Swine Flu Vaccine - yes or no
- Thread starter Buckeroo
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nicolejoy
Registered User
The vaccine is exactly the same as the regular flu vaccine and just as safe. Each year, they make a new flu vaccine based on the strains that are most virulent that particular year - since the flu mutates so quickly... They just used the exact same technology and applied it to the swine flu strains. If someone is worried about the safety of the swine flu vaccine, they should also be worried about the seasonal flu vaccine since it is basically the same, just for a different strain. It's not really new technology or anything like that - just the same technology applied to a different strain of the flu, which is what they do every single year anyway.
I'm strongly considering getting myself and my family vaccinated - mostly because we have a little one, and I've got one on the way too. And two of the demographics most at risk are pregnant ladies, and young children.
If I had no kids and not pregnant, I probably wouldn't bother with it, but when you have kids or are pregnant, the risks of the vaccine are significantly less than the risks associated with the disease.
I'm strongly considering getting myself and my family vaccinated - mostly because we have a little one, and I've got one on the way too. And two of the demographics most at risk are pregnant ladies, and young children.
If I had no kids and not pregnant, I probably wouldn't bother with it, but when you have kids or are pregnant, the risks of the vaccine are significantly less than the risks associated with the disease.
I haven't recieved the flu virus either. There are other ingredients in the vaccines besides the actual virus. This includes preservatives and there are different types. Also, one can also get a "live" or "dead" virus injected or nasal, etc. I could be wrong, but I think the nasal inhalation is new? Additionally, there has been numerous recalls on the vaccine given in the US. Granted the reactions are not too severe, still, there have been recalls. This is what leads me to be a bit skeptical. It's a hard decision to make; there are pros and cons to each.
joyofliving
Registered User
I got the vaccine for my daughter yesterday and the doctor spoke to me about the concerns parents are having about this vaccine specifically about the preservative added to the vaccine. He said this vaccine could have the same possible side effects just as a regular flu vaccine would. This particular vaccine was imported from France and it did have the preservative which WERE thought to be related to Autism years ago BUT after extensive research the results showed the two had no connection whatsoever.
haven't got it for my son either; still debating about it with myself. heard that in the US there were mercury-free jabs to be given to children and pregnant women, but those are expensive and complicated to produce. asked son's doctor clinic and the nurse told me the jabs we have in HK are not completely mercury free but have a bit of that in it to activate the antibody.
nicolejoy
Registered User
The nasal spray vaccine isn't a new thing - it's been used with the seasonal flu vaccine for a few years, at least. It generally has less preservatives - but is also less effective.
Also the H1N1 strain of the flu is not a new strain - it's just a mutation of a previously known strain, which is what every seasonal flu is. It is exactly the same as any other seasonal flu, in terms of it's basic make up - that's why the same technology could be used to make the vaccine. If it was a completely new thing, the same technology would be ineffective.
One good and bad thing about the swine flu vaccine is that it has been much more closely monitored than the seasonal flu vaccine. That's good because in some ways, it makes it even safer. But it's also bad because every single reaction is noted and reported - so the statistics are slightly higher than those of the seasonal flu vaccine - however this is most likely because it IS monitored more closely, not because there ARE more reactions.
If it's preservatives that someone is worried about, there are pretty much the same preservatives in a bunch of other vaccines as well - and all of them have years of study, some are even found naturally in our bodies - but still there is a lot of unproven claims about them. The research indicates that they are safe, otherwise they wouldn't be using them in the first place.
I know that ultimately we make up our own minds - but as a medicinal chem major, with a lot of study into it, I believe that the vaccine is as safe as any other vaccine and a lot of the hype around it is just that - hype. I understand that some people are anti-vaccination in general and therefore of course they are going to be anti-swine flu vaccine too. But those people who aren't anti-vaccination, I think it's a shame that this vaccine has been misrepresented by many because there's (in my opinion) absolutely nothing that makes this vaccine any different from any other vaccine out there. If anything, all the close monitoring, all the recalls etc makes it MORE safe!! Other vaccines don't get that kind of special treatment
Also the H1N1 strain of the flu is not a new strain - it's just a mutation of a previously known strain, which is what every seasonal flu is. It is exactly the same as any other seasonal flu, in terms of it's basic make up - that's why the same technology could be used to make the vaccine. If it was a completely new thing, the same technology would be ineffective.
One good and bad thing about the swine flu vaccine is that it has been much more closely monitored than the seasonal flu vaccine. That's good because in some ways, it makes it even safer. But it's also bad because every single reaction is noted and reported - so the statistics are slightly higher than those of the seasonal flu vaccine - however this is most likely because it IS monitored more closely, not because there ARE more reactions.
If it's preservatives that someone is worried about, there are pretty much the same preservatives in a bunch of other vaccines as well - and all of them have years of study, some are even found naturally in our bodies - but still there is a lot of unproven claims about them. The research indicates that they are safe, otherwise they wouldn't be using them in the first place.
I know that ultimately we make up our own minds - but as a medicinal chem major, with a lot of study into it, I believe that the vaccine is as safe as any other vaccine and a lot of the hype around it is just that - hype. I understand that some people are anti-vaccination in general and therefore of course they are going to be anti-swine flu vaccine too. But those people who aren't anti-vaccination, I think it's a shame that this vaccine has been misrepresented by many because there's (in my opinion) absolutely nothing that makes this vaccine any different from any other vaccine out there. If anything, all the close monitoring, all the recalls etc makes it MORE safe!! Other vaccines don't get that kind of special treatment
nicolejoy
Registered User
I already posted my opinions, but as a fellow pregnant mummy - I know that a) pregnant women are more at risk of catching swine flu to begin with, and b) pregnant woman, if they do get swine flu, are more at risk of having serious complications, particularly in the third trimester.
One of my friend's friends was about 34 weeks pregnant and got swine flu and they thought she was going to die - they had to take the baby early to try and save the bub... in the end she did pull through and lived, and the bub was fine... but not all stories have a happy ending like that. Of course, that's still the minority - we're still not THAT likely to catch it, and if we catch it, it's likely to not be that much more serious than the seasonal flu - BUT there is a double increased risk, so for me that's enough reason to get the vaccine. It's better than not getting it and wishing that you had!!
Plus in HK they're offering it for free for pregnant women too, at the public clinics - so we don't even have to pay for it
One of my friend's friends was about 34 weeks pregnant and got swine flu and they thought she was going to die - they had to take the baby early to try and save the bub... in the end she did pull through and lived, and the bub was fine... but not all stories have a happy ending like that. Of course, that's still the minority - we're still not THAT likely to catch it, and if we catch it, it's likely to not be that much more serious than the seasonal flu - BUT there is a double increased risk, so for me that's enough reason to get the vaccine. It's better than not getting it and wishing that you had!!
Plus in HK they're offering it for free for pregnant women too, at the public clinics - so we don't even have to pay for it
I checked with the pediatrician - the "swine flu" vaccine is being included in the seasonal flu vaccine being produced for the spring of 2010. I can't remember what's the technical name of the mid-season flu vaccine, but it's the one that people who do a lot of travelling to the Southern hemisphere will take.