It's Nothing to OINK at...

This post comes after a great deal of questions from others inquiring about how I feel about the H1N1 vaccine. Will you get the vaccine? Will you have Kathryn get the vaccine? There really is so much on the line whether we get it or not. If we don't get it, we risk contracting the H1N1 flu and possibly dying from its complications, however; we risk death also if we do get the vaccine. So many questions, but where to turn? I referred to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). I wanted to provide answers to questions that many of you have asked that I didn't have answers to at the time.

But first a little bit of a review:

You may have the flu, seasonal or H1N1 if you have one or more of these symptoms: fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue and sometimes, diarrhea and vomiting.

Groups of people at higher risk for severe illness from 2009 influenza A (H1N1) infection are thought to be the same as those people at higher risk for severe illness from seasonal influenza. These groups include:

*Children younger than 5 years old
*Persons aged 65 years or older
*Children and adolescents (younger than 18 years) who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and who might be at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection
*Pregnant women
*Adults and children who have asthma, chronic pulmonary, cardiovascular, hepatic, hematological, neurologic, neuromuscular, or metabolic disorders such as diabetes;
*Adults and children who have immunosuppression (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by HIV)
*Residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities.

Worried about mercury in your child's vaccine? The H1N1 vaccine has it, too. It is also made from eggs, so be sure that your health care provider is aware if you are have an egg allergy.

You are contagious for up to a whopping 48 hours before you exhibit signs or symptoms of the flu. An amazing smart, little buggar isn't it?

Here are the answers to some of your questions:

Why won't they test more people to determine if they have seasonal influenza or the H1N1 virus? Most people with flu symptoms do not need a test for 2009 H1N1 flu because the test results usually does not change how you are treated.

"Your health care provider may diagnose you with flu based on your symptoms and their clinical judgment or they may choose to use an influenza diagnostic test. Depending on their clinical judgment and your symptoms, your healthcare provider will decide whether testing is needed and what type of test to perform. CDC has provided recommendations for clinicians this season to help with testing decisions. This season, most testing will be done in people who are seriously ill (hospitalized patients) and patients where testing may impact treatment decisions" (for example, those who are immunocompromised with cancer, HIV or AIDS), and pregnant women. Those three groups of people have the greatest need for testing, since the results will dictate their care pathway. They aren't going to test an otherwise vibrant school-aged child or teenager because they are exhibiting MILD flu-like symptoms.

The most common (tests) are called “rapid influenza diagnostic tests” (nose and throat swab) with "an ability to detect the 2009 H1N1 virus 10% to 70%" with those others left with a "false negative result."  "None of the rapid tests currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are able to distinguish 2009 H1N1 flu from other flu viruses." Rapid tests appear to be better at detecting flu in children than adults.

As of September 2009, more than 99% of circulating influenza viruses in the United States are 2009 H1N1.

What about my child with asthma? Please follow this link to learn more about "Considerations for Clinicians Regarding 2009 H1N1 Influenza Virus." Please follow that link, I just didn't want to miss anything that may be important to your personal circumstances.

How many deaths from the H1N1 vaccine? I searched tirelessly for a recent figure on how many people have already died from the H1N1 vaccine itself, and I couldn't find anything. Go figure. In 1976, 40 million were vaccinated against the Swine Flu and there were 500 reported cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome resulting in 25 deaths. It has not been substantiated if these deaths were caused by the vaccine. According to Dr. Jennifer Ashton, the risk of death from H1N1 is 1 in every 1000. One too many. Read more about Dr. Ashton's Weighing Possible H1N1 Vaccine Risks. The CDC does not expect to have any deaths from the 2009 H1N1 vaccine to be caused from Guillain-Barré syndrome. Read and learn more about Guillain-Barré syndrome, like signs and symptoms.

Is the H1N1 vaccine safe? What the CDC says.

What my head says...(please know that this was very difficult for me to type) Like you, I have had many different roles in life. Daughter. Wife. Mother. Friend. Sister. Aunt. Cousin. Neighbor. Student. Nurse. It is in the capacity of my role as a nurse that I tell you with my thoughts on the H1N1 virus and vaccine.  Do not get the vaccine and risk death from the virus? Get the vaccine and risk death from a potentially fatal side effect? My thoughts are based on what I learned in my Ethics class too many years ago to count early in my student nurse role. How can the greatest good be served? An example embedded in my brain from class is: You are driving and realize that an fatal accident is imminent. Do you avoid hitting the elderly lady on your left, swerve, and hit the school bus filled with children on your right or do you hit the elderly lady and spare the children? Which scenario serves the greater good? Where will the greatest percentage of life be spared? With regards to the H1N1 virus and vaccine, which scenario serves the greatest good? By those who don't get the vaccine but contract the virus or by those who get the vaccine and die from an adverse effect, like Guillain-Barré syndrome? Unfortunately, we really won't know the answer until we see how everything plays out.  

My other roles are not any less important, but undoubtedly it is as a nurse that I serve the greatest good. A concept that is hard to fathom. Afterall, my love for family and friends is stronger than my love is for my role as a nurse. I think my dedicated role as a service provider comes from watching my father leave the house at all hours of the day or night to patrol the streets. 

An affair of the heart...My other roles dictate a different approach to the H1N1 virus and vaccine. My instinct is to care for my family and friends entirely with out the need for the vaccine. I want to protect them; keep them safe and free from this potentially fatal flu and from fatal side effects of the vaccine. Personally, I don't know if it safe enough. The reports say that it is, but I want reassurance. I want to see clinical trial test results. Data. Percentages. Graphs. Pie charts. The whole gamut. Not having the answers to many of my own questions makes me feel inadequate. Sigh.

How to protect yourself and others:
I know many of you implement these practices to prevent the spread germs but a review never hurts. 

Wash with soap and water. Single most effective precaution against person to person transmission of any virus is hand washing. If they are unavailable use an alcohol based instant hand sanitizer, according to the CDC. Do not allow young children to use Purell because they can get drunk from the alcohol content. You can check that out at Snopes. I prefer an Alcohol Free Foaming Hand Sanitizer by Babyganics. It's safe for kids to use. Wash your hands before eating or touching any part of your face. Immediately, wash your hands after sneezing or couging into them.

Stop the cycle with yourself. Stay home when sick. For two reasons, first so that you don't get anyone sick and secondly, so that you don't contract anything else.

Cough or sneeze into your hands or tissue, entirely covering your nose and mouth. This helps contain the spray and prevents those germ containing microscopic particles from spreading. For those of you convinced that you don't need to cover your nose and mouth you'll be surprised what the research says. According to Patti A. Wood, official spokesperson for Benadryl and author of Shooting the Breeze About Sneezing, researchers claim that sneezing expels air from your nose at approximately 100mph. One sneeze can propel 100,000 bacteria into the air. And the spray itself can travel as far as any wind current can take it, which may be hundreds of miles. Wow, that's amazing! Before, I was worried just about the person hacking five feet away from me at the grocery store, now I'll be worried to even have my windows open. Jeez.

Teach your children how to prevent the spread of disease. Singing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" or "Happy Birthday" is the appropriate length of time to wash your hands.

Be aware of the precautions that your child's school or daycare is taking. Recommendations from the CDC.

Purchase a Facemask or respirator ahead of time. Follow recommendations by the CDC when to initiate use.

Avoid crowds. When inviting friends and family for gatherings into your home, request that they stay home if they have any flu-like symptoms. Limit the amount of friends and family at your home. Disinfect your home after everyone has left. Avoid the malls by doing a lot of your holiday shopping online.

Be the first line of defense for your children. When in public with your children avoid strangers like they're the plaque. When strangers come up to your child attempting to touch their face, arm, toy, etc. Make excuses that he or she is just getting over the FLU, and I wouldn't want you to get it. I was shocked when an elderly lady told me that she didn't mind a cold now and then. Ugh! Be prepared for those people who just can't take a hint.

Caring for newborn. Limit visitors and tell those pestering you for a visit that you're all just so freaked about by H1N1 that you would rather just send them pictures. Or tell them that you aren't feeling well; I think I may have a cold or a touch of the flu, cough, cough. Call your child's pediatrician with the first sign of ANY flu-like symptoms. This population is particularly vulnerable. Don't take a "let's wait and see approach."

Ask deli people to wear gloves (they are supposed to wear them according to FDA regulations). Even ask them to replace their gloves since waiting on the last person. Afterall, what's the use of wearing gloves if they are used to open the deli case anyway.

Ask the cashier who has just sneezed, coughed, touch their face, put their fingers in their mouth, or picked his or her nose to go wash their hands. Yes, I have seen each and every one of those scenarios at the grocery store. Don't even give them a chance to think about giving an excuse, because there shouldn't be one. That's all right I will wait here while you go wash your hands. Ugh.

Disinfect universal items in the house daily when a family member is sick (i.e. the door knobs, faucets, etc.) According to the Mayo Clinic the flu virus can live up to 48 hrs on inanimate objects. We have a friend who is a seller for Sherwin Williams disinfectant line of products and she said they have seen a dramatic increase in those particular products.

Quarantine older children to their room when they are ill.

Replace toothbrush or contacts after an illness.


Avoid wearing your shoes in the house.

Do not attend a swine flu party. Yes, you read that correctly. Much like chicken pox parties, college students and some parents seem to think that if they expose themselves or their child to the H1N1 virus then they will develop immunity to it. Stupidity.


When traveling. Wipe off all the surfaces in your immediate vicinity when flying. Remember, I said to avoid crowds? Take note on who around you is coughing, sneezing, sounds nasally, etc. Wipe off the entire interior surfaces of a rental car.  

Wash hands after handling money. Ever see those t.v. reports? If you didn't, money is exchanged after very dirty deeds are done leaving some very dirty germs on the money. Get my drift? Ugh.

Take your daily multivitamin.


Buy stock in Tamiflu. Keep it available if you need it. A very good friend of mine works in a pediatrician's office. She said they are starting any asthmatic child that presents with flu-like symptoms on Tamiflu with in 24 hours from the onset of symptoms. Check with your own physician but it may be beneficial to for anyone with a chronic medical condition to take it.

The information I included in this post really is just the tip of the iceburg. I still have so much information running through my information overloaded brain. I wanted to give you enough to drive you to seek your own information. Which I am sure many of you already have. But if you have not made a decision yet based on what you already know, then keep looking. We need to feel comfortable with our decisions. I believe that recieving the H1N1 vaccine is a personal decision. It's such a critical decision; don't let anyone persuede you one way or the other. Make your own informed decision. I wouldn't want to stear someone one way only to regret that opinion later because of a fatal consequence. I still have not made a decision for myself or our daughter. And, I have been reasearching the vaccine and virus for several days now. So, I will continue my search. We still have some time to weigh our options. I do suggest that you schedule yourself for an appointment for the vaccine or get on a list. You can always cancel it later, if you decide otherwise.

In addition, you can stay updated on the CDCs recommendations, by signing up for their newsletter. Go to the right side of the page and look for "Get email updates."

I certainly hope this has helped.

Thanks so much for visiting and remember to ALWAYS enjoy your own life's wild ride!