Yeah, I had the same concerns, plus I have an egg allergy,well sulfates actually.  Consulted two docs and other friends who work in various medical areas and decided to go with the advice and do it.  I have only had the inital shot, not the H1N1 last week.  No reaction, so I guess the rest of the winter will prove if it was a good decision.  I think the entire matter is a gamble either way you go, but probably best to bet on doing things to not get sick.

Ginny

10/13/09 10:09pm

Thanks so much for your help.  Ginny

A suppressed immune system is not a non-existent immune system - we'd all be gone!  The (non-live) vaccine contains parts of a virus that enables your system to learn to recognize the virus so that the next time it encounters it, it's prepared to fight it (even if it's at a reduced level)... Our bodies have several different kinds of immune cells and processes, some to fight bacteria, some to fight viruses, and fungi, and they are not all totally disabled.   I got the seasonal flu vaccine.  I did feel more tired afterward for a while, but hard to say for sure if it was the shot, or the change in the weather.  I'm pretty much back to normal now (about 2 weeks later).  I saw my rheumatologist today, and he asked if I was going to do the H1N1.  I said I wasn't sure, I wanted to know what he thought - and he left it up to me.  But he has always strongly recommended the flu & pneumonia shots.  He did say, that if the timing had been different with H1N1, it probably would have been incorporated in the mix for the seasonal flu and there wouldn't have had to be all this confusion.  I'm not so sure, myself...?

Ginny

10/21/09 8:45am

Thanks so much for your answer, it's the explanation I needed!   Have a great day!