Who's getting the H1N1 shot?

[LChoy]

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?

Q4. Does an adjuvanted vaccine pose a risk to pregnant women?
All evidence suggests that adjuvanted vaccines are just as safe as unadjuvanted vaccines; however there is no safety data for the use of adjuvanted vaccine in pregnant women. The WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) recommended in July that pregnant women should receive non-adjuvanted vaccine where possible, but that an adjuvanted vaccine could be used if necessary.

Q6. Is the Government ordering non-adjuvanted vaccine? Who will it be recommended for and why?
The Government of Canada plans to purchase a small quantity of non-adjuvanted H1N1 flu vaccine (approx. 1.8 million doses) as part of its total order of 50.4 M doses.
The purchase of a small quantity of non-adjuvanted vaccine is a precautionary measure for pregnant women as no clinical data of the safety of adjuvanted vaccine in this group is available.
In these cases, should a non-adjuvanted vaccine prove to be effective, it may be the preferred option. The WHO has indicated that it has no special concerns about the safety of adjuvanted H1N1 flu vaccines in general. The WHO has also strongly recommended that pregnant women be immunized against the H1N1 flu virus, even if no non-adjuvanted vaccine is available.

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/alert-ale...g_h1n1-eng.php



Sorry Bagor, I haven't gotten an answer yet. We are understandingly really swamped right now.
If anyone else has any questions from the Government perspective, just msg or pm me

[photon]

Thanks, greatly appreciate your time Lchoy.

I wonder if the Strathmore clinic is less busy...

[Knut]

Here is the issue with Pregnancy and Adjuvents.... It is not ethically sound to just start pumping it into Pregnant females to see what happens. It is the same for many drugs out there on the market today. They are tested on Animals, but you can not be certain that if it is safe on animals it will be safe with humans, and vise versa.

Here are the classes for Drugs and Pregnancy.
Category A

Controlled studies in women do not demonstrate a risk to the fetus. The possibility of fetal harm appears remote.

Category B

Either animal studies have not demonstrated a fetal risk but there are no controlled studies in pregnant women, or animal studies have shown an adverse effect that was not confirmed in controlled studies in women.

Category C

Either studies in animals have revealed adverse effects on the fetus and there are no controlled studies in women, or studies in women and animals are not available. Drugs in category C should only be taken if the benefit justifies the fetal risk.

Category D

There is positive evidence of human fetal risk (birth defects, etc.), but the benefits from use in pregnant women may be acceptable despite the risk.

Category X

Studies in animals or human beings have demonstrated fetal abnormalities or there is evidence of fetal risk based on human experience, and the risk of the use of the drug in pregnant women clearly outweighs any possible benefit. Drugs in category x should not be taken by pregnant women for any reason.

[photon]

Interesting. Yeah drug testing can be a complicated ethical problem, I remember reading about test that went very well in animals and was approved for human testing, but when given to humans the drugs caused massive organ failure, really nasty. And no indication from the animal testing.

[photon]

Lol, this video is awesome:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...ryId=114075029

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Shazam

My wife has been really sick once in the past ten years - she got whooping cough. Other than that she's gotten two extremely mild colds in that time span.

I, on the other hand, get sick all the time.

I'll just add to my post by saying that we all get flu shots every year.

I did get the flu a few years back; there's no way I'm going through that hell ever again if I can help it.

[Kipper is King]

well crap, I came to class today, and now I'm starting to get sick. I've got the sniffles and an occasional dry cough. It doesn't feel bad, but with all this stuff going on, I'm kinda nervous.

[Knut]

Originally Posted by photon

Interesting. Yeah drug testing can be a complicated ethical problem, I remember reading about test that went very well in animals and was approved for human testing, but when given to humans the drugs caused massive organ failure, really nasty. And no indication from the animal testing.

Most Drugs on the Market are in Category B and C. When i am prescribing eye drops to a Pregnant female it really limits my selection as there are a lot of class C eye drops.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Kipper is King

well crap, I came to class today, and now I'm starting to get sick. I've got the sniffles and an occasional dry cough. It doesn't feel bad, but with all this stuff going on, I'm kinda nervous.

Email your prof and go home. Don't spread it.

[peter12]

A previously healthy 13 year old boy in Toronto just died within 48 hours of catching H1N1.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/...hockey113.html

[Rhettzky]

Hey Hesla, do you (or anyone else) know if you can get the shot anywhere? I mean could I drive to Okotoks, Airdrie or Cochrane and get it there if I live in Calgary? I read on some comment page that the lines at these clinics aren't nearly as bad.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Kipper is King

well crap, I came to class today, and now I'm starting to get sick. I've got the sniffles and an occasional dry cough. It doesn't feel bad, but with all this stuff going on, I'm kinda nervous.

Me too.

[Knut]

Originally Posted by Rhettzky

Hey Hesla, do you (or anyone else) know if you can get the shot anywhere? I mean could I drive to Okotoks, Airdrie or Cochrane and get it there if I live in Calgary? I read on some comment page that the lines at these clinics aren't nearly as bad.

http://www4.albertahealthservices.ca/Immunization/

Here are the list of clinics (someone posted this link earlier). You can go anywhere to get it I beleive..

The lines will be way shorter in high River or Strathmore.

I think I may get it in Strathmore next week.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by peter12

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.

Hmm... Your family is sick and now your co-workers are sick.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Hmm... Your family is sick and now your co-workers are sick.

Yes, I'm Typhoid Mary. Hiney Flu Peter.

[JiriHrdina]

So can we indeed go to a rural location even if we are from Calgary? Why aren't more people doing that. High River is just as close to me as some of the in-city spots.

[Antithesis]

Yes, I'd also love confirmation that we can go to rural locations for this vaccine, I can wait a bit but don't fancy 5+ hours.

[Wookie]

Hmmm... I'm off to mexico in two weeks, should I try to get this done before? kind of forgot about my trip.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Antithesis

Yes, I'd also love confirmation that we can go to rural locations for this vaccine, I can wait a bit but don't fancy 5+ hours.

A lot of rural areas probably aren't even hooked up yet.

[Boo Radley]

Originally Posted by FiftyBelow

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.

When immunized (either by vaccine or infection) certain white blood cells, termed B-cells, produce antibody that recognize specific antigen. These antibodies circulate through the body helping to combat infection. These antibodies have a certain half-life and do not remain in the blood forever. The important aspect of immunity is immunological memory. In this case repeated exposure to an antigen will result in the formation of memory B-cells. These cells will remain in your body 'forever' and in the case when you are re-infected these 'professional' antibody producing cells will be able to react much quicker to the infection and produce the necessary antibodies. The problem with influenza, as has already been mentioned is that the virus can mutate rapidly and from one season to the next appear much different. Thus the memory B-cells from a previous infection/vaccination will not recognize this new form of the virus, requiring further vaccination. Vaccination is simply a means of giving your immune system the necessary repertoire to recognize and combat infection.

Sorry this was long and not really directed at you FiftyBelow. I just thought I would put my two-cents in here.

Originally Posted by KTown

I am no expert but wouldn't it almost be better to get the flu and build your immunity up for when the virus gets stronger?

As mentioned above past infections with the flu will not help in an way fight future flu infections. Except maybe if you have experienced the flu in the past it will encourage you to get a vaccine to avoid going through that hell again.

Radley