SHARE THIS SHOW:
ON THE BLOG:
RELATED CONVERSATIONS:
RECENTLY ON TOL:
TOL Our Town
- A tumblr site dedicated to the people and places that make up Oregon and Southwest Washington.
TAGS:
Maybe this has happened to you recently: you (or your friend, colleague, or loved one) get a fever. It's followed by a cough, sore throat, and the sniffles. You immediately think "oh no, do I have swine flu? If I do, what does that mean?"
Confusion around the H1N1 virus abounds. The CDC provides extensive information about what the virus is and what to do if you feel sick, but other than those facts, little is clear. Since the virus surfaced last April, it has killed over 600 people, (15 in Oregon, according to health officials) including 28 pregnant women. The Prospect School closed this week when many of their students and teachers became sick, even though no one knew if it was H1N1 or not.
Meanwhile public health authorities are working hard to get the word out about vaccines. Mel Kohn, Oregon's public health director, announced this week that the vaccine will be available to pregnant women,* health care workers, first responders, and healthy people between the ages of 2 and 49 who have medical conditions that put them at a high risk of flu as of Monday. The state will slowly get more vaccine throughout the months to come.
But then you just have to look north to become even more confused. Many Canadian provinces are heeding the advice of a recent study — currently under peer review — that found an association between getting the seasonal flu vaccine and contracting H1N1. Is that something we should be paying attention to here? Should we be worrying about H1N1? Or just accept that it is this year's seasonal flu? Should workplaces make emergency plans? Should hospitals make surge plans? What about quarantine plans? If you get sick, what should you do?
This is a show full of questions we hope to answer, but we'd also love to gather your experience. Have you, or someone you know, become sick with the flu this year? What did you do? How concerned are you about H1N1? Will you get the vaccine? What about the regular flu vaccine? What are you most, or least, worried about when it comes to this year's flu season?
*Editor's note: Health Officials say the H1N1 vaccine that will be released next week will be a nasal spray, not appropriate for pregnant women or people whose immune systems are compromised.
Tagged as: flu · h1n1 · public health
Photo credit: hitthatswitch / Creative Commons
-
I get a seasonal flu vaccine each year and I've already gotten mine. This tradition started when I took the notorious Swine flu vaccine in 1976. Does that show offer me any protection against H1N1? or don't they really know? Do I need the new shot?
-
The 1976 outbreak was a different strain of H1N1, so the 1976 shot will not protect you from the current strain.
This is the reason it is imperative for children to get, for instance, the small pox vaccine. If a child does not get the small pox vaccine and happens to contract small pox, the virus will have a chance to mutate and nullify the small pox vaccines everyone else took causing a whole new outbreak of small pox.
-
Last week, I had flu-like symptoms: sore throat, runny nose, headache, fever, and fatigue. I did not see my doctor and my illness has mostly resolved (on its own). When I contacted my county health department, they had no interest in making any record of my illness. How then, are accurate numbers of people infected obtained?
I do receive an annual flu shot although, at the time of my illness, did not receive this year's injection. So, in addition to not being "counted", there is no way to know which type of flu, if any, that I had.
-
Since the volume of influenza cases this fall could be very large, it is not possible to test and confirm every case. To ensure that careful records are being kept of every case causing 'severe disease' (i.e.hospitalization or death), public health officials recommend that people with mild illness not be tested unless there are special circumstances
-
These concerns about vaccines are nothing new. The same stuff happened in 1976. People freaked out because three older people died a couple of days after receiving vaccination shots. Ultimately, it was shown that the flu shots had nothing to do with their deaths, but public relations damage was already done.
There is always a tiny amount of risk with vaccines, and there is no more risk to this vaccine than any other. Every regular annual flu vaccine is different from the last. They made this vaccine the same way they make any other vaccine, it's just a different strain.
The risk to public health has always been much greater than the individual risk from vaccines.
-
I am told repeatedly that Canada's health care system is so much better then ours. Why then is the US Government so hell bent on sticking its citizens?
Why are the educated health care workers I know 'Doctors & Nurses' (across the state) that “have a choice” NOT getting the vaccines and quietly recommending avoiding H1N1 vaccine to friends and family. What is it about a largely untested vaccine that is bothering these people... -
Probably the same thing that bothered people in 1976: hysterical misinformation and confusion. Doctors and nurses are not all-powerful, all-knowing, and 100% rational. They can be just as hysterical and prone to misinformation as the rest of us.
The NIH is very fairly representing the vaccine and facts about the virus itself and vaccine production support what they are saying.
-
What does Canada's health care system have to do with this?
-
I am confused about what is recommended for H1N1 vaccine. My insurance company says that they are recommending that all members of my family get the H1N1 vaccine when it is available, and my doctor's office is saying that only those in the age range of 16 to 24 years are recommended to get the vaccine.
My husband and I are both 42, and our kids are 7 and 11. What's the best course of action here? Why might the MD be recommending that such a narrow range of ages get the vaccine? If the idea is to keep as many working people from getting the virus as possible (in order to keep industry going and not have massive absenteeism due to the illness), why would they not be recommending that only these young people (who do not make up the majority of the working population) get the vaccine?
Or perhaps the real impetus behind the vaccine is to simply prevent the most severe cases?
-
I think my family and I already had swine flu last Spring. We had all the flu symptoms, just a little more spread out than usual. And we had the normal flu vaccine. Should we still get the vaccine?
-
I will definitely get both vaccines, plus a pneumococcal vaccine, being 58 yo, in excellent health other than HBP and Asthma. I've heard news reports of studies suggesting that people with underlying conditions such as Asthma have tended to develop pneumonia, with higher mortality rates than otherwise.
-
I heard a virologist on NPR's Science Friday comment on research to prevent transmission of virus'. According to his research alcohol based hand sanitizers actually propagate virus'. The only way to remove virus' was friction.
-
My wife and I had "the flu" with all the classic symptoms that lasted for over two weeks. We did not see a doctor becuase we do not have any of the pre-existing danger factors and did not want to get anyone else infected by going to an office. While not 100%, we are pretty sure it was H1N1 just due to how quickly we became infected and severity of syptoms. Does it really matter what type of flu we had?
-
I am 68 years old and had the Aisian flu in 1957, a pandemic from what I remember. On a recent public radio program about H1N1, it was said the Asian flu is so similar that those of us who had it (it was miserable) were probably immune to H1N1. Comment?
Also that one of the flu shots make persons more vulnerable to the other flu. ???
thanks for the programs!
Ann
Beaverton, OR
-
I travel for work and spend a lot time on airplanes. This makes me someone who had a pretty good chance of being into contact with someone how has the flu. I want to get the vaccine. How do I get the vaccine? (Where can I go to get it?)
Rex
Beaverton, OR
-
Fred Meyer's pharmacies, Rite Aid as well, I think; you need to make an appointment at Freddie's....
-
I called by my local Fred Meyer and Rite Aid. Neither have it in. No luck with Beaverton Pharmacy either.
-
I am currently 7 months pregnant and have a 4-year-old daughter. I was warned at a prenatal appointment by my provider that area hospitals will probably soon been banning children 12 and under from entering as visitors because of the H1N1 flu. Can you explain the reasoning behind this and do you think there will be exceptions for children that have been vaccinated? It is important to me to have my daughter be able to visit her new brother and be with her family in the days after his birth.
-
I haven't had the flu in 20 years nor have I had a flu shot in about the same amount of time.
Is the new virus different enough that I would be at greater risk to get it as opposed to the normal flu? Should I go and get a vaccination?
-
How long will the virus live at room temperature...i.e., outside the body?
Thanks,
Ken Hawkins
-
I am on maternal leave currently from my job as a home health nurse. My son was born 2 months premature and, due to his prematurity, has an immature immune system. I will be getting both vaccines for flu and H1N1. Question: because of my son's high risk, am I eligable for the first round of vaccines for H1N1?
-
I am at home today sick. I came down with a soar throat and aches last night and it's worse this morning.
Do I have the flu? I think of flu as being a much more severe illness with days of fever. What's the differences between just a cold and the flu?
-
Is there any connection between Guilliain-Barre syndrone? I have a relative whose husband got the syndrome after getting a flu shot and his wife said this was the cause. She also has said that a person who has a close relative with an auto-immune disease is at higher risk to get a Barre syndrome after having a flu shot. I am in that situaiton but still got my flu shot. Is there any truth in this talk?
-
It it true that under the Homeland Security Act that given the pandemic staus given by W.H.O for the H1N1 virus, that the trials did not have to be fully completed by the manufacture?
-
If this sneezed material is heavy and drops to the floor, will running a vacuum cleaner on carpets or vigorous sweeping of bare floors be a problem in returning it to air circulation?
-
Well, it depends on the vacuum cleaner, you should choode a very good one to save yourself the trouble! miele spares
-
Is the nasal vaccine for H1N1 less effective than the injectible vaccine? Is it advised to space out the seasonal vaccine and the H1N1 vaccine or is it ok to have both done at the same time?
-
I have heard the recommendations for the nasal flu vaccine, but I don't know what to do if I have an 18 year old in my family with Type 1 diabetes. This person is high risk in two catagories, but I don't know if the nasal vaccine is appropriate or if we should wait for the shot.
Please advise what high risk groups should wait for the shot.
Thanks!
-
Can the guest say more about the deaths that have arisen from H1N1? Were they due to the illness itself? Or poor management of symptoms like fever and dehydration? I'm curious about when a trip to the doctor or hospital is necessary with preschoolers (and their parents).
Also, I've read that mutations of the H1N1 could result in a much more insidious and fatal flu (namely H5). Would contracting this flu and developing an immune response offer you any future protection against a (potentially) more virulent mutation of this flu?
-
What are the chronic health conditions, besides diabetes, that indicate one should get the vaccine as a priority person? Is hypertension one of them?
-
I am pregnant, due late December, and after reading lots and talking to medical doctors and naturopaths lots the last three weeks, I remain uncertain about whether to get the swine flu shot. I know that mercury-free versions will be available, which is great, but one thing I still find a little scary: The flu shots are recommended for pregnant moms, BUT the vaccine product inserts make it clear that the regular flu vaccines have never been tested on pregnant or nursing women to determine if there is any harm to fetuses or young babies. Despite this complete lack of research, it is recommended for pregnant women anyway. Anyone see a problem with that?? (p.s. Sorry for the boldface. For some reason I can't get it to go away!)
-
I have received a number of emails statements from nationally recognized Docs who are very concerned about the neurotoxins in the vaccine. Why are people in the medical community against it?
-
I wish everyone was this skeptical and concerned about most of the food we buy at the grocery store. Seems a lot of people are paranoid simply because the government is involved.
-
So I am a healthy 29 year old. I want to get the nasal spary as soon as possible. Where can I get it at soonest?
-
I'm wondering if the nasal spray will also contain some mercury? Thank you.
-
The FluMist nasal spray vaccine does not contain thimerosol and thus doesn't have mercury in it. (For more info, see http://www.cdc.gov/FLU/about/qa/nasalspray.htm) This is the case with either the seasonal FluMist or the new H1N1 FluMist.
However, you should know that the nasal flu vaccine is not appropriate for many people who could benefit from a flu vaccine. This is because it contains modified, weakened live flu rather than the killed flu used in vaccines given by injection. For example, the nasal mist is not recommended for pregnant women or those 50 years old or more. Perhaps most importantly, it is recommended for "healthy" people, specifically excluding those with "an underlying medical condition that predisposes them to influenza complications". This means that many of the people who could most benefit from a vaccination can't receive the nasal mist version.
If you're concerned about thimerosol, be aware that injectable flu vaccine (either seasonal or H1N1) is made both with and without thimerosol. With multi-dose vials, you have to make sure that there won't be bacterial contamination of the vial. Because thimerosol is of greatest concern for pregnant women and the babies they're carrying, flu vaccine is also available without thimerosol in single-use pre-filled syringes.
-
Has anyone looked into Jane Burgermeister's studies? See:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PelTWCUmTsU
What are thoughts on her?
-
How long does this live outside the body? Like on a door knob or on a hand?
-
I am pregnant, with twins, having complications, and on bedrest. It's very early in the pregnancy and under the circumstances I feel like I'm probably too vulnerable to be getting a vaccine. But I'm also concerned that if I did get the flu I might be more vulnerable to that as well. I find myself really stressed about the decision. Are the vaccine risks for pregnant women more or different or are there risks to the fetus? Are the risks of getting the flu when pregnant more or different? Again, are there risks to the fetus? Is this a decision between the lesser of two evils?
-
I am pregnant, due in February, and am concerned about the timing between my getting the H1N1 vaccine and the season flu vaccine. What's recomended, safe, and has this spacing been tested or is it a theory?
I have the same concerns for my 1 1/2 year old, whose vaccines have to be administered in two doses for each vaccine.
-
Something to keep in mind with the Canadian study is that it is reported in the press to be the result of analyzing databases on treatments & health outcomes - not as the result of a randomized study comparing people randomly chosen to get a flu shot to people randomly chosen to not get a flu shot.
While epidemiological reports on diseases in populations can give useful leads to things needing further investigation, they can never firmly identify what, if anything, is causing what. This kind of research can only identify correlations between things that may turn out not to have any cause-effect relationship at all. People, including some medical researchers, often dn't keep aware of the implications of this.
In this case, it's quite possible that the people who were more likely to have had a seasonal flu vaccination last year are members of groups that for some reason are already at higher risk of getting the new H1N1 strain this year. Or perhaps they're members of groups with an increased chance of being tested and diagnosed as having H1N1 and may not have an increased chance of getting H1N1 at all.
In other words, it might not be the seasonal flu vaccine that increased their likelihood of getting H1N1 at all, but rather that some other thing increased both the likelihood of getting a seasonal flu shot and getting diagnosed with H1N1.
-
Comments are now closed.
My wary eye watches the progression of H1N1. I got the flu a lot when I was young but since I've become an adult I haven't been sick such that I've gone to the doctor to seek diagnosis.
Is our obsession and fear of germs and flus being over-hyped by the media? Constantly bombarded with reports of H1N1 might set up a mental glitch in people that reduces the effectiveness of their immune systems. Speculating wildly here. How many of our diseases are impacted by our psychosomatic responses?
I have never gotten the regular flu vaccine and I don't intend to get the H1NI vaccine since I'm not convinced doctors and scientists have enough information to know whether the purported prevention is worse than the flu itself.
Being relatively healthy (knocking on my wooden skull) I tend to believe my immune system will take care of me. Without the ability to verify the effectiveness and safety of H1V1 vaccine I intend to take my chances on the great wheel of life.
One technique I use to keep from getting ill is to avoid situations where I'm around lots of people. I wash my hands often. I spend a lot of times outdoors year round to erect a buffer against the "human virus".
I like people -- as long as they're a good five meters distant.