Gimme the flu vaccine, or I won't play EMT!

[tniuqs]

'chaser'

I never trust vaccines that just come out, it takes years to see side effects from them to start appearing.

Yea Health care is all a government conspiracy, hello this is just one little strain of the yearly vaccinations.

Yup agreed, Polio has damn near been eradicated from the face of the planet, TB affects the same level of individuals in North America, Meningococcal vaccine does work and hasn't stopped outbreaks, should I go on or should I just your pull your head out of your ass ? Yea there's very occasional unwanted side effects and/or death but compare the risk benefit ratio and well words escape me

btw American Pediatric Society has proven that the level of mercury (more in a Tuna sandwich) does NOT lead to A.D.D. but I ain't doing the links for you.

She seems to be the type to throw everyone else in front of a bus to save her own ass. Major? Makes sense. Selfish and self promoting. Hope Karma steps in.

No just following the most knowledgeable medical minds advice in the free world and she is making a public wake up call oh yea the shame of it all. Yea Karma, it treats influenza A, Hep B and A, TB and works on yellow fever too..

It's sad she feels she is too important to wait two days. What a pompous ass, and like Spenec said, there is always something out there to catch. It might be this flu, or something else. Who hasn't been coughed, bled, sneezed, or barfed on? Let her step in and be the the guniney pig!

Not the point at all yes theres always something out there to catch its called ignorance and it appears some need a vaccination for that too.

come visit said the spider to the fly .....

[Siffaliss]

... and in some areas, employers are saying (in no uncertain terms) that it's "mandatory" for staff to get the H1N1 shot.

It should be the choice of the individual whether or not they receive a treatment. If you get sick and it could have been prevented by receiving (this shot) in particular, don't whine. It was your choice.

I got both the H1N1 and seasonal shots, had all the nasty side effects however found it "less unpleasant" than having an actual flu. Maybe I'll still catch a strain not included in this year's seasonal brew, who knows ... I took advantage of clinics that were set up strictly for provincial health care workers, however would not have thrown a fit if I had to wait an extra day. I mean come on, how many times have we got into nursing homes or other health care facilities only to find out after the fact that our patient is MRSA+? Every one of us is probably MRSA+ ... Don't sweat the wait, everyone will get their turn.

[chaser]

Yea Health care is all a government conspiracy, hello this is just one little strain of the yearly vaccinations...

http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/SwineFlu/13989

Not one for the conspiracy thing. However, I am a parent. I have worked in healthcare and research for the past 25 years. I do not jump on the bandwagon of panic and immediately trust a shot that has not been proven to protect myself or my child. It may react differently in my child than it does me. Do you even understand how this virus works? How it affects a healthly immune system?

As for what this thread was originally started for, yes, I think that gal was self serving. But WTF, let her push everyone out the way and trample her way to the front of the line for her shot.

Back off Tniugs.

[Redcell19512]

I got both the H1N1 and seasonal shots, had all the nasty side effects however found it "less unpleasant" than having an actual flu.

I'm curious what side effects you had, if you don't mind sharing.

[Chief1C]

I suppose if providers requested it, and it were refused, I'd be kinda pissed off too. I haven't decided if I will get one or not. I've had the flu twice in the past five years. The first time, I lost a lot of weight and I was very ill for a long time. The term Guillain–Barre Syndrome has been tossed around as a potential side effect of the H1N1 Vaccine. It will be a decision weighed on by need - whether it's mandatory or not; and my review of comments from those who've had the vaccine.

[Chief1C]

Apparently, stupidity is as contagious as the flu.

http://connect.jems.com/forum/topics/swine-flu-party

[tniuqs]

http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/SwineFlu/13989

Not one for the conspiracy thing. However, I am a parent. I have worked in healthcare and research for the past 25 years. I do not jump on the bandwagon of panic and immediately trust a shot that has not been proven to protect myself or my child. It may react differently in my child than it does me. Do you even understand how this virus works? How it affects a healthly immune system?

As for what this thread was originally started for, yes, I think that gal was self serving. But WTF, let her push everyone out the way and trample her way to the front of the line for her shot.

Back off Tniugs.

Back off on a debate?

That is now called pandemic and causing panic because of the lack of enough approved for use vaccinations, well, I for one actually trusts my National Health Care Advisors, maybe this as you put it self serving political leader was way smarter than all of us here, her staff I bet are now immunized so she most likely accomplished her goal.

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/index-eng.php

Health Canada is the Federal department responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health, while respecting individual choices and circumstances.

Or should we just do a goggle search and check out all the real snake oil and profiteer's capitalizing with the magic cure, gogi, silver coins and a plethora of other crap and misinformation ?

In this thread and others related there have been quiet a few actual evidence medicine studies been presented the use of ventolin (and delivery means) in the H1N1 patient thread presented by mobey and I saw no comments by yourself and an excellent post in this thread by one explaining for this demographic audience the immune response, perhaps you did not read that one?

So if you call yourself a researcher then why would you post a link to a news article Published: April 30, 2009 when the first wave was reported in mexico (the virus has now mutated and spread at an incredibly rapid rate even beyond the projected models of WHO) the link is very dated with opinion and some conjecture by one retired MD and no where in that article does it state adverse effects short or long term with the present vaccine in production both varieties, it is quite clear in the news article cytokine storm" or hypercytokinemia that may be causing death more frequently in younger adults,(proven now in Ontario) and now even more evidence since that time in regards to increasing incidents in ARDS, again higher than expected but I would you like to discuss that item as I would be most happy to discuss that topic, although the vast majority of readers in EMT city would be scratching their heads from tying to understand Arterial Blood gases analysis alone, no offence intended.

We will agree to disagree that this thread initially presented in a knee jerked manner does have more merit and in regards to another topic that we prematurely eat our own and solidarity for a cause affecting the safety of EMS and First Responders IMHO is sadly lacking, quite clearly you took the bait and responded emotionally, I have plenty of time on my hands to debate because I was not as fortunate as Siffalass and am sequestered to my home.

cheers

[Siffaliss]

I'm curious what side effects you had, if you don't mind sharing.

Nothing exciting really, just the typical ones ... mild headache, nausea, low grade fever. Weak/tired as well, which bothered me the most. I don't think I had ever been exhausted to the core like that before ... still, better than the flu.

[tniuqs]

Apparently, stupidity is as contagious as the flu.

http://connect.jems....swine-flu-party

Well come on up the door is open funny but interesting because one of the comments concerning "chicken pox" varicella zoster virus, I attended one as a child, but then there is the shingles (closely related herpes zoster) and then the rare possibility of bronchiolitis obliterans too.

Back on thread the possibility of Guillain–Barre of which I have treated patients and cared for: It is frequently severe and usually exhibits as an ascending paralysis noted by weakness in the legs that spreads to the upper limbs and the face along with complete loss of deep tendon reflexes. (typically monitored with PFT or Bedside Peak Flow meters to track progress) With prompt treatment by plasmapheresis or intravenous immunoglobulins and supportive care, the majority of patients will regain full functional capacity. However, death may occur if severe pulmonary complications and autonomic nervous system problems are present. Guillain–Barre is one of the leading causes of non-trauma-induced paralysis in the world, although I have not anecdotally observed a death from one.

[HellsBells]

Not one for the conspiracy thing. However, I am a parent. I have worked in healthcare and research for the past 25 years. I do not jump on the bandwagon of panic and immediately trust a shot that has not been proven to protect myself or my child. It may react differently in my child than it does me. Do you even understand how this virus works? How it affects a healthly immune system?

If you have worked in research for 25 years, then surely you know that sound medicine is based on dispassionate scientific study, not an overly emotional response. Certainly you must realize that the link you provided has no scientific merit, its an opinion piece that states only a hypothesis- the "cytokine storm" theory- is the cause for mortality amoung the young. In fact, it states numerous times that more research is needed, and the only tangible evidence stated is the rather underwhelming fact that "proinflammatory cytokines are elevated in the presence of influenza infection," basicly informing us that the immune system responds to infection.

Although an interesting, and possibly correct hypothesis, your "example" falls far short of answering your rather haughty query of how the virus works and how it effects the immune system. I'm afraid that with your lack of compeling evidence, tnuigs will not, in fact, back off.

Lastly, I believe that Health Canada has been quite dilligent about ensuring that this vaccine is safe, which is one of the reasons it took longer to be released here than in the USA.