Who's getting the H1N1 shot?

[GreenLantern]

They come around to my office and it is covered by my health plan.. seeing as how I have no medical reason not to, and my boss told me I can take the afternoon off if I get it done.. I think I would be stupid not to, right?

[troutman]

Originally Posted by HeartsOfFire

Want a surefire way to boost up your immune system?

Pick your nose, and eat it. No word of a lie. Discreetly, of course. No one wants to SEE you do it.

The hairs in your nose act as a sort of natural air filter as well as pheromone processors. Viruses and bacteria collect on these hairs, and then get absorbed into the mucous that forms on them over the course of the day. Absorbed, trapped, and defenseless. Through ingestion, they are then introduced into the body in a safe, unintrusive manner where your immune system will have no trouble overwhelming, destroying, and developing an immunity to that particular strain/mutation of ailment.

Sounds dubious. Wouldn't stomach acid anihilate the virus and bacteria? Don't we all swallow phlegm all the time anyway?

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...g2.html?cat=51

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...6091321AA8Pnzg

http://straightuptruth.blogspot.com/...lly-grody.html

Risks aside, can the immune system really be reinforced by introducing germs into the gut via boogers? While the unpleasant notion may have some scientific merit, it is not based on any formal studies. For this reason, I propose a clinical study where each test subject is given real boogers or placebo boogers for a period of several months, and each group's susceptibility to disease is cataloged during that time. Only then can we know with any certainty.

I have submitted this question to the good people at the science-based medicine blog.

[peter12]

Get the freaking shot people! Everyone is going down in my office one after the other.

[Rhettzky]

Originally Posted by peter12

Everyone is going down in my office one after the other.

What kind of office do you work in exactly?

[Sliver]

Has one shred of scientific evidence been posted that suggests getting the H1N1 shot is a bad idea? If so can somebody point me to it please? I just don't understand where the anti-vaccine stance has any traction.

[Mark]

Not sure if this has been mentioned (far too much to catch on), but if anybody could enlighten me on this. I've heard that once you jump on the annual flu shots, it dramatically reduces your immune system to a point where your body is completely reliant on the shots over the years. The theory that this could reduce my overall immune system functionality is not something that excites me. Does anybody have something intelligent to say about this?

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Mark

Not sure if this has been mentioned (far too much to catch on), but if anybody could enlighten me on this. I've heard that once you jump on the annual flu shots, it dramatically reduces your immune system to a point where your body is completely reliant on the shots over the years. The theory that this could reduce my overall immune system functionality is not something that excites me. Does anybody have something intelligent to say about this?

Just search through the thread for Photon's comments. He seems to be the most well informed on the subject IMO and he has addressed this.

[Knut]

Originally Posted by Mark

Not sure if this has been mentioned (far too much to catch on), but if anybody could enlighten me on this. I've heard that once you jump on the annual flu shots, it dramatically reduces your immune system to a point where your body is completely reliant on the shots over the years. The theory that this could reduce my overall immune system functionality is not something that excites me. Does anybody have something intelligent to say about this?

Source????

Think of it as a booster to your immune system. It does not reduce it. Basically, the Flu shot is there to give your body a better chance at having antibodies against the current strain of the virus. Once you have antibodies, they are there for good. Thus, it boosts your immune system.

There is way too much misinformation out there.

[anyonebutedmonton]

Originally Posted by Mark

Not sure if this has been mentioned (far too much to catch on), but if anybody could enlighten me on this. I've heard that once you jump on the annual flu shots, it dramatically reduces your immune system to a point where your body is completely reliant on the shots over the years. The theory that this could reduce my overall immune system functionality is not something that excites me. Does anybody have something intelligent to say about this?

First off I am not a doctor nor do I pretend to be but here is how I understand it.

Vaccine goes into your body, your body's immune system reacts and creates antibodies to fight the dead vaccine, these antibodies then protect you from similar live virus'

The whole idea of a vaccination is to use your bodies own immune system to adapt immunity to certain strains of the flu each year. You aren't relying on the shot to somehow provide immunity for you, instead the shot kicks your own immune system into gear to fight the bug.

If this is correct, which I am fairly sure it is, then your theory is incorrect and getting the shot does not weaken the immune system.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Rhettzky

What kind of office do you work in exactly?

A normal office in the non-profit sector with 12 employees; 3 have already gotten sick and now another is being sent home with the chills and a cough.

Not to mention, my mom, brother and sister have all been given a probable diagnosis for the H1N1. My brother who is asthmatic, is now being tested for pneumonia and has a prescription for Tamiflu. He'll be missing another 2 weeks of university

My little sister was told to lay off school for 2 weeks as well. This is not an easy bug to get over. With my brother's example as asthmatic, I can only imagine how scary getting this thing would be for people with complications.

Get the shot, if not for yourself then for others not as fortunately healthy.

[Ford Prefect]

One thing that concerns me about the anti-flu shot side of the debate is who some of the advocates are on the anti side. The latest I noticed is former Canadian Action Party leader and Christian Heritage Party supporter, Dr. Andrew Moulden. I tend to judge the bearer of a message as much as the message itself, and I consider this guy a certified member of the tinfoil hat crowd. I'm also not sold on homeopathic medicine as a treatment for the flu, and that seems to be the alternative measure. I trust homeopathic medicine to promote good health and be proactive, but I don't trust it as a treatment once you're ill. I'm not totally versed on homeopathic medicine, but I have friends and family who are so I've picked up a bit of information about it, and I'm not convinced it has all the answers any more than the any other health care/medical field. It has it's place for sure, but I think it's more in prevention than treatment.

The bottom line for me is that I haven't found a reason to not get the shot, largely because I don't trust a lot of the voices telling me not to. The risks of not getting it seem far greater and more certain than not getting it, so I'm going to get it.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Mark

Not sure if this has been mentioned (far too much to catch on), but if anybody could enlighten me on this. I've heard that once you jump on the annual flu shots, it dramatically reduces your immune system to a point where your body is completely reliant on the shots over the years. The theory that this could reduce my overall immune system functionality is not something that excites me. Does anybody have something intelligent to say about this?

This is complete bull****. We don't have smallpox or polio anymore. These disease crippled and killed (and still do) millions of people every year. Through vaccines we have all but eliminated them.

[FiftyBelow]

In theory, a vaccine actually gives you a dead flu virus or a very small dosage of the live pathogen that has had been altered. Your immune system is supposed to respond to these by having particular cells develop antibodies. In the long run your body is supposed to have these particular antibodies in your bloodstream. When the particular antigen enters your system again, the antibodies will there to recognize it and ultimately bind it to the antigen, marking it for destruction by certain cells. At least thats all I can remember... haven't taken Cell Biology since 1st year.

So vaccines don't develop 100% immunity but increase the chances that your body will develop the antibodies necessary with less chances of having an individual succumb to the disease. That said, I'm still a little skeptical with the amount of testing that has went into the vaccine. Normally, there is a significant and lengthy process that goes into testing, but this vaccine (for obvious reasons) appears to have been rushed.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by FiftyBelow

In theory, a vaccine actually gives you a dead flu virus or a very small dosage of the live pathogen that has had been altered. Your immune system is supposed to respond to these by having particular cells develop antibodies. In the long run your body is supposed to have these particular antibodies in your bloodstream. When the particular antigen enters your system again, the antibodies will there to recognize it and ultimately bind it to the antigen, marking it for destruction by certain cells. At least thats all I can remember... haven't taken Cell Biology since 1st year.

That is pretty much it bang on.

With this particular vaccine though (at least the one available in Canada to most people), there is a smaller than normal dosage of the dead pathogen being used, and instead, they have added an immune booster (adjuvant)which hasn't been completely tested. In fact, in the past there have been complications with it.

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

That is pretty much it bang on.

With this particular vaccine though (at least the one available in Canada to most people), there is a smaller than normal dosage of the dead pathogen being used, and instead, they have added an immune booster (adjuvant)which hasn't been completely tested. In fact, in the past there have been complications with it.

From the reading that I have been doing the only people in Canada who can get a vaccine without adjuvant are pregnant women. Why is that? Are they more at risk of side effects from the adjuvant?

[photon]

And not all vaccines contain dead viruses.. some vaccines only contain proteins from the virus, or proteins shaped like parts of the virus. Or vaccines against the toxic products of some pathogens by using deactivated toxic products rather than vaccinating against the pathogen itself.

Getting a vaccine is like adding a key to the key ring of virus locks the immune system can unlock. Getting a new key doesn't weaken the system.

[Coach]

im not too worried about it. I usually dont get very sick.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Boblobla

From the reading that I have been doing the only people in Canada who can get a vaccine without adjuvant are pregnant women. Why is that? Are they more at risk of side effects from the adjuvant?

Apparently it hasn't been tested enough on pregnant women. I also heard that politicians and Olympic athletes are getting the pure vaccine.

The adjuvant itself has in the past, caused a condition where the immune system continues to strengthen so much that the body starts attacing itself. I think the fear is that in pregant women, it could start to attack the fetus.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by peter12

Get the freaking shot people! Everyone is going down in my office one after the other.

I'm still on the fence about it, but will probably get it. I have to go to the doctor for something else though, so it will kill 2 birds I suppose.

It's not as easy as just going out to get it though. In the town I live in, they said not to even ask again for another week because they have no schedule yet and they have no vaccine.

[Cowboy89]

A poster on CBC's comment board had the best comment about the lines at the clinics:

I went to get the flu vaccines yesterday. When I got there and saw the line I couldn't believe it, but I stuck it out. Five hours later, when I finally got to the front, I realized it was a Tim Horton's.