Disputing H1N1

[MorelCabin]

Well I have followed the news from the beginning of this thing, and have seen alot of lies and misinformation emerge. It seems they are working us up psychologically to get us to take the vaccine. The shortage of vaccines was the best tactic ever...make someone believe that something is unavailable, and they will want it more than ever. And I REALLY like the way they 'advertised' deaths just the few days before the vaccine was available, and after the vaccine was out there seem to have been no further deaths...
psychology at it's best...they use the same 'shortage' game at Christmas! I know alot of people who have had the flu...the hospitals tell everyone they aren't testing but that swine flu is the only flu circulating so they must have it...yes, that is what our "trained medical personell" are telling everyone.
I have a cousin who went to the hospital with strep, was told she had H1N1 because everybody has it...she got worse so went to her family doctor knowing it was strep..and the swab was positive for strep. Things are a little crazy out there if they aren't even testing for the obvious anymore.

 

[Big Daddy]

I'm recovering from pneumonia right now. 3 weeks ago I had a bad steady headache, cough, fever, chills and a little nausea, doctor treated for cough with an antibiotic and advised to monitor cough and get a chest x-ray if it got worst. Said possible H1N1. He said that they don't really have a test for it, The flu test is only 50% accurate. Strep test is also positive for other bacterias. So if I had the H1N1 it was pretty mild. Problem is it dropped my immune system and turned in to pneumonia. Pneumonia does kill if not treated in a timely manner.

 

[patandchickens]

Morel, I'm not saying there aren't companies with a vested financial interest in widespread vaccination...

... but it is REALLY not at all as simple as all that. There are lots of people who have other perfectly reasonable and respectable reasons for promoting vaccination, because they *genuinely believe* (for not entirely bad reasons) that it's a good thing.

Also, I do not know what media you are talking about, but mainstream Canadian print and online media have reported on at least as many swine flu deaths *since* the vaccine was made available as just *before*. So I believe you are quite mistaken in your insinuations about that.


Pat

 

[Dace]

I am pretty sure that my family has been exposed and or had it. DH & I have not been sick but 3 of our kids have. My son is on his third day out of school...low grade fever, severe headache and cough. He probably has it, but going to the Dr is useless, unless she presents with other more concerning symptoms. Several of my cheerleaders seemed to have had it. All recovered well.

I know many people who have had/plan to get the vaccine. To date I have not talked with a single person who was opting NOT to get the vaccine....most people are just waiting for it to become available.

On the flip side of the concern over the safety of the *rushed* vaccine...I heard a Dr on the radio saying that this vaccine was processed in the exact same way as the yearly seasonal flu. They identify a new strain in the spring and create a vaccine for it to give out in the fall. That made me wonder if perhaps this H1N1 is not safer than I have been thinking....can anyone speak to that? I am curious if that makes sense to people who are more in the know on these things!

 

[sylvie]

I saw a piece on local tv where a doctor explained why it is more life threatening for the average 37 year old, which is the average age for deaths from H1N1. They have have a stronger immune system which launches a even stronger immune response than usual to the H1N1 strain of influenza. FWIW.

 

[patandchickens]

On the flip side of the concern over the safety of the *rushed* vaccine...I heard a Dr on the radio saying that this vaccine was processed in the exact same way as the yearly seasonal flu. They identify a new strain in the spring and create a vaccine for it to give out in the fall. That made me wonder if perhaps this H1N1 is not safer than I have been thinking....can anyone speak to that?

Well, yes, in general outline.

HOWEVER my understanding is that much of the vaccine being distributed is using an adjuvant that is relatively new and has some question marks in its safety track record from the few vaccines that it *has* been used in .(Adjuvant is an additional ingredient in a vaccine, put there to increase/improve the body's immune response to the antigens in the vaccine, so less antigen is required per dose and/or you get a stronger or more lasting immunity from it).

I have no personal opinion on whether the safety concerns are valid or not, and neither the time nor the journal access to even attempt to *form* such an opinion.

However, personally I feel it has served me well thus far in life never to be the first person on the block to try new stuff, especially new stuff with questionmarks hovering over it; and I don't see that I'm going to change my attitude for this particular occasion. If people were droppin' like flies left and right, it might be different, but that is SO not the case

JMHO,

Pat

 

[Wifezilla]

True to a certain extent BD, but it isn't that fact that anyone can start a blog that is the problem, it is the laziness and lack of standard that crept in to journalism that opened up the gap for Joe Schmoe and all his friends to blog.

Take Walter Croncite for an example. Until he retired, did you have ANY idea where he stood politically?

When is the last time you saw some REAL investigative journalism?

Our local paper is going down the tubes because they have just been regurgitating AP wire stories for years. Hardly any local coverage of a city with over 300,000 people in years. Yet, now that they are about to go bankrupt, suddenly they have an interest in the community. It's pathetic.