argument instead (think Trent).  'Hard pushing' will get you little more than a hard push in response; likewise, beginning a conversation with "you're an idiot because you don't appreciate my logic" will merely end the conversation before it gets a chance to begin.  Consider:  if your intention is to convince people that vaccines are the right way to go, do you really think brow-beating and name calling are going to see you through to success? (this, by the way, has been my point from the beginning).  Like it or not, until/unless the gov't mandates mass vaccinations, open and compelling dialogue with the other side is the only hope you've got - cheese that deal and the only thing you'll achieve is an increased occurrence of head explosions (which must be painful and an awful lot of work to clean up).

My problem is of a different nature. I got seasonal flu vaccine a couple of weeks ago. Now I am fighting flu, which I assume, but I am not certain, is h1n1.

When the h1n1 vaccine is available in our area should I get vaccinated anyway? What would be more responsible thing to do especially that it seems those vaccines will be in short supply for quite some time?

Ewa

 Yes, by all means, please, PLEASE do not get the H1N1 Vaccine.  You can pass your share right on over to my children. I think I have crossed over from no longer trying to talk people into it, to actively trying to talk people out of it.

 

I can't tell you how thrilled I am that my sister, her boyfriend, my mom and her partner are going to be flying on  airplanes on Friday and bringing the collective germs home to my un vaccinatable children. 

I think you misunderstood the irony I was suggesting.  

And anyway, I've written twice now that I intend to get the H1N1 shot when/if it becomes available.  Of course, if I get to the clinic ahead of you, I'll be happy to let your kids cut in front of me ...

 

it is more of a moral than safety dilemma. If I have H1N1 now, I am developing immunity and the vaccine might be wasted on me. There is a shortage of vaccines right now and I do want to do the right thing. I know, there are no easy answers. Testing is not easily available unless the symptoms are really severe, I was told by my dr.

I'm not sure what the situation is where you are, but EVERY person they've tested here has tested positive for H1N1 without a single person testing + for any other strain.  Like you, I'd assume that if I got H1N1 that the vaccine would be wasted on me after the fact.  Isn't this the reason that so few people over a certain age have become sick...since they would have become exposed or sick from Swine flu a few decades ago...?

 

Nope.  This is a different strain and any immunity left from the last one (and there is almost certainly none left) would not cross-protect.

 

Nobody knows why this virus attacks younger people more severely.

Really?  See, I think there's a lot of misinformation going around.  My folks were told by their doc that they likely don't need the vax because they were alive when the similar strain came through, even though my mom has pretty serious asthma and my dad had a stroke 2.5 years ago.  When I did a google news search re: age and immunity there are a ton of articles where "experts" are claiming that seniors are likely immune.  No wonder there's so much confusion surrounding this flu and the flu, in general.

 

Really?  See, I think there's a lot of misinformation going around.  My folks were told by their doc that they likely don't need the vax because they were alive when the similar strain came through, even though my mom has pretty serious asthma and my dad had a stroke 2.5 years ago.  When I did a google news search re: age and immunity there are a ton of articles where "experts" are claiming that seniors are likely immune.  No wonder there's so much confusion surrounding this flu and the flu, in general.

I heard something similar on NPR Science Friday, that this strain is similar (is it similar enough though) to the strain in 1958 so  those who were alive then might be more immune. But what guarantee do they have that they were exposed to the virus then?

 

Anyhow, most true expert bodies are recommending universal vaccination.  Not "universal vaccination unless you were around back in the day".

See, this is all I need to hear.  staunen2, why would you play devil's advocate when Trent states it this simply?  Why would you want to encourage people to consider NOT getting it? 

Whether the vaccine will be available is a separate issue.  We have no control over that.  My children will be vaccinated on November 4.  We have had no outbreaks in our schools yet, so I'm hoping that's soon enough.  My doctor's office is going to let me know when I can get it, and I will keep checking Maine's website for available public clinics.