So sick of hearing about the swine flu!!!

blueheaven · Nov 11, 2009

I cannot agree with that epidemeoligist, but do agree about getting the vax. Although many have had mild to moderate cases, I am seeing four significant differences between what we saw last year and what we are seeing this year.
First, the demographics (the affected population), second, the greater ability of swine flu to attack deep lung tissue, third, cases of flu from April thru summer and continuing on into the fall and beyond, and fourth, the fact that 1/3 to 1/2 (depending upon the research) of the severe flu cases had no prior existing health problems, certainly makes the case for getting vaccinated to me. This virus is not going away until there are no more susceptible hosts.
http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19389
I do agree that our situation is not comparable to 1918 due not only to the conditions that you mention, but also because of a less virulent virus.

Yea, but in 1918 we didn't have the technology to help people survive it. So yes, 1918 death numbers are accurate but how many would have survived if they lived in the 21st century.

indigo girl · Nov 11, 2009

Yea, but in 1918 we didn't have the technology to help people survive it. So yes, 1918 death numbers are accurate but how many would have survived if they lived in the 21st century.

Agreed, but we are not saving them all despite our advanced technology, and our antivirals. Not everyone that ends up on a vent, can be oxygenated. For those that can even qualify for ECMO, it's a 50/50 chance of survival.

For many reasons, these folks are still dying. It is tragic, especially those young pregnant women and the children. These stories are heartbreaking.

https://allnurses.com/pandemic-flu-forum/no-prior-existing-400466.html

https://allnurses.com/pandemic-flu-forum/whats-happening-now-422611.html

https://allnurses.com/pandemic-flu-forum/evidence-swine-flu-399332.html

https://allnurses.com/pandemic-flu-forum/ecmo-will-we-410682.html

How anyone can make light of this virus is beyond me.

lamazeteacher · Nov 11, 2009

an epidemiologist told me the swine flu is "about 300% less deadly" than the seasonal flu.
anyone collecting disease stats can call themselves an epidemiologist! what other qualifications did that person have? he/she is dead wrong! ask (nicely) where you might find the criteria for that statistic (other than from his/her mouth).
also said swine flu becoming a repeat of the 1918 pandemic is extremely far-fetched - aside from dramatic advances in medicine, 1918 had a "perfect storm" of a more than ample supply of malnourished troops in mental and physiological shambles - and thus depressed immune systems - to facilitate the spread.
the returning troops that died of h1n1 (they had no test for it then)numbered far, far less than 18,000,000 in 1918. remember, ww i was an "in the trenches" with close contact and killer (of respiratory tract)gas war, and with all the countries involved, there still weren't 18,000,000 malnourished, lung compromised troops altogether.
it's more a demographics issue really. i'm getting the vax just in case! hooray!! share where you found it, if they didn't run out of it.

it's babies now, schoolchildren, pregnant women, and hcws dying and critically ill folks. a far different scenario that in 1918, 1976, or any other time in recorded history!

i can understand how necessary it is to take a break from all the news about h1n1, but calling a halt to reporting cases of dead and dying victims of h1n1 is hiding heads in sand time. dead id dead. you can't refute that!

the shortage in this country of available vaccine is very regrettable, and reflects denial and politics here, rather than oops. glaxosmith klein's 11,000,000 doses of vaccine ordered by the usa is still languishing somewhere, hopefully not in the arms of people from other countries with regulating agencies more open to providing it. canada has been using that vaccine for months without incident, while our fda refuses to allow its release.

call your representatives, senators, governors, and demand its release!!!! all you have to say is, "i am _____________________, at risk for h1n1 through my work as a hcw, and i don't want to become a statistic, as one more hcw critically ill and exposing others to this known killer!" (or something like that, in your own style - i tend to exclaim loudly which can deafen others to issues).

and, while you're on the telephone with those in charge of your health future history, and that of your children (they'll find the money for healthcare in their time), tell them to see that the reform of health care bill gets through the senate, or they'll lose your vote. they need you as front line workers battling a known enemy with a definite wmd. the ammunition here is vaccine, for our defense against illness and death!

if there was possible extreme danger lurking in a direction in which you're traveling with your baby and children, wouldn't you want to know, to turn in another direction, away from it? i know how super saturated, readers of allnurses may feel about information that takes many directions, but the dangerous one is abundantly clear. don't stay in avoidance, we need your skills, your essence, your presence among us. stay informed and alive, and help others do that, too. :yeah:

don't be a looky-loo blocking hwy traffic after a crash, clear the way for those who need and want h1n1 vaccine.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Nov 12, 2009

I was really sick of hearing about the flu, go figure I got it. I didn't even realize I had it because I didn't have body aches but I had the fever and cough, was getting better then got worse and so on, it wasn't that bad, I mean I felt crummy for a week but it didn't knock me out. What scared me was my daughter got it who is only 2. Her temp got up to 105 at one point, then she also seemed to better and then got worse her cough got so bad it was making it hard to breath for her. She has always been pretty healthy, well as healthy as a 2.5 year old can be, anyway finally yesterday I took her to Urgent Care and she got a secondary infection of Bronchitis. Well hopefully it's that, the Dr. didn't seem very sure of herself, she said things like "I don't THINK it's pneumonia" "I don't THINK we need films".

She said she has been seeing a lot of kids come in having had the swine flu and now having really bad secondary infections of either Bronchitis or Pneumonia I am hoping though this means we are good for the rest of the season, my husband and other kids haven't seemed to have gotten it yet thankfully so maybe they won't. I told my daughter she had the piggy flu.

I was told I could get the H1N1 vaccine since I am a nursing student but I opted not to, I suppose it's all good now since I already had it and the vaccines were going to be given out in the next few weeks to the high risk groups.

indigo girl · Nov 13, 2009

I was really sick of hearing about the flu, go figure I got it. I didn't even realize I had it because I didn't have body aches but I had the fever and cough, was getting better then got worse and so on, it wasn't that bad, I mean I felt crummy for a week but it didn't knock me out. What scared me was my daughter got it who is only 2. Her temp got up to 105 at one point, then she also seemed to better and then got worse her cough got so bad it was making it hard to breath for her. She has always been pretty healthy, well as healthy as a 2.5 year old can be, anyway finally yesterday I took her to Urgent Care and she got a secondary infection of Bronchitis. Well hopefully it's that, the Dr. didn't seem very sure of herself, she said things like "I don't THINK it's pneumonia" "I don't THINK we need films".
She said she has been seeing a lot of kids come in having had the swine flu and now having really bad secondary infections of either Bronchitis or Pneumonia I am hoping though this means we are good for the rest of the season, my husband and other kids haven't seemed to have gotten it yet thankfully so maybe they won't. I told my daughter she had the piggy flu.
I was told I could get the H1N1 vaccine since I am a nursing student but I opted not to, I suppose it's all good now since I already had it and the vaccines were going to be given out in the next few weeks to the high risk groups.

Get the vax for you and your family when you can. You can be infected more than once like this pediatrician:

http://dailymail.com/News/200911041062

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Nov 13, 2009

Oh I wasn't aware, it worries me to get a vaccine though that was so rushed to get out their and no long term effects are known. I am not anti vaccine, we all are up to date on our vaccines, it's just this one that worries me. I was going to get us all the regular flu vaccine, well except my husband, he is a sissy when it comes to needles.

The only time I have gotten the flu shot was the year they miscalculated and it was the first time I ever got the flu and it sucked so bad, it was worse then this H1N1 in how I felt but it only lasted a couple days only 2 days where I was real bad and this one lasted longer.

indigo girl · Nov 13, 2009

Oh I wasn't aware, it worries me to get a vaccine though that was so rushed to get out their and no long term effects are known. I am not anti vaccine, we all are up to date on our vaccines, it's just this one that worries me. I was going to get us all the regular flu vaccine, well except my husband, he is a sissy when it comes to needles.
The only time I have gotten the flu shot was the year they miscalculated and it was the first time I ever got the flu and it sucked so bad, it was worse then this H1N1 in how I felt but it only lasted a couple days only 2 days where I was real bad and this one lasted longer.

Your hubby could possibly get the flumist if it is available as long as he does not have asthma, and is under age 49.

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm189691.htm

Please don't think that this vaccine was rushed. It wasn't. That is propaganda

from some very vocal groups trying to scare people away from getting vaccinated.

The estimate of pediatric deaths from swine flu discussed in the CDC briefing

today is very disturbing. The best way to keep kids safe is to vaccinate.

http://www.cdc.gov/media/transcripts/2009/t091112.htm

*ac* · Nov 14, 2009

Your hubby could possibly get the flumist if it is available as long as he does not have asthma, and is under age 49.
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm189691.htm
Please don't think that this vaccine was rushed. It wasn't. That is propaganda
from some very vocal groups trying to scare people away from getting vaccinated.
The estimate of pediatric deaths from swine flu discussed in the CDC briefing
today is very disturbing. The best way to keep kids safe is to vaccinate.
http://www.cdc.gov/media/transcripts/2009/t091112.htm

I know of people at my hospital over age 49 who were able to get the flumist by signing a waiver.

indigo girl · Nov 14, 2009

I know of people at my hospital over age 49 who were able to get the flumist by signing a waiver.

Thanks! That is a good idea.

My neighbor's pediatrician gave her son the Flumist even though he has asthma. Maybe because she knows him well, and the asthma is mild...

I think, that these are just guidelines anyway.

*ac* · Nov 14, 2009

Thanks! That is a good idea.
My neighbor's pediatrician gave her son the Flumist even though he has asthma. Maybe because she knows him well, and the asthma is mild...
I think, that these are just guidelines anyway.

My understanding is that the reason it's not officially approved for those over age 49 is that there has been inadequate testing for efficacy; it's not about safety. There's no reason to believe it's not as effective in that age group, the numbers just weren't there for the FDA to give it the OK.

So it's an off-label use - we do that all the time.

lamazeteacher · Nov 14, 2009

Get the vax for you and your family when you can. You can be infected more than once like this pediatrician:
http://dailymail.com/News/200911041062

Yup! I got it in mid August '09, and again in late Oct.'09. Both times I had Tamiflu in the first 48 hours, so the test wasn't reliable. The first time, it was neg., and from what I read from CDC, the test is reliable only 3-4 days after s/s appear.

What mystifies me, is why the vaccine prevents the H1N1 infection process, but having the illness, doesn't. :cry:

lamazeteacher · Nov 14, 2009

My understanding is that the reason it's not officially approved for those over age 49 is that there has been inadequate testing for efficacy; it's not about safety. There's no reason to believe it's not as effective in that age group, the numbers just weren't there for the FDA to give it the OK.
So it's an off-label use - we do that all the time.

Actually what CDC has said is that over 49 'ers may have been exposed to H1N1 before, and could get it again from the attenuated virus. Killed virus is in the injectable vaccine, which has been the preference of most people who want vaccination (except for the needle phobic). Pregnant women and parents/caregivers of infants under 6 mo. of age, as well as 2 - 6 year olds get the injected version, due to the possibility that flumist, which has "attenuated" virus, can cause live virus from the recipient's own replication, to be shed.

That doen't sound as clear as I'd like, because that could be true of others who receive flumist too, and that's not good..... but then what does seem clear, with this pandemic?

Since they don't say anything about the possibility of unknown pregnancy in women over 49, that can't be why they don't give flumist to them. So I suppose, as CDC says, "We leave the policy for administration of flu vaccine up to local health departments." (That was the answer I got from CDC when I queried them about the long lines of people waiting for the H1N1 vaccine, being given it in Los Angeles regardless of priority for those at high risk.)