Swine flu is doo doo...

1) It could have been more serious than it was.
2) Given that it reaches deeper into the lungs, attaches to different receptors, effects healthy adults, and is common all over the globe, it still could become something more dangerous with a slight mutation.

p.s. get your flu shot and your swine flu shot when it is available. This is not something we want to give a large incubating population to.

Tornadoboy said:

Or do the people behind the scenes know something we don't, like it's likely to mutate to something far deadlier soon?

I'd like to know the truth either way because we're all about to get this extremely rushed vaccine pushed on us, and VERY soon.

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It's not a secret--there is some concern that the swine flu (which is very easy to catch) could combine with the standard flu (which is deadlier) and mutate to something worse than either individually.

Not to mention, you CAN catch both, even if they don't combine and mutate. They're different strains, so being vaccinated/getting one will not protect you from the other.

If you're in the risk group for either one of them, getting the vaccine is a good precaution. Please remember, however, it takes 4-6 weeks for the vaccine to boost your immunity and is not instanteously going to protect you.

I'm a health care worker. I've gotten the one shot and will get the other when it becomes available. To me, it just makes sense.

At the hospital I work at we have been seeing an increase in the number of H1N1 cases, but so far none have been deadly. (A couple have ended up in ICU though.) I've seen some extremely high fevers with this one.

The people that will be hit the hardest will be the people who are immunocompromised or already have a weak pulmonary system (babies, elderly or otherwise ill). As for the vaccine, I usually pass up my flu shot every year because I'm a big fan of natural immunity, but I'm on the fence for this one. On one hand, I'm sure I've already been exposed, on the other, I've seen some incredibly sick people with this one. I don't care to join them.

It is not a matter of freaking out or not freaking out. Anything that could become a serious pandemic is watched, speculated over and precautions taken based on plausible worst case scenarios. The end result can and should be that nothing happens--although eventually it will, and zoonotic disease combined with low rates of vaccination and high rates of international travel are likely to be the reasons.

They're saying on the news here that if you've had the regular flu shot you are more apt to catch swine flu. Don't know the actual stats...but this is what they're saying. We usually get the shot every year...to attempt to further protect our son from getting sick. He has asthma...and even at 13 if he gets sick we're at the hospital in the wee hours because he still gets the croup!! It's terrible...we do whatever we can to build a fortress around him. Naturally, that is almost impossible...but flu shots make us feel better about our efforts. We'll be getting them.

KTC said:

They're saying on the news here that if you've had the regular flu shot you are more apt to catch swine flu. Don't know the actual stats...but this is what they're saying. We usually get the shot every year...to attempt to further protect our son from getting sick. He has asthma...and even at 13 if he gets sick we're at the hospital in the wee hours because he still gets the croup!! It's terrible...we do whatever we can to build a fortress around him. Naturally, that is almost impossible...but flu shots make us feel better about our efforts. We'll be getting them.

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My daughter has a weak pulmonary system too. I will most likely get her the H1N1 vaccine, because she just wouldn't be able to take the hit to her lungs if she caught it. I still have the fear of her catching a mutated strain while she's weakened from the vaccine though. It's a little frightening either way.

I take comfort in knowing that medicine has advanced enough that supportive care can assist the ones that get hit hard, but I still think they should be focusing more on basic public education.

Best defense: Wash your hands. Cover your cough (with your elbow, not your hands). If you or your child has a hint of a fever, stay home. Stay hydrated and eat a healthy diet. Get adequate rest. CARRY HAND SANITIZER AND USE IT LIBERALLY.

I don't know where the idea comes from that the flu shot increases susceptability to H1N1, but the CDC recommends not delaying or avoiding the usual vaccine and I believe them over TV pundits and hearsay over an unpublished study. If the study is so damn important they should make it public domain rather than start a scare that is likely to be counter-productive.

Yes. We do all that. First Line Defense. We have hand sanitizer all over the office and all over our home. I'm always afraid of our son getting sick. Always have been.

KTC said:

Yes. We do all that. First Line Defense. We have hand sanitizer all over the office and all over our home. I'm always afraid of our son getting sick. Always have been.

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I sympathize more than you know. If I could put my daughter in a bubble, I would. There is nothing worse than watching your child fight for air and worrying that he/she will run out energy and frump.

veinglory said:

I don't know where the idea comes from that the flu shot increases susceptability to H1N1, but the CDC recommends not delaying or avoiding the usual vaccine and I believe them over TV pundits.

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Here's a short story. They've been saying it on Canadian news for the past two weeks or so.

SWINE FLU

This week saw media reports of studies out of Canada suggesting that getting the seasonal flu shot makes people more susceptible to H1N1 — unpublished data that influenced Ontario's decision to delay its seasonal flu shots.

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The story has had WIDE media coverage.

kayleamay said:

I sympathize more than you know. If I could put my daughter in a bubble, I would. There is nothing worse than watching your child fight for air and worrying that he/she will run out energy and frump.

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Yep. I know how it feels to speed through red lights at dark o-clock in the morning. I can't wait to get him to that oxygen and the steroids he needs to open his breathing path. It was way worse when he was younger...now he can tell us more...communicate the urgency, etc. There were times when he was younger where we thought he would die on the way to the hospital.

KTC said:

They're saying on the news here that if you've had the regular flu shot you are more apt to catch swine flu.

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This sounds to me that someone conflated and misinterpreted the facts that 1) you are still vulnerable to swine flu if you get the seasonal flu shot and 2) Swine flu is more easily spread.

They did determine that in its current (last summer's) form the H1N1 flu was not transmitted by air which makes it easier to manage with good hygiene. However mutations can happen.

Finally, one reason for concern is that even if it doesn't kill anyone having a substantial proportion of the working population either too sick to work or caring for sick family is still a problem.

I tend not to be too swayed by what is said on the news unless I can see the data set myself.

I think some irresponsible researcher is self-promoting. If he wants the public to know about his findings he should publish the study immediately online with open access.

Given the similar mortality for the 2 flus, and the fact you will soon be able to take both vaccines, the statment that the shot somewhat increase risk of H1N1 may be beside the point--it could do that and still reduce risk of serious illness and/or death from flu or any kind.

p.s. I also think insurance comanies should wake the hell up and cover these vaccines.

Check my thinking here:

If you have to get the 2 flu shots separately, it's better to get the H1N1 first because it is more likely to be ugly [unless the regular flu is more of a serious risk factor for you]. So if you are protected from it and the shot knocks your immunity down a bit, you are better off.

???

In any case, it's not hype or panic, imho, to get a vaccination. This flu is already different than other strains in a few ways, and vaccination against any flu could save lives. It could have side effects, too. It's always a risk-benefit thing.

No matter how hard I try, I can't work up the slightest concern about swine flu.

scarletpeaches said:

No matter how hard I try, I can't work up the slightest concern about swine flu.

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I think I had it late spring. It really hurts, at least!

The regular flu vaccine only covers three strains of the flu. The three strains they vaccinate for are basically educated guesses. The H1N1 vaccine covers only that strain. If the strain mutates, the vaccine will not cover it. The idea that getting a flu vaccine makes you more susceptible to getting sick is because your immune system takes a small hit before it boosts up to cover the vaccinated strains. Some people have gotten sick at that inopportune time.

I'm gonna eat loads of bacon to immunise myself.

scarletpeaches said:

No matter how hard I try, I can't work up the slightest concern about swine flu.

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Don't come crying to us in Mid-December when the only thing you can utter is, "Oink, oink".

I promise not to ham it up.

scarletpeaches said:

I'm gonna eat loads of bacon to immunise myself.

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Always a good plan. The best way to fight illness is to thicken your blood to the consistency of lard so the the little buggers get trapped in there and can't spread. It's like natural fly paper.

I hate to be serious about all this, but we should call it H1N1. This disease originated in people and is transmitted person-to-person.