Did you get your flu vax yet?

Nurses COVID

Published

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/swine-flu-surge-leaves-15-dead-and-100-in-intensive-care-2161629.html

I know it's kind of late but not too late to think about this. No wants to think about this, not even me. But, people are still dying and being hospitalized when they could have had some protection. Those pregant moms in critical condition, jeez, I cannot think of anything sadder.

Diseases have a way of crossing borders and jumping on planes. Please think about protecting yourself, your patients and your families.

Fifteen patients have died and more than 100 patients are in intensive care with suspected swine flu as doctors warned that the disease is turning out to be more severe than last year.

Intensive care specialists said that the NHS was under greater pressure than 12 months ago. There has been a surge of cases admitted to hospital in the last 10 days and in the North-west the numbers are above those at the peak of last year's pandemic.

Are there any influenza vaccinations available that do not contain harmful ingredients such as Thimerisol, aluminum, or formaldehyde? I might consider obtaining one, if this were the case.

Maybe a specialist will answer here, but it is my understanding that single dose influenza vaccines do not contain any preservatives.

Specializes in ICU.

I had the vaccine last year, haven't had it yet this year and now wish I had...DH is not very well, have just been to pick up Tamiflu for him.

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Are there any influenza vaccinations available that do not contain harmful ingredients such as Thimerisol, aluminum, or formaldehyde? I might consider obtaining one, if this were the case.

It has been my understanding that pre-fillled syringes do not contain any of that, only multi dose vials. Check this link to the CDC, and look at the table of different manufacturers. You will see that there are vaccines that have no addiitives.

CDC - Seasonal Influenza (Flu) - Q A: Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Supply for the U.S.

Actually, the pre-filled syringes come in both, with and without preservatives. I work at a family practice and we received both types. If you get on the CDC's website, it will state all the manufacturers that supply the vaccine. I know Fluarix, for adults, comes in pre-filled syringes with no preservative.

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Thanks for that info.

Specializes in Med./Surg. and paramed. exams.

I'm really glad that our facility has forced us to get the flu shot. I can only imagine how bad the last week would have been without everyone having the flu shot. Considering we work 12's, my 3 days I had scheduled off this week I have been called in because so many other staff have called in with the flu. Our unit has been stuffed this week with flu/pneumonia crap on top of having only about 1/2 staff available, I finally said NO this morning and taking a much needed day off. Thanks fluvirin.

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UK Vaccine Shortage Increases H1N1 Pandemic Concerns

... shortage of vaccine in the UK, which adds to the concerns relating to a health care delivery failure. This shortage helped explain the emphasis on vaccination of "at risk" patients when half of the severe and fatal cases do not have underlying conditions. This shortage would also explain the decision to not launch an under 5's vaccination campaign amid increasing deaths, ECMO shotages, and Tamiflu resistance.

Media reports have suggested the peak of the flu season will be reached in a week or two, but such expectations are largely based on wishful thinking. Although the number of cases has exploded in recent weeks, many areas, including London, have only recently seen a dramatic jump in cases, which began a few weeks ago in the midlands. Moreover, flu season traditionally peaks in February, so the support for an early end to the flu season is lacking.

The above comments reflect the effects of a more virulent and recombinant H1N1 which has increased severe cases to 738 from 460 a week ago. These levels are strikingly higher than the peak for last season of 180, which has contributed to the strain on health care delivery.

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Keeping a Sense of Proportion about Swine Flu

BBC - Fergus's Medical Files: Keeping a sense of proportion about swine flu

Are they rationing the vaccine in the UK? It sure sounds like it. And, they might just be guessing wrong about the time frame necessary for doing so...

One key difference now, and it is of concern, is the sharply higher numbers in intensive care. Figures for England show that there are more than 700 people critically ill with suspected flu. That is many times the number last winter. But the level of flu in the community is higher as well. Flu rates vary from year to year so it really should not come as a huge surprise.

Dr Bob Winter, president of the Intensive Care Society said: "The majority of those we are seeing in critical care are either pregnant women, people who are overweight - usually spectacularly so, and those with underlying health conditions.

Several thousand people a year die from the complications of flu, but in the past it was mostly the elderly and infirm. Since the advent of swine flu that changed. Of the 39 people to have died since October, all but one were under 65 and four were under the age of five.

That makes immunisation of at-risk groups, especially those under 65, extremely important.

Last night the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said it did not believe that healthy children under five should be given the flu vaccine.

Professor Andrew Hall, chairman of the JCVI said: "The committee considered the issue of offering vaccination to healthy children either 0-4 years and/or 5-15 years of age. However, although there is a high incidence of influenza-like illness currently in these age groups, a significant proportion of this is due to other viruses such as Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). In addition, only a very small proportion of those with severe disease are in these age groups. Based on previous seasonal influenza epidemiology, it would be hoped that influenza circulation will have subsided within a month.

We do not believe that seasonal or pandemic vaccine should be used for these or other healthy person groups. The greatest gain will be achieved in increasing vaccine uptake in the clinical risk groups."

The JCVI urged those with chronic respiratory, neurological, heart and kidney disease, diabetes, the immunosuppressed and pregnant women to get immunised.

What about the rest of the population? Swine flu can strike down, and even kill healthy people - this was demonstrated last year. Fifteen of those who have died since October were not in at-risk groups. Just as in previous winters, flu jabs are available from large pharmacies for those who want to protect themselves from the virus.

(hat tip Avian Flu Diary)

Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Keeping a Sense of Proportion about Swine Flu

BBC - Fergus's Medical Files: Keeping a sense of proportion about swine flu

Are they rationing the vaccine in the UK? It sure sounds like it. And, they might just be guessing wrong about the time frame necessary for doing so...

(hat tip Avian Flu Diary)

I doubt they are rationing Influenza vac rather than limiting it to certain groups. Looking on the Department of Health UK website the criteria hasn't changed much since I left 3 years ago. Vac is recommended to everyone over 65, Live in residential/nursing home, main carer for elderly or disabled person, under 65 but suffer from a chronic disease of heart disease, respiratory disease, diabetes, kidney disease, low immunity due to cancer or steroid treatment, TIA or stroke, MS or cerebral palsy, splenectomy/sickle cell and pregnancy,

http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/@ps/documents/digitalasset/dh_119314.pdf

These are the recommendations for swine flu and haven't been updated since 2009

http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/@ps/@sta/@perf/documents/digitalasset/dh_110617.pdf

Pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza: clinical management guidelines for pregnancy : Department of Health - Publications

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OK, but if this particular virus has an affinity for the under 65 yr olds, it makes no sense to me. It is not the elders that are most impacted by swine flu.

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The 2011 H1N1 Pandemic Fiasco

Here is some commentary from Dr. Niman at Recombinomics about the flu vax chasing a moving target, and some of the changes in the swine flu virus that he is noticing. He has been criticized by many as being an alarmist, but he does make some interesting points about manipulation of data. Is that what really happened? I do know that many young people that I worked with, and the children of my colleagues became very ill. Some of them started to get better then relapsed, a sign of secondary infection, and pneumonia, requiring possible hospitalization if not treated. Access to Tamiflu tx made them better.

The testing requirement and associated gross undercounts were eventually applied to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, leading to major misconceptions about the spread and gravity of the outbreak. Infections in schools were underplayed because only lab confirmed cases were cited and the vast majority of infected students were not tested. This allowed schools to remain open and the high levels of H1N1 undisclosed. It also created a gross undercount of cases, which extended to severe and fatal cases.

The gross undercount was magnified by comparisons to historic levels of seasonal flu deaths. In the United States the annual number was 36,000, but these were deaths of the frail and elderly who were estimated by death certificates and clinically defined cases, not lab confirmation.

These very different approaches in estimating seasonal and pandemic H1N1 deaths led to false comparisons, including media reports claiming the H1N1 was an infection that was much milder than seasonal flu, when lab confirmed deaths in young adults were compared to estimates of deaths of patients who were well over 65 years of age and battling long term health problems.

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Children's flu epidemic feared by doctors as virus escalates | Society | The Observer

And, now they will go back to school, this sounds very familiar. At least this year, they will be doing more than saying wash your hands, I hope.

The flu outbreak gripping Britain is set to become a "children's epidemic" as new figures show that the number of under-fives being brought into doctors' surgeries with the illness doubled over the Christmas period.

Across England the highest incidence of flu is in the under-four age group – 184 cases per 100,000 babies and infants. Among the over-65s, the incidence last week was 36 cases per 100,000, while the average across all ages was 124 per 100,000 – a rise of 50% on the previous week. An epidemic is defined as 200 cases per 100,000 of population.

The new figures only include those patients who have attended their doctors' surgeries. Professor Steve Field, a Birmingham GP, said many people may not be seeking treatment because opening times are limited over the holiday period and are instead coping with their illness at home.

(hat tip crofsblog)

Didn't they just decide not to give the vax to kids under 5?

BBC - Fergus's Medical Files: Keeping a sense of proportion about swine flu

Last night the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said it did not believe that healthy children under five should be given the flu vaccine.

Professor Andrew Hall, chairman of the JCVI said: "The committee considered the issue of offering vaccination to healthy children either 0-4 years and/or 5-15 years of age. However, although there is a high incidence of influenza-like illness currently in these age groups, a significant proportion of this is due to other viruses such as Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). In addition, only a very small proportion of those with severe disease are in these age groups. Based on previous seasonal influenza epidemiology, it would be hoped that influenza circulation will have subsided within a month.

We do not believe that seasonal or pandemic vaccine should be used for these or other healthy person groups. The greatest gain will be achieved in increasing vaccine uptake in the clinical risk groups."

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