Swine Flu Overestimation?

[Anonymous]

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/21/cbsnews_investigates/main5404829.shtml

[Anonymous]

I think it is mostly nonsense.

I know at least some states have posted what their flu is typing -- in VA it is all either type A (ie positive rapid test but not fully typed) or H1N1 (if fully typed -- ie no "seasonal" strains circulating amongst what they have fully typed).

It isn't accurate that they're not testing anymore -- they are testing the critical, and the critical all have h1n1.

The data they're looking at is also from July, when we saw the cases fall dramatically before kids went back to school.

I am guessing the negatives they speak of are rapid test negatives. The CDC linked an analysis showing the rapid test to have caught a whopping 11.1% of what ended up fully typing as h1n1 -- so it is really near worthless and a rapid test negative is NOT a diagnostic negative.

Here's what we know -- we have an overwhelming number of young flu patients filling ICU beds and the like -- and they're testing postive for h1n1, not seasonal strains.

Check this out. A study in the UK where they drew titers and found it to be even MORE widespread than estimated.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8375922.stm

[Anonymous]

If the BBC article is true, I'd be more inclined not to vaccinate. It would mean so many people were already exposed. I think I may have had a mild case in October and my kids or DH never got it. Who knows! The articles completely contradict one another. If the CBS one is accurate, and H1n1 is overestimated, then the death rate is higher... ugh, no wonder it's impossible to make a decision.

[Anonymous]

Don't you think that by now - if you haven't been vaccinated, you've probably been exposed to it at some level?

I have two children - 5 and 18 mo. My husband, son and I received the seasonal vaccine. I'm still waiting for the season flu mist to hit my ped's office. None of us have been vaccinated against the H1N1, and I know that there have been several cases (if they've been identified correctly) at my daughter's school - in her K class.

We're pretty vigilant but not overly worried . . . hand washing, sneezing into your arm, gargling, and even swabbing my son's nose with a salt rinse but nothing more.

Of course I'm keeping my finger's crossed b/c one day the H1N1 is hype, and the next day it's preying on the young. And the stories about children dying are so tragic that I have to turn off the TV during those segments or skip that part of the paper.

But really - if it's as pervasive as they say, we've all been exposed. And both my husband and I teach!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't you think that by now - if you haven't been vaccinated, you've probably been exposed to it at some level?

I have two children - 5 and 18 mo. My husband, son and I received the seasonal vaccine. I'm still waiting for the season flu mist to hit my ped's office. None of us have been vaccinated against the H1N1, and I know that there have been several cases (if they've been identified correctly) at my daughter's school - in her K class.

We're pretty vigilant but not overly worried . . . hand washing, sneezing into your arm, gargling, and even swabbing my son's nose with a salt rinse but nothing more.

Of course I'm keeping my finger's crossed b/c one day the H1N1 is hype, and the next day it's preying on the young. And the stories about children dying are so tragic that I have to turn off the TV during those segments or skip that part of the paper.

But really - if it's as pervasive as they say, we've all been exposed. And both my husband and I teach!

Do you plan on getting the H1N1 vax for you or your kids? If not, why (since you already got the seasonal)? Just curious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't you think that by now - if you haven't been vaccinated, you've probably been exposed to it at some level?

I have two children - 5 and 18 mo. My husband, son and I received the seasonal vaccine. I'm still waiting for the season flu mist to hit my ped's office. None of us have been vaccinated against the H1N1, and I know that there have been several cases (if they've been identified correctly) at my daughter's school - in her K class.

We're pretty vigilant but not overly worried . . . hand washing, sneezing into your arm, gargling, and even swabbing my son's nose with a salt rinse but nothing more.

Of course I'm keeping my finger's crossed b/c one day the H1N1 is hype, and the next day it's preying on the young. And the stories about children dying are so tragic that I have to turn off the TV during those segments or skip that part of the paper.

But really - if it's as pervasive as they say, we've all been exposed. And both my husband and I teach!

It is doubtful that you were exposed enough to develop immunity without having any symptoms. So if you haven't been sick, I would seriously not count on this being a sign that you are protected in the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't you think that by now - if you haven't been vaccinated, you've probably been exposed to it at some level?

I have two children - 5 and 18 mo. My husband, son and I received the seasonal vaccine. I'm still waiting for the season flu mist to hit my ped's office. None of us have been vaccinated against the H1N1, and I know that there have been several cases (if they've been identified correctly) at my daughter's school - in her K class.

We're pretty vigilant but not overly worried . . . hand washing, sneezing into your arm, gargling, and even swabbing my son's nose with a salt rinse but nothing more.

Of course I'm keeping my finger's crossed b/c one day the H1N1 is hype, and the next day it's preying on the young. And the stories about children dying are so tragic that I have to turn off the TV during those segments or skip that part of the paper.

But really - if it's as pervasive as they say, we've all been exposed. And both my husband and I teach!

It is doubtful that you were exposed enough to develop immunity without having any symptoms. So if you haven't been sick, I would seriously not count on this being a sign that you are protected in the future.

We were around family friends with kids the same age as ours. The entire family got sick with H1N1, and the daughter, an asthmatic, was rushed to the ER. Mother, father and daughter recovered in about a week; the baby was better in three days. This was in September. Both my husband and I are around kids each day, and many were out with illness in the early fall. We also had 20 staff members out sick at one point.

I do believe that teachers - after going through their first year - develop a fairly strong resistance to many illnesses. In my 15+ years in this profession, I've been sick once with a sinus infection. And by sick, I mean in bed - feverish and out of it.

This isn't to say that I think we're fully "immune" to it; that would be a ridiculous statement. But being around kids all day long does put us at a greater risk.

And to answer the other PP's question - No, we're not vaccinating against H1N1. My daughter still has to get the seasonal flu mist, however.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't you think that by now - if you haven't been vaccinated, you've probably been exposed to it at some level?

I have two children - 5 and 18 mo. My husband, son and I received the seasonal vaccine. I'm still waiting for the season flu mist to hit my ped's office. None of us have been vaccinated against the H1N1, and I know that there have been several cases (if they've been identified correctly) at my daughter's school - in her K class.

We're pretty vigilant but not overly worried . . . hand washing, sneezing into your arm, gargling, and even swabbing my son's nose with a salt rinse but nothing more.

Of course I'm keeping my finger's crossed b/c one day the H1N1 is hype, and the next day it's preying on the young. And the stories about children dying are so tragic that I have to turn off the TV during those segments or skip that part of the paper.

But really - if it's as pervasive as they say, we've all been exposed. And both my husband and I teach!

It is doubtful that you were exposed enough to develop immunity without having any symptoms. So if you haven't been sick, I would seriously not count on this being a sign that you are protected in the future.

We were around family friends with kids the same age as ours. The entire family got sick with H1N1, and the daughter, an asthmatic, was rushed to the ER. Mother, father and daughter recovered in about a week; the baby was better in three days. This was in September. Both my husband and I are around kids each day, and many were out with illness in the early fall. We also had 20 staff members out sick at one point.

I do believe that teachers - after going through their first year - develop a fairly strong resistance to many illnesses. In my 15+ years in this profession, I've been sick once with a sinus infection. And by sick, I mean in bed - feverish and out of it.

This isn't to say that I think we're fully "immune" to it; that would be a ridiculous statement. But being around kids all day long does put us at a greater risk.

And to answer the other PP's question - No, we're not vaccinating against H1N1. My daughter still has to get the seasonal flu mist, however.

Why go seasonal but not H1N1? I guess I get confused by the decision to do seasonal but not H1N1 -- like I can see people who don't do flu shots at all opting out of the H1N1, but not one over the other...

[Anonymous]

NP - I think the reason some are getting seasonal and not h1n1 is because it isn't brand new. I know the whole argument about it being the same, etc. but there still is a difference. Not debating just a thought... although for the kids I don't quite see the point of doing seasonal over h1n1 if someone does any flu shots. It's so hard - this whole mess

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

And to answer the other PP's question - No, we're not vaccinating against H1N1. My daughter still has to get the seasonal flu mist, however.

Why go seasonal but not H1N1? I guess I get confused by the decision to do seasonal but not H1N1 -- like I can see people who don't do flu shots at all opting out of the H1N1, but not one over the other...

Our ped. actually said to get the seasonal flu shot b/c it's Tamiflu resistant. Our children are not high risk, thankfully. I do believe that my son had H1N1 before it made the news b/c he followed the pattern - fever was very high, under control for a bit and then spiking, and then a week of congestion (and thankfully nothing worse). He did lose his voice, however, and was sick for over two weeks.

After reading about hives (and having been plagued by them for months at a time for NO underlying medical reason) and basically believing that in MOST cases, H1N1 is no worse than the seasonal flu, I've decided against vaccinating my children. I think there are risks involved with either decision, but I'm just not comfortable with how the vaccine was rolled out and how the media is handling the situation. Something doesn't sit right with me, even though I'm definitely not anti-vax. And trust me when I say that I did do my research.

This is not to say that I'm NOT conflicted when I hear of parents who have had their children vaccinated, and I did almost reconsider when my daughter's friend - whose mother is a pediatrician - was vaccinated. But that was a fleeting thought.

Stay well, everyone, and have a happy Thanksgiving!

[Anonymous]

PP- I feel as you do. I am conflicted. Something doesn't sit right w/ me either, and all of these hives, vaccines being pulled. etc.
However, the what-ifs do keep me awake at night of not vaccinating as well. I am so torn! I think I may just keep an eye on it. If things take a turn for the worse I may-- or I may just do the mercury-free for my DD and pray for the best. I don't know!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP- I feel as you do. I am conflicted. Something doesn't sit right w/ me either, and all of these hives, vaccines being pulled. etc.
However, the what-ifs do keep me awake at night of not vaccinating as well. I am so torn! I think I may just keep an eye on it. If things take a turn for the worse I may-- or I may just do the mercury-free for my DD and pray for the best. I don't know!

I was like you guys, but what pushed me was having two friends whose kids were hospitalized for a long time. Perfectly healthy, and I know someone will freak out at me for this being anecdotal, but it really hit home. That combined with so many friends' kids -- dozens -- who have had the vax and done fine. I went with it, and both kids have had one dose (one mist and one shot) and both are fine (thank God). I know no one personally with any problems, no hives, etc. I hope it stays that way.