Oink! Oink! It's the H1N1 vaccine for me!

[tattooyu]

I left a message with my doctor's office asking whether or not my sleep apnea would put me in a high risk category, and whether or not I should get the H1N1 vaccine. My doctor's response was an unequivocal: Yes and Yes.

With that information, I'm highly considering getting the vaccine. Does anyone there think the vaccine would prevent me spreading swine flu as a carrier to my pregnant wife? We are very up in the air about her getting it. On the one hand, it's fairly unknown what it might do to a fetus. On the other hand, it's manufactured in the same way as the regular flu vaccine AND it's much worse if she actually died from the H1N1!!!

According to the CDC, 6% of deaths were pregnant women. Pregnant women comprise less than 1% of the population. That seems significant to me.

[MauraAnderson]

I honestly don't know because there are so many variables at play. One of them is whether or not the vaccine is efficacious for you. There is a certain amount of failure where a patient receives a vaccine but still get the flu, though sometimes with reduced symptoms. Whether or not your wife would catch it from you is equally unknown.

I didn't choose to get the vaccine partly because I'm allergic to thimerisole, a mercury-based preservative. While not usually allowed in my state for vaccination preservation, a special dispensation was made for the H1N1 vaccinations. The other reason is that I am most likely resistant, if not immune. The H1N1 went through my school when I was a child and I was sick for a week with it. So I'm pre-exposed.

Knowing what you've been through and your wife's pregnancy, I'd be tempted to get the shot, myself. In your case, it might make an important difference and I doubt you'd be any worse off for having done so if you have no known issues with flu vaccines.

Not much help, I know.

- Maura

[Gerryk]

I believe their are two variants you can get the nasal which is a live virus and the shot which is not live.
With the nasal, you can get the flu but hopefully it is a much weaker form than without. But you can also pass it on to your wife because you may have the flu and not know it. If you do pass it on it will not be in a weekend form it will be full strength. When you get what is called a weekend form, it is actually fill strength, but your body has been busy fighting against it already so you don't get real sick.

Talk to your doctor and if you do get the flu shot get the shot not the nasal thing. As far as it being safe for pregnant women, I don't know what the data is for either the shot or the nasal. You do have to take into effect all variable. Your doc said your at an increased risk but does he know your wife is pregnant? What did her doc say about you or her getting the flu shot?

Lots of variables in this, but before you decide one way or the other, talk to all the docs not just yours.

Once you have all the info then decide together. Make it a family decision

Gerry

[TheDreamer]

I ended up getting the flu shot....they were offering both nasal and shot, with preference to nasal. But, apparently my OSA qualifies as a shot....they also mentioned anemia as a factor...and I am currently being treated for that, so not sure...but it wasn't on the questionnaire, but it was on the infosheet. My preference was for the shot anyways.

There was a sign saying if you're pregnant you can't get either at the clinic, since they didn't have the version of the shot for pregnant women. I also heard they weren't offering to children under 16.....

The Dreamer.

[JohnBFisher]

... I believe their are two variants you can get the nasal which is a live virus and the shot which is not live. ...

Exactly, GerryK as you note, you run the risk of contracting flu if you use the nasal variant. So, tattooyu, if you have a weakened immune system (or in the case of a pregnant women an immune system working for two), then they insist on using the shot, not the nasal version.

For example, I have diabetes. I would have insisted on the shot rather than the nasal spray. However, due to diabetes the nasal spray was ruled out. Only a shot would be permitted for me.

And so, tattooyu, it would be for your wife if she gets it. They would insist on her only getting a shot. If you have any tendency to get bronchitis or chest colds, I would recommend you get the shot rather than nasal spray delivery of the vaccine. In fact, since you might contract even a weakened version of either the seasonal or H1N1 flu, and could then infect your wife, in your shoes, I would request a shot rather than nasal spray. And definitely, you should get both the seasonal and H1N1 flu shots. It WILL help protect your wife. She won't pick it up from you. She might from someone else if she is not vaccinated, but she would not pick it up from you.

From everything I've heard this is safe for pregnant women. However, she should talk with her doctor about it. Do investigate it.

[Woody]

It takes a couple of weeks after having the flu shot to develope immunity. So the day before thanksgiving I drove ~ 50 miles
to get the h1ni shot which was kind of a waste because I came down with it thanksgiving day! Well the fever didn't last but
seven days and I figure the cough will just about be over by christmas eve! Well I did lose 10 lbs because of it but gee what
a way to lose weight!

[JohnBFisher]

... So the day before thanksgiving I drove ~ 50 miles - to get the h1ni shot which was kind of a waste because I came down with it thanksgiving day! ... Well I did lose 10 lbs because of it but gee what a way to lose weight!

Bummer!! I'm so sorry to hear about that timing. Hopefully Christmas and New Year's will be much more enjoyable for you.

[tattooyu]

Thanks everyone. I would definitely be getting the shot (dead virus). I'm going to call and ask if they gave a thimerasol-free version. Woah -- they just teased a story about an H1N1 recall on the news. I'll update this later if it's relevant.

UPDATE: it is a recall for the nasal one so I'm cool.

You can't get the full-blown flu with the dead virus so I may just feel sore or a little malaise.

Anyway, our OB has mixed feelings about it, leaning toward "not". In October/November he said that we are almost out of flu season anyway. He also mentioned that they don't really know the effects of it on a fetus yet. We have an appointment with a perinatologist -- THE perinatologist -- at Cedars Sinai next week and will get his opinion as well.

I'm going to get it anyway.

[sleepycarol]

I was able to get the H1N1 shot at school. The first batch they gave at school was for students with compromised immune systems. A couple of kids didn't get the shot so they offered one of them to me. I was told by the RN that gave mine that if you are over 50 you are ineligible for the nasal mist. That meant I took the shot. One of the reasons I was able to get it when I did was due to asthma, diabetes, (didn't know that OSA was a qualifer at the time).

[Gerryk]

Normally a seasonal flu shot is developped from the top three flu bugs from the previous year. They mix them together and make a flu shot and hope it's one of those that comes back the next year. Sometimes they get it right other times it's wrong, but that's the best they can do for now.

Their is more involved in making the flu shot but I stated it that way so it is very easy to understand.

Our local health department is terrible. My wife had surgery the day my son was supposed to get his shot at school by the Crook County unhealthy department. They refused to give him the shot saying they don't care about anyone else in the house having immunity problems. They don't care if my wife just had surgery and her surgeon said she can't come home if he gets the shot. They said too bad she can stay in the hospital that's not their worry.

When I called the director they threatened my job saying they will revoke my state EMT license if any of this goes to the newspaper.

Isn't that just lovely?

Gerry

[SheZAAM!]

How does having OSA make you a high risk candidate??

Personally, I avoid putting unnecessary chemicals in my body and I see the H1N1 shot as unnecessary. I avoid being around kids if at all possible. Honestly, I see it as a bunch of hype. People die from all kinds of things everyday. It's just that the media has hyped this so bad that anxious people are much more anxious over it.

Just MHO.

[WNJ]

What’s the big deal?

If the H1N1 virus had been isolated a few weeks earlier, it would have been included in the mix for the regular seasonal flu shot.

I got both shots. Apart from OSA, I am diabetic so I was high on the priority list.

I avoided flu shots when I was young, especially after the side effects reported from the 1976 "Spanish" flu shot. Easy to do when you're in your 30's and healthy. At my age and health condition, I'll take my chances with the shot rather than the flu.

Wayne

[JohnBFisher]

... Personally, I avoid putting unnecessary chemicals in my body and I see the H1N1 shot as unnecessary. ...

Yes, that is you opinion.

... People die from all kinds of things everyday. ...

So, if I take you up to the top of a building and say "Let's jump off the side of the building", you would jump?

No? Why not?

Oh, you say you know you probably will get hurt and might die from that? How do you know that?

Really, you know from experiences of others that you would get hurt? But people die from all kinds of thngs everyday, don't they?

Ah, you want to avoid something that will probably hurt you.

So, you are not willing to take a shot (either seasonal flu or the H1N1 flu vaccine). You don't think you need it. Even though there is great science and numbers that show you have very minimal risks from the vaccine. But you have significant risks if you do not take the vaccine. A lot of very healthy people (children, pregnant women, healthy young adults) have sadly proven this case.

So, you want to jump off that building even though you know from the experiences of others that it will hurt you?

Go figure!

... It's just that the media has hyped this so bad ...

Hey! Even when they hype a story they sometimes get the facts correct. And here they are:

• Seasonal flu can be avoided with a vaccine.
• H1N1 flu can be avoided with a vaccine.
• Seasonal flu leads to avoidable deaths.
• H1N1 flu leads to avoidable deaths.
• H1N1 has killed a higher percentage of very healthy adults.

The CDC estimates that about 9,800 people died in the USA due to H1N1 flu from April to November 14th of this year. Of that number, about 1,100 deaths were children 0-17 years of age. Adults from 18-64 years of age accounted for about 5,400 deaths. And adults 65 years of age and older accounted for about 1,300 deaths.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/estimates_2009_h1n1.htm
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/13/h1 ... index.html

And this is not just my opinion. These are the facts. If you choose not to believe them, that's your choice. I choose to avoid an avoidable problem. The facts show it is a wiser choice.