H1n1

[pberggren1]

I have been becoming a little more concerned with all the stuff in the news recently with the Swine Flu.

Here in Canada the government is saying there it has enough vaccinations for everyone.

My question is: should we as Weggies be taking this vaccine? My gut feeling says no.

Phil

[crackers]

phil here in the uk anyone on immunosuppressants,amongst other health issues,is on a priority list to get the vaccine.my wife works at the local hospital and has asked doctors there about this and they all said to take the vaccine.if you have concerns then ask your gp for their advice.
john.

[Sangye]

I think it's important to treat vaccines like any other drug or procedure and get all the info before deciding to use them or not. Most docs just tell you "Get the shot." Can you imagine them doing that with our other drugs? Before deciding to use them, you should know what's in them, how they're tested, etc.... Before deciding not to use them, you should know what your risks are, and how you can protect yourself from infection. Just like with other drugs, learn both sides-- what are the risks and benefits if I do the shot or don't do the shot?

There are 2 important questions to ask if you choose to get the shot.
1) Does it contain "oil-based adjuvants?" (adjuvants = other ingredients)

2) Does it contain thimerosal (mercury)?

Short explanations of these questions and other concerns can be found here. Some of it applies only to the US, but not all.

[pberggren1]

Thanks John and Sangye

[andrew]

If given the choice I would be taking the vaccine. I got pig flu in July and take it from me, it's something you don't want.

[Jack]

I have the regular flu jab every year and have never had any reaction that I could detect. I will certainly be getting the swine flue jab when it comes.

[Doug]

Me, too. No problems with the vaccine, and the nurse who gives them is cute!

[coffeelover]

I get the flu shot every year and plan on getting the swine flu shot as soon as I am able.

Doug........are you chasing the nurses now?
coffeelover

[Doug]

No, I think they plan on having the older one (i.e. my age!) give me my shot this year, to save stress on the help. Ha!

[Sangye]

Here are a couple of interesting articles about the H1N1 vaccine.

This is a preliminary study from Canada, which was quoted in the Mercola article :

CBC News - Health - Seasonal flu shot may increase H1N1 risk

This article is from Dr Mercola. I don't like everything he says on his site, but I do agree with everything he says in this article. The videos on it are excellent as well.
ALERT: Special Swine Flu Update

One of the issues they raise in the Mercola article and videos is the question : "How many of those who got H1N1 (with or without complications) had received seasonal and/or H1N1 flu vaccination?" The assumption is that if you get the flu you hadn't received the vaccine.

As an example : Several years ago there was an outbreak of whooping cough (pertussis) in a northern Arizona school district close to where I lived. Even though the district itself reported a record of 97% pertussis vaccination among their student population, the news kept saying the outbreak was the fault of unvaccinated students. So-called "herd immunity" is hypothesized to occur with only 90% of a population vaccinated, so they should have been well-protected. The news only quietly reported that the outbreak was occurring exclusively among vaccinated students.