CNN last night

[Anonymous]

On CNN last night, Sanjay Gupta said the H1N1 virus is turning out to be LESS dangerous than seasonal flu. Also said that the prediction that healthy children would be hit hardest is not panning out, either. They thought the body's immune response to the virus was what was putting them in danger, so the healthier they were, the harder they would be hit. Turns out not to be the case.

[Anonymous]

I hope so, that would be great. I'm not sure when we will be able to get the shot and I'm nervous my toddler will get sick in the meantime.

[Anonymous]

I completely agree it's not as harmful for the vast majority of people. It's the unpredictability of serious problems that is worrisome to me. But perhaps the regular flu is the same and we just never hear about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I completely agree it's not as harmful for the vast majority of people. It's the unpredictability of serious problems that is wBorrisome to me. But perhaps the regular flu is the same and we just never hear about it.

I'm with you. I feel so much better now that my son has had the vaccine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On CNN last night, Sanjay Gupta said the H1N1 virus is turning out to be LESS dangerous than seasonal flu. Also said that the prediction that healthy children would be hit hardest is not panning out, either. They thought the body's immune response to the virus was what was putting them in danger, so the healthier they were, the harder they would be hit. Turns out not to be the case.

Thanks for posting this.

Finally, CNN is on the ball and no longer feeding into the H1N1 frenzy.

[Anonymous]

I think that's what they've been saying all along, about this flu. It's not so much that it is very severe -- in children it doesn't seem to be, except in the small percentage of cases where it is. It's just that it is affecting so many children, that there are a larger number of cases that are severe, even though it is still s small percentage overall.

It's the young adults, though -- ages 20 - 40, where the severity seems to be much higher than in seasonal flu. Very very seldom do you see healthy adults who die or end up in the ICU due to seasonal flu. But with this flu, more than usual are ending up being severe cases. And the ones that do end up in the ICU are extremely sick, and often got that way very quickly. That part is quite unusual.

But the kids, they are basically doing OK. ONly twice as many children have died of this so far, compared with seasonal flu. And when you figure that it is affecting far more kids than seasonal flu does, that's a very good statistic.

[Anonymous]

I heard about a healthy 6 year old that died from H1N1 last week. So today I stood in line with my 6 YO at the clinic in Manassas which was very well run and efficient. I feel SO much better knowing my two kids are vaccinated - against both flus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard about a healthy 6 year old that died from H1N1 last week. So today I stood in line with my 6 YO at the clinic in Manassas which was very well run and efficient. I feel SO much better knowing my two kids are vaccinated - against both flus.

Yea, but it takes 2 weeks for the vaccine to produce enough antibodies...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard about a healthy 6 year old that died from H1N1 last week. So today I stood in line with my 6 YO at the clinic in Manassas which was very well run and efficient. I feel SO much better knowing my two kids are vaccinated - against both flus.

Yea, but it takes 2 weeks for the vaccine to produce enough antibodies...

and I thought all kids under 10 needed two doses?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard about a healthy 6 year old that died from H1N1 last week. So today I stood in line with my 6 YO at the clinic in Manassas which was very well run and efficient. I feel SO much better knowing my two kids are vaccinated - against both flus.

Yea, but it takes 2 weeks for the vaccine to produce enough antibodies...

and I thought all kids under 10 needed two doses?

Well . . . NOW the CDC is saying that one dose is enough.

interesting how the CDC's recommendation has shifted due to supply and demand of the vaccine

[Anonymous]

does anyone else feel like a human guinea pig?

[Anonymous]

Where is the CDC saying 1 dose is enough? I've only heard the WHO say that 1 dose is good enough to prioritize all kids getting the first before any get the second. Big difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:does anyone else feel like a human guinea pig?

I'm with ya. I'm so confused.

[Anonymous]

Actually, if you read the research early on, one dose was always good enough for about 25% of kids.

However, we lack the resources and capacity to test every child, see if they are fully immunized, and then base the second round on that. There is no real harm in getting a second shot if you are immune, so that is where the recommendation comes from - it's a population-based recommendation, not one based on individual kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard about a healthy 6 year old that died from H1N1 last week. So today I stood in line with my 6 YO at the clinic in Manassas which was very well run and efficient. I feel SO much better knowing my two kids are vaccinated - against both flus.

Yea, but it takes 2 weeks for the vaccine to produce enough antibodies...

and I thought all kids under 10 needed two doses?

Well . . . NOW the CDC is saying that one dose is enough.

interesting how the CDC's recommendation has shifted due to supply and demand of the vaccine

A. The immune response begins developing immediately after the first shot. And so while she isn't completely immune, she is in a much better position. And every day she is less at risk.
B. The CDC isn't saying anything of the sort AFAIK. The WHO is saying that, given the choice between vaccinating some kids twice, or double the children once, they would pick the second option. That's not to say that it is "enough". It means that maybe 75% of the kids are protected after the first shot, so the second shot is better spent from a public health perspective on unvaccinated children to get another group partial coverage, vs. making sure the first group is 90-100% covered. And also, most countries are using adjuvants, so we don't really know that this WHO opinion covers us. In our wisdom, we did not use adjuvants. So it is possible that most of the world will get away with one shot but not us.