H1N1 Vaccine: Are YOU getting it?

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Permalink Reply by Skip Kirkwood on October 19, 2009 at 1:01pm

Heck yes!

This "not been tested yet" is a bunch of horse puckey! EVERY YEAR there is a new vaccine that is a mixture of last year's flu plus what they think is coming this year. The only reason there is a separate H1N1 vaccination this year is timing - it wasn't ready in time to mix with this year's seasonal vaccine. It's being handled the same way that flu vaccine is handled every year.

It's voluntary here, but over 80% of the EMS folk who were offered H1N1 nasal mist have accepted the vaccine.

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Permalink Reply by Neil White on October 19, 2009 at 1:43pm

I'm in two minds at the moment, our guys over this side of the pond tend to be holding back on publishing any information that would allow people to make an informed choice.

By Glaxosmithkline's own admission part of the R&D has been sped up to produce the swine flu vaccine, what does sped up mean, I appreciate that it has gone through stringent safety checks but with medical experts being warned to watch for Guillain-Barre it does make you think twice.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/swine-flu/6038460/Doctors-told-to...

Whilst the science the health protection agency refers to the US in the 70's because testing has not been detailed nobody really knows...

We've been issued the following called rationale for staff vaccination;

• The numbers of people catching swine flu may have dropped away significantly during the summer, but we expect the virus to return in the months ahead, now that the traditional flu season is upon us.
• Cases are already increasing, and the Department of Health is warning that all NHS organisations must prepare for the possibility of an epidemic in many parts of the country over the next six months.
• The risk is that swine flu combines with other winter pressures, putting clinical teams under severe strain. Staff absence is therefore potentially a significant issue. We know that health professionals are particularly at risk of catching swine flu – even if they don’t normally get sick.
• If you do get the virus, you’ll be unable to treat patients whilst you are symptomatic. If many of you get sick at the same time, not only will the rest of your team have to pick up the extra workload, in extreme cases, it could mean that we struggle to maintain services for our patients.
• It seems to be the case that for most people, the affects of swine flu are mild. However, what we have seen in recent months is that the virus can cause a potentially dangerous illness in anyone who catches it – and particularly in pregnant women and those in groups at risk from seasonal flu.
• If you get the virus, you may only experience mild symptoms yourself, but could then pass it onto a more susceptible patient or a colleague who could then become ill as a result.
• Swine flu is different to seasonal flu, to which many people have an in- built resistance. As a new virus, very few of us have any resistance to swine flu – meaning that if you’re one of those lucky people who never seems to catch normal flu, you won’t necessarily be immune to swine flu.
• The bottom line is that not getting vaccinated means you’re taking a risk with your own health, and potentially compromising the safety of your colleagues and patients too – as well as your families.
• Please don’t believe the scare stories. The vaccines have been licensed by European regulators and won’t give you the flu.
• They are very similar to the H5N1 vaccines that manufacturers have been working on for many years, which have undergone extensive human trials to test their safety and effectiveness. Switching between virus strains tends not to affect a vaccine’s safety profile, so these trials give us a good idea of the safety profile of the Swine Flu vaccine, and the confidence that it is very low risk.
• Of course, as with all vaccines, you may get a few slight side effects, but the worst you’re likely to get is a very slight fever, a few aches and pains and a sore arm. Any side-effects should disappear within a day or so.
• It’s also safe to have the swine flu vaccine at the same time as the seasonal flu jab – you’ll need both to be fully protected from flu this winter.
• The threat of swine flu means that the pressures the NHS faces this winter are potentially much greater than normal. The feedback from areas that were most badly hit in the summer is that the NHS shouldn’t underestimate how seriously swine flu could affect patient services.
• Getting yourself vaccinated is the single most important thing you can all do to help the NHS stay ahead of the game during what could be a challenging period.

For us it is strongly suggested that we have the vaccine, not really sure what they could do if we didn't at the end of the day it boils down to informed consent and whether or not you could live with the flu symptoms for a week or so if you do get it...part of me says get 5th or 6th in the queue and observe the 4 in front... if they survive then plunge away....

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Permalink Reply by Mike Rubin on October 19, 2009 at 2:03pm

I'm getting vaccinated.

I'm old enough to remember propaganda against polio vaccines. Glad I got those, too.

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Permalink Reply by Nathan on October 19, 2009 at 4:50pm

I dont necessarily think its a bad idea to get the vaccine but its certainly my decision and not that of my employer. This is not the bubonic plague....its the flu.... (I think I might actually have it right now)

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Permalink Reply by asysin2leads on October 19, 2009 at 5:21pm

Why do I have the feeling the people debating whether the flu vaccine is safe or not are the same ones debating whether the president is a United States citizen or not? Here's a headline I'd like to see "Healthcare system decrees people symptomatic from swine flu who declined vaccine will receive lowest priority for healthcare resource administration."

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Permalink Reply by Chance Gearheart on October 19, 2009 at 6:32pm

I got it today. Funny, I'm not on life support yet, nor have I developed autism. The amount of misinformation and willful ignorance about the vaccine, fueled with the antiintellectual paranoidism of much of the American public in a post/9-11 culture, is incredibly SAD.

Just to state here: Jenny McCarthy and anti-vaxxers have killed more people than vaccine adverse reactions ever will with their misinformation and falsehoods.

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Permalink Reply by jeffery luker on October 19, 2009 at 6:44pm

I dont plane to get it myself with not a lot of info out there over it with a good example is the naisle spay has been linked to lung damage acording to yahoo news.If forced to take it I think Im going to be suddenly alergic to chicken eggs lol.Thats my broken up thoughts about the subject......

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Permalink Reply by V-fibber on October 19, 2009 at 7:36pm

Getting it this week. The service and county are giving it too us for free.

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Permalink Reply by asysin2leads on October 19, 2009 at 10:33pm

Thank you for proving Chance's point. With your articulation and knowledge, I have no doubt you must be a chief someplace.

jeffery luker said:

I dont plane to get it myself with not a lot of info out there over it with a good example is the naisle spay has been linked to lung damage acording to yahoo news.If forced to take it I think Im going to be suddenly alergic to chicken eggs lol.Thats my broken up thoughts about the subject......

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Permalink Reply by Thomas Durkee on October 20, 2009 at 12:49am

Here are a couple updated slideshows on the H1N1 -AND- Seasonal Flu vaccinations. Updated from Sacramento, Oct. 17th.

Pay close attention to slide 19 in the first slideshow-- Early recognition of H1N1 symptoms by EMS personnel can be critical in starting treatment.

-Tom

Attachments:

• TREATING AND PREVENTING INFLUENZA.pptx, 137 KB
• Preventing Influenza-part 2.ppt, 212 KB

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Permalink Reply by Thomas Durkee on October 20, 2009 at 1:19am

CDC Situation Update:

During the week of October 4-10, 2009, influenza activity continued to increase in the United States as reported in FluView. Flu activity is now widespread in 41 states. Nationwide, visits to doctors for influenza-like-illness continued to increase and are now about equal to or higher than what is seen at the peak of many regular flu seasons. In addition, flu-related hospitalizations and deaths are continuing to go up and are above what is expected for this time of year

During week 40 (October 4-10, 2009), influenza activity increased in the U.S.

•4,093 (29.4%) specimens tested by U.S. World Health Organization (WHO) and National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) collaborating laboratories and reported to CDC/Influenza Division were positive for influenza.

•All subtyped influenza A viruses being reported to CDC were 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses.

•The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) was above the epidemic threshold.

•Eleven influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported. Ten of these deaths were associated with 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus infection and one was associated with an influenza A virus, for which subtype is undetermined.

•The proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness (ILI) was above the national baseline. All 10 regions reported ILI above region-specific baseline levels.

•Forty-one states reported geographically widespread influenza activity, Guam and eight states reported regional influenza activity, one state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico reported local influenza activity, and the U.S. Virgin Islands did not report.


On September 15, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration licensed the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine. The 2009 H1N1 vaccine is not intended to replace the seasonal flu vaccine – it is intended to be used alongside seasonal flu vaccine. Vaccination is the best way to prevent influenza infection and its complications. For this reason, we are encouraging Federal agencies to provide vaccine and intensively promote vaccination against the 2009 H1N1 flu as well as seasonal flu.

The Federal Government will offer the 2009 H1N1 vaccine to its [Federal] employees and will follow national guidelines for prioritization of the 2009 H1N1 vaccine, as outlined below. All Federal employees, except those with a severe allergy to eggs, are encouraged to get vaccinated against the 2009 H1N1 flu. In the initial 2 or 3 weeks of the 2009 H1N1 vaccination program, limited vaccine may be available nationwide, and specific target groups and high-risk subgroups have been prioritized to receive the first available doses. Thereafter, the 2009 H1N1 vaccine will be produced on a continual basis and be available to all.

Target groups. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) provides recommendations to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the prevention and control of vaccine-preventable diseases in the U.S. civilian population. ACIP recommended that specific groups receive the earliest doses of 2009 H1N1 vaccine. In making these recommendations, ACIP members considered the evolving burden of illness caused by the virus, the age and risk groups most affected, anticipated vaccine supply, critical infrastructure and security needs, and vaccination strategies. ACIP’s deliberations were also informed by consultation with other Federal agencies and a review of vaccine allocation guidance developed as part of pre-pandemic influenza planning during 2007-2008.

The ACIP guidelines recommend that, as vaccine becomes available, vaccination programs and providers target vaccine first to the following five priority groups because they are at highest risk for disease or complications related to the 2009 H1N1 virus:

Pregnant women

Persons who live with or provide care for infants less than 6 months old.

Health care and emergency medical services personnel

Persons aged 6 months to 24 years

Persons aged 25 to 64 years who have medical conditions that put them at higher risk for influenza-related complications.




Further, ACIP recommended that if vaccine is initially available in limited quantities, the following subgroups (listed in no particular order) receive vaccine before others:

Pregnant women

Persons who live with or provide care for infants less than 6 months old

Health care and emergency medical services personnel with direct patient contact

Persons aged 6 months to 4 years

Persons aged 5-18 years who have medical conditions that put them at higher risk for influenza-related complications.

Change from 2005-2008 pandemic planning: This policy is based on the fact that, unlike pandemic influenza scenarios the Federal Government had previously planned for, the 2009 H1N1 virus is not expected to threaten the continuity of Government or cause severe economic or social disruption. This targeting strategy will be used nationwide and is based on health risk. Except for health care workers, emergency medical personnel, and some day care providers, these recommendations do not target specific occupational groups either within or outside the Federal workforce.

Timing: Overall, the initial target groups encompass about 160 million people – approximately half the U.S. population – and the highest-risk subgroups encompass about 42 million people. Although all persons over 6 months old, except those with a severe allergy to eggs, are encouraged to get vaccinated against the new H1N1 flu in 2009, people in the priority groups are encouraged to get vaccine as soon as it becomes available. The 2009 H1N1 vaccine will become available starting the week of October 5. In the initial 2 or 3 weeks of the H1N1 vaccination program, limited vaccine will be available, and vaccinators should target the subgroups for whom the risk of H1N1 influenza-related complications is greatest. Thereafter, vaccine will be produced on a continual basis and be available to anyone who wants and needs it.

For more information, please visit:
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu

All information was release by the CDC last week,.

-Tom Durkee
Public Health Preparedness planner
MWCOG BEPS, National Capital Region
D.C. Dept of Health
ICF International Public Health Preparedness Consultant

Follow me on TWITTER!! @tomdurkee

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Permalink Reply by Duncan Hitchcock on October 20, 2009 at 3:30am

Tom,

You didn't answer the question.

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