OT: H1N1 Flu virus

[English-lion]

*sigh* first off I'm not a doctor but I see them all the time with our patients Wookie I don't want to influence you in any way but I will tell you what I've seen on the frontline
'
When the flu shot 1st came out many years ago ( I cant' remember the year) Our residents got the shot . "One" resident
on another floor got the flu (we are a big building 3 floors 250 residents) the doctor for the building ordered Tamiflu (or a drug similar) for the workers who did not get the shot and every resident in the building. Why he order the drug for every resident when they had already had the shot ?????? I really don't know ..... my floor has 35 residents over half of them died with in a month Our residents paid the price for what the system didn't know at that time.

This year my resident have been given the "regular flu shot" not the N1H1 because they are old and they have been exposed to it when they where younger they will be getting the N1H1 later in the year

I personality don't get the shot but I think it's funny when my co-workers say I got the shot and I've never gotten the flu! well you know what? neither have I.....what's even stranger is that some do get the flu because the system made the wrong educated guess on with which flu virus to put in the shot.

Doctors are not God they don't know everything

[Divemistress of the Dark]

While I'll agree shutting down schools automatically sounds like a fine idea, in practice I'm not so sure. Who'd make those decisions? The Feds? What happens when grandstanding local yokel politicians decide to score cred with the anti-Obama crowd and refuse to shut down their districts? Does he send the National Guard? Talk about handing Fox News an issue. Even if that doesn't happen, what of the parents that now need to find child care for two weeks, on short or zero notice, just as everyone else in town needs it too? I'm sorry, just don't see a way for that to happen without major economic impacts on communities as parents take weeks off from their jobs to stay home with the chillun.

Also, what happens when people start playing politics in the other direction - trying to look ethical & responsible by shutting down their own districts every month or so - and then the kids are so far behind you're having to pay teachers for year-round school, just as every state in the country's facing record budget shortfalls?

It's just that issues are rarely as cut & dried as they seem. I'm personally not getting the flu shot, because I always get the flu when I get it - and I figure I'm probably due to catch it at least one more time this winter anyway. I guess at least if I took the shot, I could schedule when it'd be.

[Susan]

Re: shutting down schools. NYC schools don't shut down because parents and businesses hate it and Mayor Bloomberg is up for re-election this year. That's why you didn't see massive shutdowns in NYC IMHO.
For example:
http://www.allbusiness.com/government/g ... 284-1.html

[ltwoman]

I'm glad to see a thread like this here, because if I have to be discussing this, I'd rather be doing it with you all. For what it's worth, I had my first and only flu shot (it was the swine flu then) in '76 ( I think that's correct) and to my knowledge I've never had the flu ( I think I would remember, don't you agree?) Good health to us all and those we love.

[Madgrad]

Gotta agree with the Dive Mistress on the school thing-- in theory it might not have been a bad idea, but in practice, holy MOLEY what a mess for SO many people.

[English-lion]

Swine Flu Paranoia Getting Out of Hand

[Susan]

LOVE Vickie's photo Very cute.

The other thing I wanted to mention with regard to closing schools--the rest of us hate it too because parents bring their kids to the office including sick kids. And then the kids run amok.

[conroy]

I think any pandemic, however should institute certain triggers in the system including the shutdown of schools...dont forget..this would have been great practice for the BIG pandemic that is coming someday....its only natural that a killer virus will eventually mutate

Or have a drug company that has the cure create the pandemic in the first place like earlier this year when Chicago based Baxter International (one of the makers of the the H1N1 vaccine, though not the ones used in the U.S.), "accidentally" released vaccines intended for humans that contained the live avian flu: http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2 ... 60781.html.

[Rusty James]

Tamadude, I'm struggling with this too, buddy (was that Christie Clark's show on am 980 you were listening to?). We don't have young kids at home anymore (yard apes...heh heh!) but I fall in the high risk category with my diabetes. I really don't know what to do at this point with so much conflicting information about.
Tonight's news was heavy on H1N1 stories. As Conroy mentioned, this secondary pneumonia can have deadly consequences.
Not sure what to tell you Tamadude. Availability of this vaccine over here on the shore (like anywhere in Van) is fucking paltry at best. I think I might be having a talking-to with my endocrinologist tomorrow.
I kinda like Vespa's advice to head to the upper parts of Canada - I've always wanted to be an ice road trucker.

[Tamadude]

Rusty, you are one smart cookie! It was Christy. I actually don't listen to that station, other than for traffic. I usually listen to 1040 sportsradio all day, but when I checked for traffic I they were talking h1n1, so I listened for awhile until she said that.

Yes, lots of info to absorb. But this has been a useful discussion for me. I'm close to making a descision soon...

It's wierd how my crown-corporation company decided to postpone ALL REGULAR flu shots until further notice. What to make of that? Not one mention of h1n1. Just "Flu shots cancelled"

Ya I always look forward to Vespa's posts. His "from the hip" posting style is a hoot. Pretty sad about prisoners getting dibs though....

Ice road truckers are insane! Although I'd rather do that than be an AK kingcrab fisherman!

Did you get too busy to cross a bridge this week? No worries, the SS Copeland will always be here for you!

Good luck with your final descision regarding the vaccine, and I LOVE the avi!! LOL

[luddite lady]

I'd avoid going to Northern Canada if you're afraid of H1N1. The remote Native communities there were the areas hit the hardest in the spring during the first wave of the virus. They're bracing themselves for this second round and they are on the top of the priority list for receiving the vaccine.
There has been a lot of debate about school closing. Despite such a recommendation by the WHO, the school authorities here in Ontario are not choosing that route. They say closing schools will have little impact unless if you also restrict students social contact outside of school, which is impossible. In my parts, closing a highschool means filling the nearby mall with teenagers. Also elementary school closings produce a high rate of adult work absenteeism, including in the healthcare sector where we may need as many workers around as possible if this gets out of hand. We saw this happen in Toronto with SARS. A few schools were closed for a short time due to quarantine and the disruption caused was significant.
That said, the number of kids absent at my school has grown almost exponentially as this week has progressed. Every day, four or five children have fell ill during the school day and have been taken home. One third of the kids were away in my last class of the day this afternoon. I'm hearing similar stats from collegues in other schools. A lot of teachers are off too. I'm hoping much of the absenteeism is due to people erring on the side of caution, but the couple of people I saw grow ill during the school day certainly weren't faking it.
Canada has enough vaccine. We just don't have sufficient numbers to staff all the vaccination clinics. This is already causing major frustration after only two days of "priority" clinics.

[vespapod]

I will reitterate once again this is practice for the BIG one coming...perhaps the avian flu when it mutates...THATS the killer one expected to decimate 1/4 of the world population if the mutation goes as planned. Right now we have no safeguards instituted at all so all of the glitches could have been worked out.

I parallel it to Katrina....does anyone really think New Orleans is going to fuck up that bad again!!!!

By the way, the above mentioned mutation is expected within two years.

[Rusty James]

[quote="Tamadude"]...Did you get too busy to cross a bridge this week? No worries, the SS Copeland will always be here for you!
Good luck with your final descision regarding the vaccine, and I LOVE the avi!! LOL
[/quote]

Way too busy at work this week and our week away over at the Sunshine Coast just flew by (of course)...I'll be in touch soon my friend!

[policefan]

Very cute avi Tamadude!!

My husband got his shot yesterday, he has a medical condition and deals with people every day. I've had only once a flu shot and that made me really sick. Two of my kids had the swine flu, I believe. Lots of kids have been sick at school but I haven't heard of anything serious.

Right now I will wait and see.

[irishrose1969]

You know its a gambling game. Do you or don't you? I have a Kindergarten kid and third grader. I just yesterday helped them at school for Halloween parties. I made sure the kids had hand sanitizer while at my cookie station and before leaving for the day. If kids coughed they KNEW to cover their coughs and wash hands immediately. The school goes thru bottles of sanitizer and wipes. So far our kids and adults have been lucky.
I had the flu shot in the 90s and never again. I don't plan to get the H1 vaccination. I am normally healthy. My kids are too. I don't believe enough time has been spent on this vaccine.