With flu season already in full-swing, there has been much discussion regarding the quality and quantity of vaccinations, especially the H1N1 vaccine. The federal government has launched a massive public relations campaign to encourage those who can to get the vaccine. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has repeatedly said that the H1N1 vaccine is “safe and secure”. The Center for Disease Control has also encouraged individuals to get the vaccine, especially those individuals in high-risk categories such as pregnant women, children and healthcare workers.
Over five thousand people worldwide have died from H1N1, six hundred in the United States alone. Thousands of more people have been infected. More than 90% of adults who got the vaccine are now immune to the virus. In addition, unlike some other vaccines, the H1N1 vaccine can’t give you the flu because the vaccine doesn’t contain a live virus. Still, some feel the risk of getting the vaccine outweighs the risk of getting the flu.
The vaccine contains a preservative called thimerosal, a form of mercury. Although the vaccine only contains trace amounts of mercury, even less than a can of tuna, the thought of injecting themselves or their children with anything containing mercury is still enough to frighten many parents. Many people have said they will not get the vaccine because it was too hastily prepared and isn’t safe because the side effects and their implications are still unknown. Some say the side effects of getting the vaccine are limited to headaches and muscle soreness. Others say the side effects can range from flu-like symptoms to nerve damage.
So my question to you this week is “Would you get the H1N1 vaccine? Why or why not? Would you allow your child to get it?” Answers are due no later than Thursday, November 5th, 2009. Have a happy and safe Halloween!
I've been studying intot he side effect of it after hearing a call into the radio show BEFORE it back public knowlege of the side effects. That was when they were offer it to schools and the parents signed rather or not to have their children vaccinated for it.
ReplyDeleteThe worse case I heard of side-effects was a girl for went into epictic shock. There were no signs of her being epicatic. This shocked me and I decided to do some research. The girl that this happened to did not show signs of being epicatic. However, upon farther research her system was already weakened that the vaccine was a trigger.
With most of the side effect cases it was because of unknown allegies or a cause in the person's body that the vaccine onlly triggered, and did not cause.
I plan on getting mine because I'd rather be safe then sorry in the end. It is a chance i'm willing to take.
No. I will not be getting the H1N1 or the flu shot. I have heard far too many tragic stories regarding the effects of the H1N1 vaccine. I know that in many cases these precautions have saved lives. I would have to do much more research on the subject. I try to stay healthy year round and deal with illness when it arrives.
ReplyDeletei've never had a flu shot and doubt that i'll ever get one. but the sinple fact is that while yeah the new flu virus is worse then one in past years its too damn hard to get a shot of it. for me if i wanted to get the h1n1 shot i cant not untill they release it to everyone i dont fall in that risk area. my thoughts about flu shots is that there too hard to get unless your a elderly person, kid or pregnant if u dont fall in there u gotta wait and hope u dont get it.
ReplyDeleteI get a regular flu shot every year but I will not get the H1N1 shot. In my opinion, the H1N1 vaccine was rushed into production too quickly compared to other vaccines of the past. There are also several conflicting reports in the media about H1N1 counter measures. Some reports say go the doctor immediately while others say don't go to the doctor. Just stay home and call in a prescription for TamiFlu. Some say hand washing is effective, other reports say it is not. I just don't think the CDC or the Federal Government has a grasp on the H1N1 problem yet. I'm not too concerned about it because the shot is difficult to obtain at this point in time anyway.
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Keith M.
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I work at a pharmaceutical company and it can take many, many years to produce a drug. So much preparation goes into making a drug or vaccine and I would like to think there must have been a compound ingredient already around in place in order for the company to make the vaccine that fast – not sure though. Our company gives flu shots every year and I have never had one yet. I’m not one for running out getting shots just because the media is telling me too, however, if I was in the high risk category that the media is defining, then I would definitely reconsider. Now as for the mercury, I could have sworn somebody once told me that we (humans) already has some degree of mercury in our system. If this is true, then I still would have to reconsider and research more information before the getting the shot. If I had small children, I would first want to get the opinion of the Pediatrician. Lee Jackson
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely not!!! I have already experience the "Tamiflu", and may I say not good at all. I'm not one who gets sick often or quickly. So as far as getting the vaccine shot that will not happen.
ReplyDeleteIn reasoning, because so many people are dying all over the world, and I agree with others that by finding the solution drug to clear the H1N1 has been discovered too fast. I feel like everyone is so up in the air for his or her health from getting the H1N1 that it's becoming overwhelming.
Another crazy outcome of the H1N1 is how it's not as much affecting the elder ages, but its hitting hard in the younger generation ages 16-24 in good health. This type of flu is the highlight in the worlds talk each and everyday, but the question still stand as to if this affect will end or just get worse? ~Anesia M.~
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ReplyDeleteAfter many years of personally banning medicinal cures other than Scotch, I must stick this in with the rest of the meaningless drugs on the shelf. Far to many people latch onto a drug that isn't curing anything but their psychological failure. I am not saying every case is this way, but most people are sick because they indirectly want to be sick. Especially with this flu season crap. Your body begins to adjust to the winter time, and you rest in the dire need of a solution that makes sense. You take some shit, rest for a few days, and rise under the illusion you are cured.
ReplyDeleteWhen 70% of all over the counter medicinal solution to your problem, are simply there to make you think you will be cured. I am probably wrong on this, but you get the idea where my stance is on the medicine topic.
I understand this is not Winter solution, but the H1N1 seems to me, another fraudulent story. My paranoia tells me these people all died from something else. The coroners are too lazy to keep looking.
I know, I am full of it.
Now when it comes to my children, who do not physically exist yet, I will certainly be more cautious with their health. They will sure get a larger dose of the Scotch than I. Come on, I am not going to be selfish with my medicinal solutions.
Here is a little story about the recent efforts throughout schools to vaccinate students.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wthr.com/global/story.asp?s=11433629
When this news of getting vaccinated came out in the headlines, my first reaction was that it must be neccessary and I should run right out and get the shot. Then a couple days into weeks later, it is all I hear about. I think our media has placed a sense of fear into our society. The H1N1 is not something to shrug off because we have seen the deadly effects it has had and quite quickly, but it is hard for me as a person and mother to think that something that has been mass produced at an alarming rate, won't have some type of backlash. We see it all the time with common products. Researchers have found new information on Tylonal having severe complications, taking asprin once a day doens't stop heart attacks, and so on. It has taken years of reasearch to come to these simple conclusions over something that we believe to be just fine. If something so simple as Tylonal is being questioned, why is a vaccine that has been produce and available to the public in less than a years safe? This is a really hard question for me and I really don't have an answer. I think it is a lose-lose situation. You get the shot, you can have complications or long term effects. You don't get the shot, you run a chance on getting it-then will your body beable to fight it, or will it take your body?
ReplyDeleteWhere does the media end, and the truth begin? I think overall it is just a scary time.
Really I don't know that much about the M1H1. Usually when I get a flu shot I still get sick anyway. I'm the type of person that if I'm sick then I'll take care of it, but if I'm fine then I don't need to worry. I guess everyone deals with the problem in their own way, and it's up to them to fix it or not. I will definitely be making sure I stay healthy so I don't get sick from any type of illness.
ReplyDeleteI haven't ever gotten a flu shot and I definitely am not getting this shot. I'm not sure about children since I don't have any. I don't think it's necessary. I've never gotten the flu and I don't see the need. People take meds and then become immune to them. I'm wondering if the same will happen with this one. I feel like if I was meant to get the swine flu and it was to kill me then that is how it goes down.
ReplyDeleteFirst I will say that there are other ways to prevent illness, the main one being, frequent and good hygiene habits. Medicine has always been big business, and why should this one be any different? One thing I think we all could probably agree on is that the H1N1 virus was a man-made virus, and it only make sense that a vaccine came on the scene just a short time after the virus started to circulate. The flu has been around for hundreds of years and they just developed a vaccine for it within the last few years. Yeah, that could be due to the increased technology and studies medicines, but who’s to say. So, somebody is making a boat load of money off of this whole H1N1 epidemic. Considering that they have no clue of the side effects and long term effects may be, I will just take better and more precautions to ensure that me or my children don’t get sick. Maybe if there was more information out there about the virus and the vaccine then maybe I would consider it, but until then there are just too many unanswered questions for me to take that risk. All I can do is just hope and pray that me nor my children don’t come down with anything especially any kind of synthetic viruses. As of right now I would have to say no about giving me one or my kids at this moment. And of course pray.
ReplyDeleteI think that the H1N1 is so blown out of proportion, ya people have died but the statistic doesn't tell you how many of those people who died where already sick with something else like diabetes or cancer. Every year there is some kind of flu that is going around and the media wants people to freak out. I am not into it, I am not planning on getting the vaccine. I do other things to keep myself healthy.
ReplyDelete-naomi
No, I wouldnt get the H1N1 vaccine. I feel that it's not as threatening as the original flu strain, which has killed far more people annaully than this particular strain. I'm also aware of similar propoganda regarding Swine Flu dating back to 1976, just youtube it if you're not familiar. In that CBS news special they discuss the neurological damage that the vaccine may cause and i've read instances when it has still been the case. It is because of this that i dont trust the vaccine or the "fear" that has surrounded the flu because of the medias constant coverage of it. If i had children i dont think i would let them get the vaccine either, mercury is dangerous and i do not understand why that is being placed inside people blood stream. Here is the news special for any interested...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ro1WL5ketWg
I will not be getting the H1N1 flu vaccination this year mainly because I am a broke student who would rather spend my money on booze and fiddle faddle's rather than get a vaccine for something I am not that worried about in the first place. The death toll from this specific strain does not sound astronomical to me, as it mainly affects the elderly and young, as well as people with weak immune systems. Every year thousands die from the flu. Maybe this year will turn out to be a little worse but I am more scared of getting struck by lighting(not that scared of that either). Most of this stuff is brought on by the media to scare people while somebody is making lots of money because of it. I will take my chances, maybe not forever but for now while I am broke.
ReplyDeleteThe H1N1 immunization is being offered at our sons' school this coming week. I do not plan on vaccinating them. I am not interested in getting the shot myself and I do not subject them to any of the associated risks, either. I feel that the risk of getting the shot does not outweigh the risk of contracting the virus. I feel that if you are an otherwise healthy person with adequate health coverage, it is worth the risk. I encourage our boys to wash their hands constantly and to be aware of the possibility of germs around us. I hope that by the vaccination being administered to so many people as it is, it will soon become a distant memory.
ReplyDeleteI personally have decided not to get the H1N1 vaccine. I have never received a flu shot either. I've never been a very sickly person, and I do not have any allergies or medical conditions that I am aware of. My body seems to be working fine on it's own at the moment, and I'm not looking to throw a wrench into the whole damn thing now. :) I also have a huge problem with needles too. I heard they came out with one that can be taken through the nose. That's certainly more convenient for me, but I personally believe they rushed this one too quickly and there may be side effects that they are not prepared for. I am 30 years old and I believe my body will be strong enough to get past it alone without the help of the vaccine. If I were really young or elderly I might be more likely to consider it. I think if there are any more cases of death or nerve damage that they will be investigated thoroughly to find true cause and I (hope) and have faith that those involved in the vaccine's creation were doing their jobs to the best of their abilities and following every procedure accurately while keeping in mind who they were supplying this for. I've known two people now that have already had the H1N1 virus. They said it IS miserable, but they got over it. The longest case of either of them that I knew of was about 9 days of being out of commission.
ReplyDeleteI am not planning on getting the vaccine. I have gotten the seasonal flu shot the past two years and I have been really healthy. But I have some reservations about the H1N1. I don't think there has been enough research done for this particular vaccine. As far as my children being vaccined, they are all teenagers and I have discussed the h1n1 vaccine with them. I wanted them to educate themselves and have some input on the decision. All three of them have decided against the vaccine.
ReplyDeleteAs a mom, I think this is a difficult decision to make because I know that people have died from this. On the other hand people die from the seasonal flu every year as well.
Hoping and praying is all that is left to do.
Jana Griffin
I am opposed to getting the shot.Even with the amount of deaths related to this falsely reported epidemic, it still pales in comparison to the number of deaths from the good ole flu bug. If there are potential risks in taking it due to the content of mercury, I think I will take my chances. So too, will my family. I feel it is just a governmental way of causing panic in our citizenship with an attempt to declare they have the answer, but need to depend on them to get the answer. i,e, just another step towards socialism in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI am actually glad we are discussing this topic because yesterday when I took my daughter to the doctors he informed me that she has the H1N1. She got it from my little sister who probably got it from somebody at school. Before I knew she had it I was still debating if I should get the vaccine for her because I didn't know if it was really reliable. My daughter, Aniyah, is suppose to get it just because she is a infant and I am suppose to get it because of my diabetes.
ReplyDeleteMany people don't know if their child or they have the H1N1 because the symptoms are not like flu symptoms. These symptoms for the swine flu include: high fevers, slight or serve coughs, not eating normally, wanting to sleep all day, runny nose, not really wanting to play, and may throw up just a little bit (depends). But I am happy to say that the doctor said that Aniyah and my sister should both be well in two days because they are already past all of the stuff. So now I'm trying to decide if I should get the vaccine or not.
My mother also heard that getting the vaccine can reverse a person. For example, if you are healthy and you get the vaccine, it can make you become autistic. I don't know what to do, I am really confused. I still don't think they have enough research on it and they still don't have enough for everyone to give it to. I do think I still going to get the seasonal flu for both me and my daughter. I usually get this every year and I don't become sick after I get it.
To be honest I am not getting the vaccine only because I do not want to pay for it. There are all kinds of ridiculous things that I purchase I'm sure, but for some reason, I just don't feel it is necessary for me. I get sick at least twice a year it seems - whenever the weather changes - and I was sick for 3 weeks already this fall, before the vaccine was even available. I try to do what I can to wash my hands often and be cautious of what I touch. I would get it if it were $10 or less and if my school or work was providing it. If I had children and vaccines were given at their school then I would absolutely let them get it. I would also take them elsewhere to get the vaccine, but not myself.
ReplyDeleteElaine