[Toreshi]

So the other day I'm at the hospital to get blood work. The lab isn't open yet (I showed up REAL early) so I'm wandering around out by reception. This woman is asking a nurse a question. Basically, her 9-year-old daughter has an allergy to eggs, which means that she can't get the H1N1 shot (because it's made from eggs, you see). So she's asking this nurse, what should I do?

The nurse, dead serious, tells her, "Don't take her out anywhere. Don't take her to the mall, don't take her to the movies. If I were you I'd take her out of school and home-school her for a while."

I made this face --->

A man who was in the waiting area for outpatients made a comment about 'fear-mongering', and an argument ensued.

---

With that story in mind, what are your thoughts and opinions on this whole Swine Flu thing? I personally think it's being blown ridiculously out of proportion just because it's the new scary thing that we don't quite understand. I mean, yeah, it's killed something like 30 people so far...that sucks, big time. But the regular seasonal flu kills something like 3000 people per YEAR. This isn't uncharted territory.

And yet people are freaking the hell out to get the shot. I'm not saying that you should or shouldn't get the shot, but the way people are reacting is retarded. For instance, the Truro H1N1 clinic opened up last Monday. It was positively FLOODED with people from Halifax who didn't want to wait until this week, when THEIR clinic is opening. Thus, tons of Truro residents didn't get in, or had to wait for hours on end. Our clinic, similarly, had four hour waits due to tons of people from surrounding regions flooding in instead of waiting four days for their clinic to open up.

---

And finally, a question. I find myself in a ridiculous position. I'm not afraid of Swine Flu, anymore than I am of the regular flu anyway. Yet my mother is practically on her hands and knees begging me to get the shot, since I'm technically in a high-risk group due to respiratory problems (allergies and mild asthma). But if it were just for the sake of her peace of mind, I'd have gone and got it. No, I've got a second opinion to consider. See, my doctor (amusingly enough) isn't for the H1N1 shot. He refuses to encourage it, based on the fact that we don't yet know what kind of side effects it's going to have, and he's convinced that, at least for some people, the shot might be worse than the risk of catching the flu.

So basically, what would you do?

[Waycos]

I think it's just something the media has jumped on. Like any flue, just keep yourself healthy.

[Cybercat]

I wouldn't take the shot if I were you. Especially if you don't get the "regular" flu shot either, since this is no worse that normal flu, really. It was made quite quickly and seems to have some side effects. Besides, the WHO has said it won't be known until mid december how effective the vaccin actually is.

[dreamchaser]

Especially if you don't get the "regular" flu shot either, since this is no worse that normal flu, really.

My thoughts exactly. It hasn't killed more people than other strains of flu - just a few odd cases of healthy young people who don't usually succumb to the flu. The media loves a good panic and the whole term "pandemic" has people more worried than usual.

I don't get the regular flu shot and I won't get this one. If you want it, fine, but quitting your job and hiding in the basement or pulling your kids from school and never leaving the house IS ridiculous. The fact that a nurse at a health center would recommend that is unprofessional, IMO.

[J_A_X]

My thoughts exactly. It hasn't killed more people than other strains of flu - just a few odd cases of healthy young people who don't usually succumb to the flu. The media loves a good panic and the whole term "pandemic" has people more worried than usual.

I don't get the regular flu shot and I won't get this one. If you want it, fine, but quitting your job and hiding in the basement or pulling your kids from school and never leaving the house IS ridiculous. The fact that a nurse at a health center would recommend that is unprofessional, IMO.

Not unprofessional, just ignorant. Most nurses don't have courses in epidemiology and how it all works.

I'm a 100% against flu shots or most shots in general. I don't like that fact that since we have been taking shots regularly that viruses get deadlier and deadlier since they need to adapt and mutate to survive.

[Toreshi]

The unanimous responses so far make me feel much better about my personal opinion, and my doctor's.

I haven't had a flu shot since I was 10, and I've survived until now, so I'll probably go along with you guys and not bother.

The attitude of the nurse does bother me though, whether it's ignorant or unprofessional, because people trust health care 'professionals' and combining it with the scare tactics of the media could lead to great waves of stupidity. I wouldn't doubt it at all if that mother actually did end up pulling her daughter out of school. -_-

[Chade]

One thing to note from your original statement is that it is not "it's killed something like 30 people so far". Worldwide, there have been over 7000 officially reported fatalities with over 1200 being in the States (US figure from the CDC).

It comes to a personal decision on your part. I do not get a regular flu shot but, will be getting an H1N1 shot. My reasons for this are: I've contracted influenza several times and it's always been unpleasant but has never been severe enough to put me in the hospital. However, my friend recently contracted H1N1 and ended up in the hospital with respiratory problems for over a month. She is just now starting to feel better. Regardless of what people say, H1N1 does have more severe symptoms than seasonal influenza. And, for a small percentage of the population it will react especially severely. I've spoken to a number of medical health officials in BC both officially and unofficially and most have said simply "In this case, it's better to get the shot than to take a risk. Yes, it has had accelerated testing and shots can lead to problems. However, in this case it is highly recommended."

I feel that the danger has been blown out of proportion by the media (though, the US declaring H1N1 a national emergency is fairly substantial), I do feel there is a danger.

I am not at an especially high risk though, I will be getting vaccinated against H1N1.

[Claire Tigre]

Tore, If its not against your personal feelings, you could put a bandaid on your arm, and tell your mom you got the shot, so she feels better. I mean, if she found out, shed probably be pissed, but as long as the fiance knew to tell her you got it, it would probably just make her feel better. Of course, if you dont want to lie to your mom, tell her the doctor suggested you not get it, and hope she understands.
Im not getting it, neither is my husband (who also has a lto of allergies/asthma). hell, we are pretty sure we had it last month. it was the worst flu he had ever had, and the second worse ive had.

[dreamchaser]

One thing to note from your original statement is that it is not "it's killed something like 30 people so far". Worldwide, there have been over 7000 officially reported fatalities with over 1200 being in the States (US figure from the CDC).

Her statement was that it's killed 30 people so far and the regular flu kills 3000 was obviously meant to refer for a smaller community. Worldwide, there are 250,000-500,000 deaths from influenza every year. (WHO) The CDC is currently showing worldwide H1N1 deaths for 2009 at just over 6000.

The swine flu is being blown out of proportion.

[Toreshi]

One thing to note from your original statement is that it is not "it's killed something like 30 people so far". Worldwide, there have been over 7000 officially reported fatalities with over 1200 being in the States (US figure from the CDC).

Her statement was that it's killed 30 people so far and the regular flu kills 3000 was obviously meant to refer for a smaller community. Worldwide, there are 250,000-500,000 deaths from influenza every year. (WHO) The CDC is currently showing worldwide H1N1 deaths for 2009 at just over 6000.

The swine flu is being blown out of proportion.

Yeah, sorry; I think the reference I was quoting was just for Eastern Canada or something.

Claire, while I don't particularly like lying to my mother, in this case I probably will, just to ease her state of mind. She's really worked up over the whole thing and seems to have gotten a 'if you get it you will die!' idea from somewhere.

[Glix]

She's really worked up over the whole thing and seems to have gotten a 'if you get it you will die!' idea from somewhere.

Some of my family are similair with regards to Swine Flu.. a few people I know are actually, quite honestly I'm not worried :\ as you (And others) said, it's blown way out of proportion because of the colossal amounts of misleading information that gets spread around about the whole thing.

I'll be honest I haven't heard much about H1N1 (maybe because I'm living in England, maybe because I mute the news and read a book so I can sound informed when I glance up and read the main titles scrolling along the bottom as I continue reading my book) but if it's anything like the other televised diseases in the last few years I imagine it's been praying on peoples fear of getting ill and stiring the community into procedures they largely wont need , which I've never understood (the fear of getting ill)..
You need to get ill as a child, you do, obviously I'm not telling you to go find a mexican pig and rub your child against it, but I mean stuff like the common cold that can cause a panic with the right people.. you know those people.. they're the ones who never let the temperature in their house drop below 25 degrees, and hand-hoover the space you were occupying before you got up to get a drink incase you left germs. That's actually a fairly accurate description of one of the people I know going mental about Swine Flu he thinks he has it every other week when he feels a bit run down and sniffs.

[Mizafim]

She's really worked up over the whole thing and seems to have gotten a 'if you get it you will die!' idea from somewhere.

Some of my family are similair with regards to Swine Flu.. a few people I know are actually, quite honestly I'm not worried :\ as you (And others) said, it's blown way out of proportion because of the colossal amounts of misleading information that gets spread around about the whole thing.

I know someone who got sick just a few days ago -- no confirmations as to whether it's H1N1, flu, or something else -- and was essentially exiled to her room. Her mother (a nurse, no less) basically refused to let her out of her room for fear she'd infect the rest of the family, or the rest of the world, apparently.

Whereas for myself, I got a flu (H1N1 or not, no idea) last week, and it flared up Friday morning in all its glory. I stayed home 'cause I felt like shit, same with Saturday. Not because I was overly afraid of spreading a death-disease, but because I felt like shit. It was brutal, and I'm still on the tail-end of recovery, but it's far from dying. And this from someone who doesn't get flu shots (not out of wanting to stop superbugs...but laziness), and hasn't gotten the flu (in any form) for probably close to a decade.

Everyone flipping out over this is ridiculous. Until we're at a point of actually requiring quarantines, and people getting carted away in bodybags by the truckload, then there isn't anything to really be worried about.

[The Illusionist]

I'm not worried by H1N1 "Swine" 'flu.
According to the statistics that my Government is using as their guidelines in the matter, I'm already dead from the Avian 'flu I caught last year and/or S.A.R.S. which I got the year before that.

[Maelgwyn]

Hmm... Tore, I would express your decision to her using the medical advice from your doctor as well as the crackpots on the internet

Also, if theres no real side effects come December, I may get the shot. Otherwise, hell no. Im certain that getting ill from the flu (which I did this year), from whatever animal it came from, usually ends the same - you feel crappy, you get soup and sometimes nice tea, and then you sleep it off.

Im not 'fraid of no virus.

[treehugger]

I'm torn about whether or not to get the vaccine too - there's a good chance that the flu that I got in August (and am still not 100% recovered from) was H1N1 but if it wasn't, I really can't afford to get something else on top of what's already affecting me. I'd probably run out and get the shot today if I didn't have the most massive phobia of needles.

[The Unbalanced Mind]

They have a nasal spray, that people tell me isn't horrifying to get. So you don't have to get the shot when you can get a nasal spray that has less risk attached to it. I'm not going to get the vaccine because every year I have ever gotten the vaccine for the flu I always end up catching the flu compared to every year I didn't I failed to catch it.

[DollMaestro]

Personally, I think it was because of the avian flu last time that lead to a seemingly much greater response to the piggy flu this time.

Lately, I've been seeing hand sanitizer magically popping out on almost EVERY WALL I see except my own apt! The library, the workplace, the classroom.

I know it's better to be safe than sorry, but is this really necessary?

[dreamchaser]

Lately, I've been seeing hand sanitizer magically popping out on almost EVERY WALL I see except my own apt! The library, the workplace, the classroom.

I know it's better to be safe than sorry, but is this really necessary?

See, that I'm not opposed to. Keeping one's hands clean is key to preventing the spread of many diseases. I prefer soap and water (hate the way the sanitizer makes my hands feel), but having it available if people choose to use it - that's not something I can complain about.

[Waycos]

What gets me with the hand sanitizer is how reports keep coming out that say the use of the stuff is more detrimental, that it kills the good bacteria on your hands which kill germs.

[dreamchaser]

What gets me with the hand sanitizer is how reports keep coming out that say the use of the stuff is more detrimental, that it kills the good bacteria on your hands which kill germs.

lol...not quite, Waycos. You're confusing anti-biotics with hand sanitizers. Anti-biotics kill all the bacteria in your system - not allowing the good bacteria to combat the bad and create antibodies. The arguments against hand sanitizer is that the body gets no small dose of basic germs to allow the body to build up immunity OR the dangers of children ingesting it.

edit: Figured I should add that only a couple of squirts of hand sanitizer is enough to cause alcohol poisoning in small children if they eat it.

This post has been edited by dreamchaser: 03 November 2009 - 11:44 AM