Flu in NOVA? (Fairfax: pharmacist, statistics, health)

[jaunespinoza]

Novartis for one. All the drug stores charging 25 Dollars for a two Dollar vaccine for another...........

[dlumpen]

Originally Posted by car54

I am thinking about getting the shot....I'm in an age/risk group that they say should get it....plus I'm around 150+ kids on my bus every day. But, I'm suspicious, as always, of anything our corrupt government is pushing.

A quick Google indicates that the H1N1 vaccine is made by a Swiss drug company, which is a good sign. If a US drug company and their wholly owned subsidiary, the US FDA, were involved, the decision would be easy....NO WAY!

Anybody know who stands to make a buck on this thing? That's always my main criteria when deciding what to do...

I'm glad you're thinking about getting it if you're around children. As usual, there doesn't seem to be a clear answer about immunity. I've read that the elderly are being affected less because they've been exposed to a similar virus. Then they come around and say that even if you get the swine flu this year, you could still get it again because it can mutate. As someone mentioned, the regular flu changes every year, so you have to get a new shot. I don't get it.

[jaunespinoza]

YouTube - Ron Paul Puts Swine Flu into Perspective plus 1976 Propaganda
How easily the sheeple forget. Here is Ron Paul, discussing the swine Flu hysteria in 1976. The vaccine killed a lot more than the flu did.

[car54]

Originally Posted by jaunespinoza

YouTube - Ron Paul Puts Swine Flu into Perspective plus 1976 Propaganda
How easily the sheeple forget. Here is Ron Paul, discussing the swine Flu hysteria in 1976. The vaccine killed a lot more than the flu did.

That's the only other time I've ever gotten a flu shot....the '76 swine flu. I wasn't going to get it then but my co-workers called me a chicken, so I said "Let's go get the shot".

I remember they used one of those gun type things, not a regular hypodermic needle. I apparently moved just when they pulled the trigger because I bled like a stuck pig...LOL.

[Denton56]

Originally Posted by dlumpen

That's not the whole ride, just the beginning symptoms. I sure hope the Piglet flu folks are right. I'm just concerned that if regular flu has 36,000 deaths per year, even if it's half, that's really bad, esp since they don't have much vacinnation. If I did't have kids, it woudl be different. Just the horrible time having to watch you child in misery for days, not knowing the outcome, wondereding if you should go to urgent care in the middle of the night is enough to dread.

Most urgent care facilities are not open at night. You would be stuck in an ER waiting room for hours. But your scenario is reason enough for parents to make sure their kids get the flu shots. I am nagging my kids to get it and they're in their 20's. I've read that young adults and children can be particularly hard hit. Those who were alive in the 1950's may be somewhat spared. I'm not counting on anything, other than getting vaccinated. I can't imagine how a parent would feel if they didn't get their child vaccinated and he got sick, or worse. Who could live with that kind of guilt?

[Denton56]

Originally Posted by Caladium

We're not getting H1N1 shots in my household. If my kids do get the flu, they might be miserable for a few days but I think they'll get through it just fine. And maybe getting the flu this year will make them more likely to be immune to whatever's coming down the pike next year.

OMG. If you aren't concerned about your own kids getting sick, and possibly dieing, what about the rest of us? What about other kids? What if your kids aren't ''just fine"? Could live with yourself? What would tell your children if one of them died? You do realize that the H1N1 is much more deadly for kids than the regular flu? That's why the vaccine is first being given to children.

>>>he usual flu season spans from September to May and in that time period there are usually 40 to 50 deaths of children from the flu. From August 30 to today, October 16, there have already been 43 deaths of children from the H1N1 flu. That is more than the total for a “regular” flu season.<<<
H1N1 and the Safety of the Vaccine for Children « Dr. Jorge (http://drjorgemd.wordpress.com/2009/10/18/h1ni-and-the-safety-of-the-vaccine-for-children/ - broken link)

Why would you make your kids get ANY flu that you could have protected them from? Do you have a pediatrician? Or do you simply ignore his advice because you know more than he does about children's illnesses?

I'm sorry, but people like you scare me. I'm scared for your kids, and the rest of us.

[Denton56]

Originally Posted by car54

I am thinking about getting the shot....I'm in an age/risk group that they say should get it....plus I'm around 150+ kids on my bus every day. But, I'm suspicious, as always, of anything our corrupt government is pushing.

A quick Google indicates that the H1N1 vaccine is made by a Swiss drug company, which is a good sign. If a US drug company and their wholly owned subsidiary, the US FDA, were involved, the decision would be easy....NO WAY!

Anybody know who stands to make a buck on this thing? That's always my main criteria when deciding what to do...

OMG, really? I don't care who is making the money from development and sales of the vaccine. I care about not getting sick, or dieing. If someone didn't make money, we'd have NO vaccines, no cancer drugs, no drugs of any kind. Because they can make money, American companies develop drugs that save lives. Why else would someone spend half their lives in school and the rest of their lives in a research lab? (Or driving a school bus?) Because they are paid to do it. Drug research should not be done on a volunteer basis. Name ONE country that has produced more medically than the US. One country that has developed more life saving drugs, life saving machines, and life saving doctors and hospitals than the US. Why? Because capitalism works. They get paid well to save our lives. I have NO problem with that. I can't think of anything more important, they should be well paid. I'd rather pay them well than some Hollywood actor or ambulance chaser attorney. I wouldn't be alive were it not for US drug companies and I bet that's true for many others here.

[car54]

Originally Posted by Denton56

OMG, really? I don't care who is making the money from development and sales of the vaccine. I care about not getting sick, or dieing. If someone didn't make money, we'd have NO vaccines, no cancer drugs, no drugs of any kind. Because they can make money, American companies develop drugs that save lives. Why else would someone spend half their lives in school and the rest of their lives in a research lab? (Or driving a school bus?) Because they are paid to do it. Drug research should not be done on a volunteer basis. Name ONE country that has produced more medically than the US. One country that has developed more life saving drugs, life saving machines, and life saving doctors and hospitals than the US. Why? Because capitalism works. They get paid well to save our lives. I have NO problem with that. I can't think of anything more important, they should be well paid. I'd rather pay them well than some Hollywood actor or ambulance chaser attorney. I wouldn't be alive were it not for US drug companies and I bet that's true for many others here.

Yes, thank you for the lesson in capitalism....they never mentioned it in my 6 years at Yale.

My point is that things have changed....it's all about the Almighty Dollar nowadays. If you want to bet your life on companies whose ONLY motive is profit, go ahead. Modern capitalists are always screaming about "tort reform". Those "ambulance chasing attornies" are the only thing that deters them from rolling the dice with peoples' lives. Even so, two diabetes drugs have been pulled off the market in recent years because of some rather unpleasant side effects....death being the primary one.

This is not Mrs Kelsey's FDA...she's the lady that refused to approve thalidomide in the 50's, sparing untold thousands of babies from horrible birth defects. She would have gotten a "call" today, and there would be lots of babies around with no arms or legs.

How about the Salk polio vaccine? Polio absolutely terrified moms in the 50's...I clearly remember hearing the neighborhood ladies discussing it in hushed tones. Dr Salk was more popular with the moms than any movie star of the day...he was an universal hero when he introduced his polio vaccine.

Dr Salk even refused to patent his vaccine, stating that the process would delay it's implementation. In 1952 alone polio killed 58,000 kids and crippled many more. Can you imagine that happening today?

BTW, I don't drive a school bus because I'm paid...it's my hobby. My entire annual FCPS salary would barely cover two of my quarterly income tax payments.


PS: I know how Rush/Glenn/Sean would respond to my comments here, so save yourself the trouble...

[KathyR]

Well, I've got the flu right now, and my doctor said in all probability it's swine flu. She is basing this on the CDC's report this week saying that 98% of the flu out there in the community right now is swine. My son had it as well and thankfully is back to good health (took him 7 days). I feel miserable....I'm on day # 6 of a fever, exhaustion and deep dry cough. AND this is with Tamaflu! Thankfully I have not had any stomach issues. Since I don't know with 100% certainty if this is swine, I plan on getting the shot once it's available in my county (Prince William). And I've learned my lesson on flu shots in general - never had one, fear of needles - I'll be getting them from now on. My kids too.

[Denton56]

Originally Posted by car54

Yes, thank you for the lesson in capitalism....they never mentioned it in my 6 years at Yale.

My point is that things have changed....it's all about the Almighty Dollar nowadays. If you want to bet your life on companies whose ONLY motive is profit, go ahead. Modern capitalists are always screaming about "tort reform". Those "ambulance chasing attornies" are the only thing that deters them from rolling the dice with peoples' lives. Even so, two diabetes drugs have been pulled off the market in recent years because of some rather unpleasant side effects....death being the primary one.

This is not Mrs Kelsey's FDA...she's the lady that refused to approve thalidomide in the 50's, sparing untold thousands of babies from horrible birth defects. She would have gotten a "call" today, and there would be lots of babies around with no arms or legs.

How about the Salk polio vaccine? Polio absolutely terrified moms in the 50's...I clearly remember hearing the neighborhood ladies discussing it in hushed tones. Dr Salk was more popular with the moms than any movie star of the day...he was an universal hero when he introduced his polio vaccine.

Dr Salk even refused to patent his vaccine, stating that the process would delay it's implementation. In 1952 alone polio killed 58,000 kids and crippled many more. Can you imagine that happening today?

BTW, I don't drive a school bus because I'm paid...it's my hobby. My entire annual FCPS salary would barely cover two of my quarterly income tax payments.


PS: I know how Rush/Glenn/Sean would respond to my comments here, so save yourself the trouble...

Sorry, I don't who or what you're talking about. Again, I don't want scientists who view saving lives as a sideline hobby, like making quilts or driving school buses. Yikes! I want REAL, educated, dedicated, scientists, who do scientific research as a vocation, not an avocation.

Yes, Jonas Salk was a "hero" who took credit for something he didn't invent, and made a fortune as a result. I knew several of the men who REALLY did invent the polio vaccine, those in the background, while Jonas Salk threw himself in front of every camera he could find. Surely you didn't think that Jonas Salk was laboring away in a research lab all by himself for decades to invent the polio vaccine?! He gave NO credit to the hundreds of people who worked in his lab and did all the real work while he sucked up the glory and eventually became very famous, and wealthy. Pardon me if I don't buy the Jonas Salk PR propaganda.