Monroe Chat

Is this a worrisome issue? Do you plan on getting vaccinated from H1 virus? I see the statistics and about as many people will be effected by the H1 virus as the normal flu virus if I am not mistaken. Also the deaths will be about the same. I will likely get vaccinated from this because the younger age group is vulnerable to this virus.
Any thoughts?

I think I'll take my chances without it.
My understanding is that the "younger" means ~pre-school and "Older" age groups means senior citizens. I don't think 20-somethings are included in the "younger" category. Did I hear that incorrectly?

I'm not sure how "younger" is, but I believe it's more than just preschool. I think elementary school aged kids are at a greater risk, but I could be wrong. I'm pretty sure young adults are at no greater risk than with the normal flu.

I'll probably get it if my employment offers it, and I believe they are already talking about it. I usually get the flu shot anyway just because I can and I am at a high risk of exposure. But I'm no more worried about it than I am the typical flu. I'll probably vaccinate the kids too.

I have been doing some research, and while the prime age to get the disease is the young. The primary group dying from H1N1 are 16-26 year olds. Which is a very odd group because usually this group has the strongest immune system.

My fear for the vaccine is that we don't know what side effects will occur. There has already been some instances of problems with some of the original testers for one of the vaccines they are testing.

I had seen something on TV a week or two ago regarding H1N1. They had adminstered the vaccine to a group of Army personnel in the '70's, I believe. I don't recall the specifics, but I believe some died and others were admitted to the Hospital. All due to the vaccine they were given.
Granted, it was a new vaccine and things have advanced since (regarding testing). I'm up in the air regarding the vaccine (or any vaccine), so I'll probably pass and take my chances.

I read an article back in the summer saying that if you had had the 1918 flu, (very small sample size I would think) you also had immunity from the current swine flu H1N1.

If you recall, a few years ago, bodies were exhumed in Alaska, and the virus studied from those whom had died from the 1918 flu pandemic which was one of the worst of all time killing untold millions world wide.

Let me be the first to submit to you, conspiracy theroy exhibit "A" which presumes they (CDC and others studying this virus) allowed it to escape and thus are responsible directly or indirectly for the current virus!

Hi Blueblood. Check you private message please.

blueblood wrote:I read an article back in the summer saying that if you had had the 1918 flu, (very small sample size I would think) you also had immunity from the current swine flu H1N1.

If you recall, a few years ago, bodies were exhumed in Alaska, and the virus studied from those whom had died from the 1918 flu pandemic which was one of the worst of all time killing untold millions world wide.

Let me be the first to submit to you, conspiracy theroy exhibit "A" which presumes they (CDC and others studying this virus) allowed it to escape and thus are responsible directly or indirectly for the current virus!

I would suspect that is a very good possibility. I have always had my own thoughts about all the diseases & pandemics being controlled by the higher diplomatic powers, to control population.

I have a friend that is an RN and one of my co-workers child's pediatrician both said they stray away from vaccines the first year. The co-worker told me that their child's pediatrician would not be giving the H1N1 vaccine to her own children.

I managed to obtain a letter adressed to Faculty and Staff members of a School. Please review and note that this is one example of how this issue is being addressed within a School environment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In an effort to calm any rumors and give reassurance, I have some
information to share with you.

The predicted flu season is going to be challenging. The CDC is re-working
the H1N1 vaccine in an effort to cover any possible strains that have been
recently uncovered. I am sending any symptomatic students home this year.
XXXXXXXXXX is purchasing GERM-X for all teachers and we will have it
Monday morning. The District is currently preparing info to send home with
students. We are in contact with the Health Department.

There are students who have the flu. Whether it is H1N1 is
irrelevant. Let me explain:

The CDC has moved from a perspective of testing all symptomatic cases
because it is now a known community disease. Symptomatic cases are being
tested for a "quick test" for Influenza A and if that is positive and the
patient is not having complications not requiring hospitalization, then it
is assumed to be H1N1 and treated with rest, Tylenol, confinement at home
and restrictive interaction with other family members. Anti-virals are not
necessarily being given. They are safe to return to "public" life 24 HOURS
AFTER THE FEVER HAS BROKE.
If they are hospitalized, of course all testing is done to determine the
best course of TX for that individual no matter what the causative origin.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE:

Allow classes for hand washing and use sanitizers in classrooms.
Clean off desks, doorknobs and surfaces with Virex during day and as needed.
Send all symptomatic students to the office.
DO NOT PANIC. Hand washing is your best friend!!

Personally, I do not believe that this virus was released to 'control' our population There has been over the course of History, resurfacing viruses and bacterium. When researched, the cause is located and frequently is pinpointed to originate from a locale with environmental influences.....

As with the outbreak of MRSA , Strep (flesh eating) virus, the BIGGEST and most effective deterrent is hand washing. I understand the alarm, but I believe that if we as parents become super diligent about instructing our Children to wash hands, we are already offering effective tools to help them.

I am still researching this particular issue. I am reluctant to make a decision until I can see all 'known' contraindications, and cases of H1N1 which have passed without medical intervention (what are those numbers? Age ranges?, are their other variants of disease?)

HRHPatey wrote:Personally, I do not believe that this virus was released to 'control' our population There has been over the course of History, resurfacing viruses and bacterium. When researched, the cause is located and frequently is pinpointed to originate from a locale with environmental influences.....

As with the outbreak of MRSA , Strep (flesh eating) virus, the BIGGEST and most effective deterrent is hand washing. I understand the alarm, but I believe that if we as parents become super diligent about instructing our Children to wash hands, we are already offering effective tools to help them.

I am still researching this particular issue. I am reluctant to make a decision until I can see all 'known' contraindications, and cases of H1N1 which have passed without medical intervention (what are those numbers? Age ranges?, are their other variants of disease?)

I agree about the importance of making sure our kids know just how important it is to wash their hands. I have drilled into my son's head to wash his hands even more often than he normally would just because there is no way to be cognizant of everything we touch in the course of a day. Luckily, he has always been completely repulsed by sharing food or drink, so I don't have to worry about that. But parents with kids who don't have a problem with it really need to make sure the kids understand just how dangerous it is.

I am a nurse. I will NOT be taking the vaccine nor giving it to my children. I DO NOT believe that they will have had enough time to test it before vaccinating people this fall/winter. Some studies at CHMC started in April and will not be finished until 8-9 months...meaning January 2010. I'm sorry, this isn't worth the risk IMHO. The H1N1 virus is killing LESS people than the regular old flu does every year. The people dying from this have had some other underlying condition. I encourage everyone to do their research before taking this vaccine!!!!

cybermom wrote:I am a nurse. I will NOT be taking the vaccine nor giving it to my children. I DO NOT believe that they will have had enough time to test it before vaccinating people this fall/winter. Some studies at CHMC started in April and will not be finished until 8-9 months...meaning January 2010. I'm sorry, this isn't worth the risk IMHO. The H1N1 virus is killing LESS people than the regular old flu does every year. The people dying from this have had some other underlying condition. I encourage everyone to do their research before taking this vaccine!!!!

I tried telling my mother this on the phone the other night. She was absolutely appalled with me. Oh well. I just think more testing needs to be done. This has happened too quickly. Does history tell us nothing?

fixitman wrote:I had seen something on TV a week or two ago regarding H1N1. They had adminstered the vaccine to a group of Army personnel in the '70's, I believe. I don't recall the specifics, but I believe some died and others were admitted to the Hospital. All due to the vaccine they were given.
Granted, it was a new vaccine and things have advanced since (regarding testing). I'm up in the air regarding the vaccine (or any vaccine), so I'll probably pass and take my chances.

The case was actually that a group of Army personnel contracted the flu. Several got sick and a few died; it was later discovered to have been a strain of Swine Flu. The vaccine was developed to prevent a pandemic, so the Army personnel were never administered the vaccine.

This led to what I would characterize as a fear campaign that led the masses to take a vaccine in 1976. There were isolated problems with the vaccine, though, possibly due to a lack of proper testing. Sound familiar? I am with cybermom on this one, but then again I suspect that some of my views on this and other topics may border on conspiracy theory.

Here is a 60 minutes segment done after the 1976 case (~15 minutes total, between the two parts):
(Part I)


(Part II)