So sick of hearing about the swine flu!!! - Page 3

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.

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.

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.)

And like laws, guidelines are meant to be broken.... Was that boy over 6 years of age?

I didn't see mention of contraindication of flumist for asthmatics ...... but that certainly makes sense.