H1N1 flu and kids

[nadinbrzezinski]

ok so this afternoon going to Costco All Things Considered had a more in depth story on CDC numbers for this week.

Now one thing that struck me was... this year SO FAR we have lost the same amount of kids to the Hinnie flu as we usually lose over the whole season.

Perhaps people will start paying attention. This is no joke.

Of course my other thought was... from the history of the 1918 epidemic, and I hope I am wrong, maybe this sucker is starting to mutate under our nose... no pun.

Wash hands, wash them often, if you are in the risk groups triage first, please get your shot.

[Chemisse]

1. These numbers of child deaths are frightening

I hope this does not represent a mutation. It appeared to target young people last spring too.

Hinnie? I like that, lol.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Hinie that was uppityperson's way of calling it

so credit where credit is due.

[uppityperson]

50. Thanks. "swine" is wrong and H1N1 is too hard, looks like "hinie" so viola

which is like a largish violin

[nadinbrzezinski]

51. Oh you welcome....

and I do sincerely hope I am misreading the situation, but it is starting to look a lot more worrisome to me.

[Sheltiemama]

35. Thread hijack.

Is that your dog in your sig line? I wanna hug him!

[Posteritatis]

2. Some people won't start paying attention until the flu sets people on fire, I think

A friend of mine just woke up from a coma that got kicked off by that thing this week; he'd been out for twenty-two days and spent most of those critical. I'm ... not inclined to play around on this one. ;P

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. I am a retired medic, already got my annual shot

and trust me, after my asthma kicked my ass after a cold... once they have the vaccine available... rolling sleeve...

[Posteritatis]

10. Yeah, my asthma only shows up when it'd be especially inconvenient

And a case of this thing would qualify, so I'm getting my jab in a couple weeks when they're available in my province.

[FourScore]

38. Ditto. n/t

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. My husband is against either of the flu vacs for our kids, but I am taking them to have them. No

fooling around with this.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. I know it can really be hard for many households

I also have come to realize that if the polio vaccine had been rolled out under this crazy environment, forget it. Nobody would have had vaccination clinics at schools.

By the way bravo for at least trying. If enough of us get it, perhaps herd immunity, but to do that, we need to have enough of us do it.

[Shell Beau]

6. As soon as the vaccination is available at my pediatrician's office,

we are headed there. Hopefully, it will be next week. It gets distributed to the health department first apparently, so I am patiently waiting. It should be real soon, like next week soon. I do find myself using those disinfectant wipes on the grocery carts a lot more than I ever did before.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. Well the first people who should get it (in my view should be mandatory)

are front line medical workers.

And no, I don't expect that view to be popular 'round these parts, And if people want to call me authoritarian so be it. I fiddled enough with public health to understand why herd immunity takes precedence over individual rights in a pandemic.

[Warpy]

14. Vaccine whiners in this case are beyond selfish

The vaccine is mandatory for front line medical workers. If they try to refuse it, whining about individual rights, they need to find another job away from patient care areas quickly because they will not be permitted to work around people.

I wish they could somehow make it mandatory for pregnant women, but without a job requirement, there's just no way to do it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. Yes there is, but it is the implementation that is a nightmare

the federal government has that authority right now.

It is part of the Health Emergency declared back in April.

The authority that the Federal Government has under that declaration is very expansive and includes mandatory vaccinations, martial law and mandatory quarantines, like oh 1918 for example, or every summer during polio season.

So the authority is there... but doing it is a nightmare and politically... well lets just say some nightmares from the teabaggers are part of it.

:-)

[blondeatlast]

19. I'm so very with you on that one. Sometimes our jobs require us to test our ethics.

If you can't protect the public health because of your own views, why be in the health field? I wouldn't expect a Jehovcah's Witness to be a phlebotomist; why should an RN treating my immune compromised self put her values before my life?

Big :thumbsup: to you.

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. One of my patient's was a jehova's witness

so yes I get it...

:-)

No IV, no way, no how, never mind that it was water and salt.

So even thought that went against all protocols... I informed medcontrol and didn't start any IV.

That was the patient's choice, but I always got jabbed...

[Sheltiemama]

41. My father's doctor has had his shot.

And my 75-year-old father, who has breathing problems, will get his as soon as his doctor gets in the vaccine.

[mzmolly]

9. It's sad that there isn't enough vaccine to go around,

frankly. People should have a choice and of course that means ample supplies.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

11. They are making more, I haven't heard of shortages yet.

They are just rolling it out to the highest priority patients first.

[mzmolly]

15. I'm not being critical, I'm simply saying

it would be nice if everyone who wanted the vax today, had access. I realize that's not always possible in a situation like we're in, however.

[mzmolly]

16. Just found this - CDC: Production of H1N1 flu vaccine lagging

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/16/h1n1.vaccine.delay/

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

18. And just yesterday I heard that noone wanted it. What a difference a day makes.

[mzmolly]

20. True, one would think there would be plenty to go around,

given 40% of the population is supposedly opting out?

[nadinbrzezinski]

26. They had a lag in production

Getting enough colonies for the production is proving technically harder than the annual.

[mzmolly]

28. It's difficult I'm sure

given it's a new virus and we weren't entirely prepared.

[nadinbrzezinski]

29. Yeah, as to prepared, actually we might have been as ready as possible

sad isn't it?

[mzmolly]

30. I agree.

We were as ready as possible, under the circumstances.

[Ian David]

13. Since there's a shortage, I've decided to stop arguing with the anti-Vax people this year. n/t

[blondeatlast]

21. Hell, I encourage them to not get the shot--and stay the hell away from this insulin-dependent.

That way, we'll all get along juuuuust fine...

[mzmolly]

31. Not sure who that would

entail, but ok...

[Warpy]

12. The statistic I find most alarming

is that pregnant women in their last trimester are 6% of the deaths but only 1% of the population.

If you are pregnant, please get a vaccination as soon as you can.

I was around for the 1957 epidemic so I'm guessing I still have limited immunity to this one. Since the vaccine is in short supply, I'll wait until January or so to get stabbed.

Nobody knows why some people are killed by this flu while most others range from a mild case to a typical case of flu. The flu is what is killing, not any secondary infection.

It just seems to hit people under 55 or so the hardest.

[stray cat]

22. It seems to be a very stable flu - no mutations to speak of it doesn't need any

as it really spreads well and is stable in environments that usually kills off the seasonal flu. That said the severity is nothing to laugh at - seasonal flu kills about 35,000 per year - if there is little cross immunity this one is likely to kill about 35,000 as well with both hitting different age groups about the same time. Then think about if you get seasonal flu and before complete recovery you get H1N1 - a bit of a challenge for one's lungs and overall immunity. Better yet - you go to the hospital and the medical personnel give you the flu!

[nadinbrzezinski]

27. That is what got my attention

the Spanish flu started to do its real damage first with kids and that is when they started to see a difference.

Of course it is not something they could really see since they didn't know what a virus really was not blamed for it for the most part. (That is most clinicians)

The cause of the devastating Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 was initially unclear. In late 1918, French scientists showed that a "filter-passing virus" could transmit the disease to people and animals, fulfilling Koch's postulates.<2>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virology

So here we are... and as I said, I hope it is not starting to do that.

So far, so far it is stable and has shown no predilections to mutate.

I know I will breath easier after this is over.

:-)

No pun either.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

49. Now that it is being widely challenged with anti-virals mutations will increase.

[stray cat]

23. 2-5 hour waits at pharmacy clinics for the seasonal flu vaccine if they have it

at least in this area. I'll try again in a couple of weeks.

[nadinbrzezinski]

25. In my areas I got my shot two weeks ago wiht a five minute wait

the usual killing the tree issues.

:-)

[MissB]

32. We had two free clinics at work in the past month

for employees and their families (our insurance at work, no matter which plan, covers vaccinations 100%) for the seasonal flu. They were supposed to have another seasonal clinic in the evening next week but it has been cancelled because of suppy issues. I wonder if people are flocking to the seasonal vaccine only because the H1N1 isn't available?

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

47. I've got about 200 doses sitting in the office in the refrigerator. Waiting to turn them in.

[Neurotica]

33. So many kids in our area are sick with the flu -- it's crazy

Our pediatrician's office has been packed, there is lots of absenteeism at school, and Tamiflu is hard to find.

My younger son had the flu at the end of June and got it again just 2 weeks ago. The June test was positive for Type A, and 98% or so of the cases at that time were H1N1.

Then when he got sick two weeks ago, the quick test came up negative, but our pediatrician said it was only 40% accurate. She was positive he had the flu and I agreed.

He was put on Tamiflu immediately since he has asthma, and our older son, who also has asthma, was put on it as well as a preventive measure.

We went for a follow up yesterday since our younger son was wheezing earlier in the week. Good news - his lungs were clear but is sick again -- he has been attacked by another virus that's taking advantage of his weakened immune system.

Interesting note - the pediatrician said she saw kids with the flu all day that had lung involvement (wheezing, bronchitis, pneumonia, etc.). She said she was surprised at the high number of sick parents that she observed as well.

Our kids are lucky in that our schools are offering the H1N1 vaccine free. Vaccination days have already started in certain schools. We'll be on the list. (We have to get our younger son vaccinated because there is no definitive proof that he had H1N1. The CDC is so overwhelmed, according to our pediatrician, that they are only testing labwork from hospitalized flu patients.)

[nadinbrzezinski]

34. And this is why I am starting to worry

just from what I know of 1918... reaching for the historian hat...

Hope your sons get better soon.

My asthma flared up over a bad cold... and it wasn't fun. I really cannot imagine how hard it is on you, (and them)

[Neurotica]

37. Thank you - luckily we are armed with meds and ramp up when sick

Our younger son is just so susceptible - his asthma kicks in when he gets respiratory infections.

Without a doubt, he would be in much worse shape if he didn't take his asthma medicines on a regular basis to prevent inflammation, and if we didn't increase the dosages when he's sick.

Flu in general can be so dangerous, especially for kids with asthma. One of our local conservative bloggers just doesn't get it. She has been doing a lot of fearmongering about the H1N1 vaccine and downplaying the potential severity of the illness. Aaargh!

[nadinbrzezinski]

45. I get my albuterol at the pharmacy every moth

I collect the damn things... why? When I NEED IT, I NEED IT... otherwise it just gathers dust.

But it is not just your conservative blogger... we have plenty of that here...

Why at times I just do this...

:banghead:

[FourScore]

39. Sounds like you are wrinting my story.

Only our pediatrician wouldn't prescribe Tamiflu for my boys. AND they have asthma!!! I am finding a new doctor now.

[Neurotica]

40. What was the reason for not prescribing Tamiflu?

[AwakeAtLast]

42. A friend of mine who is a nurse and has a child with asthma

said that you can build a resistance to Tamiflu, so her doctor did not want to prescribe it for her son too soon.

I just posted this for info only.

Hope all are well soon!

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

48. Did Dr. Dumbass give a reason?

[blondeatlast]

36. Better to be overly cautious and have the H1N1 be not so much than to

not be cautious enough and have it be like 1918...

[AwakeAtLast]

43. Our school district is almost at the 20% absent threshold

Over 20% and the school closes. We are using Lysol and hand sanitizer like crazy!

[betharina]

44. i have just decided to get it...along with my husband and son.

we have a 3 month old, which is recommended "target" group. it terrifies me. i called our county health dept. and was told someone would call me next week with a place we could get the h1n1 vaccine, but when i don't know. our pediatrician's office said they are working on getting it, seeing if they could buy it...

i am breastfeeding a 3 month old and my son is 2, the fact that there is mercury in the vaccine scares me, but the way this virus seems to be spreading scares me more.

most people i ask say, NO WAY, the vaccine is "too new" and was "rushed".

this whole vaccine "debate" is insane, and then when people start throwing politics into it? i just want to keep my family safe and healthy.

[nadinbrzezinski]

46. You may have to pay more for it, but there is thiremisol (mercury) free vaccine

and this is the reason why.

I don't ask for it, since I figure I did my growing already and better save that for the little tykes