H1N1 Vaccine or Not?

My doctor makes me get flu shots and says I should get the H1N1 as soon as possible. (I teach middle school--a thousand little germ magnets.) I would also appreciate some informed opinions on the whole vaccination thing. I haven't had any side effects from the regular vaccine, but I'm also not sure it's kept me healthy. Since life is achy joints and fever, I could have a mild case of the flu and never know it.

Why wouldn't you get it?  I guess that would be my only question.  You aren't going to get H1N1 from the vaccine.  I know for fact that the general population is not going to take the procautions that they should and the people that will contract it the easiet will be pregnant women,babies, old people and those with low immune systems(US!).  These are the people that die, the ones with underlying problems(US!).  I am not parinoid and am not freaking out about it but,if the vaccine is avalable to you ,why  not.  Whats the worst that could happen.  You go to get the shot and you have to wait an hour in the waiting room and pay a co-pay.  Instead you don't get and coworker gets it and doesn't bother to stay home and hacks and coughs all over work spreading the love(YUCK!).  You get it and wind up in the hospital.  I don't want to scare anyone,but come on, give me one good reasonwhy not?  It has been tested or the drug and food admin would not allow it on the market.  I for one am soooooo sick of being sick so if I can do something to make sure I may not get sick, WHY NOT?

I also work in the public schools and get a seasonal flu shot every year (got it yesterday).  I would like to have the H1N1 vaccine as soon as we are able to.  My 3 year old will get it when they're ready to do the kids, and the recommendation for us has always been to do the whole family.  It was also recommended by my complex care nurse, and my pcp & rheumie agreed that I should also have a pneumonia vaccine...usually given to adults much older than myself. But no live vaccines for those of us with autoimmune diseases....we can't handle it.

Well this is what my Rheumy told me who happens to be the head of Rheumatology for the ARMY. She said not to be around anyone or take the flu-mist. The shot is okay. And since the H1N1 is made the same way. Same rules apply. If you didnt know the flu mist is a live virus the shot is not a live virus in other words a dead virus. And since we are on Immuno suppressives that we are more susceptable to getting sick. It seems more of a precaution than anything. One cool thing is when people I work with get the mist i got home from work. Yippie for me. lol. Anyways I hope I helped you out. Take care and good luck.

lawnerd:  You mentioned that your Doctor has NOT recommended you get the seasonal flu vaccine because you "hadn't been healthy enough"!  Well, I would definitely consult with you Doctor before making any decisions.  There are many contraindications in taking the seasonal flu vaccine, even if it is inactive (not a live virus).  As for myself, I CANNOT take any vaccines, live or inactive due to my RA.  I had an adverse reaction after taking the seasonal flu vaccine (inactive) and I was told by my Neuro, PCP, and Rhematologist NEVER to take any injectable vaccine again.  Please consult with your Dr., I highly recommend the flu and H1N1 vaccine if you are medically cleared by your Dr.  Regards,Mary

I am!  I have Sjogren's and work 40 hour weeks at a local college. I consider this a major exposure and would rather be safe than sorry and sicker than I would like to be.

Hi,  I live in France, and I have RA since 1981. I am now47.  My RA doctor told me to have the regular flu vaccine, the neumonia vaccine AND the H1N1 vaccine.   I thought this be a lot this year, as I have never had these vaccines before.  So  I started with the regular flu and the neumonia (Pneumo 23 in France)and decided that this will be sufficient for me.  My GP is not very confident with the H1N1 vaccine as it may strongly disturb the immun system which is already week because of the RA.
So I think I'll NOT have the H1N1 as the neumonia vaccine will protect me against lung complications which are the biggest problem if you get the H1N1 flu.

I have decided not to take the H1N1-it needs more testing-b/c no one really knows much about this vacine and it was really rushed out. My p/c did reccomend that i do get it, but then my rheuma-is leaving the choice up to me, and or all the patients-b/c no one knows for sure what could happen with it being so rushed and all. I know it is scary to think the what if's. But thats my decision on it! I did get the regular flu shot, cause my doctor did recommended it-I do pray that none of us gets the swine flu-but the vacine is just as risky i think.

H1N1 flue vaccine.   Seems you might be damned if you do as in my case but damned if you don't.

 

The action of these vaccines is to  really rev up the immune system to beat the flu.  Then many of us take the imune suppressant drugs to lower the immune system.  I mean how crazy is that ?  It soulds like a hoon driver with one foot on the brake and the other on the excellerator  !!

 

Some years ago after 3 years of flue vaccines I found I got a bad allergic reaction hives on tummy and arms and legs all over and an itch in the goin and genitals.  I didn't get the flu vaccine the next year and did not have the reaction.   I found out that the particular vaccine I had been having has mercury as the preservative (Thimerosal/Thiomersal) and it was the reason for the re-action.  I changed to another brand that did not have thiomersial/mercury as preservative.  Then for 2 years I was OK and no reactions.  Then this year I had the same brand vaccine but once again back to the serious reaction of burns of genitals itch hives etc. called Stevens-Johnson syndrome.  It is an allergic reation to ingredients in the current vaccine. 

 

On radio here recently some woman rang in and said many of the old people in the nursing home died after the seasonal flu injection.  Mostly the non-ambulant oldies.  I recon it could have been too much for their weak immune systems.

 

I don't know what to do now I researched the ingredients in some of the H1N1 vaccines (not all companies have these ingredients) and some ingredients worry me, some are thiomersil (mercury) still and some have MF59 and AS03 which if you Google these numbers mean Squalene  + it worries me a bit.  The squalene is used in other things (someone said yoghurt) to enhance flavour a bit like the chinese food that used to have MSG that has been banned here now.  However the difference is that when we eat some ingredient the liver, stomach digestive process breaks it all down a lot.  When something is injected into us it goes straight to the blood stream whithout being tempered down and is 100 times more powerful and if squalene is added this is also to enhance the power of the vaccine.

 

I really wanted to get the pneumonia vaccine as I was hospitalised with pneumonia twice last year.  I think I will get my doctor to give me half the dose to see if I am OK with it.   If I am I'll go on and get another half dose.   I can't cope with any more adverse reactions which are still burning me.

 

I think the vaccine makers need to experiment more with alternative preservatives (not mercury) and not the adjuvant/enhancers of MF59 AS03 and squalene that make a number of us ill.

 

Most importantly everyone - if you do get a adverse reaction to any drug or vaccine please please please report it to your FDA - Federal drug administration that way we can get the true figures on adverse reactions and get the matter addressed properly.

 

As for the flu seasonal/H1N1 I don't think I'll get it personally - I have bought the Reliever drug Relenza and will take this if I do get a flu.

 

I do not go out too much in public during the winter season - I keep out of large shopping malls and supermarkets in peak times and do shopping online until spring/summer.

 

I'd love to get our Experts advice on this - Dr. Mark can you talk more about this please ?

I appreciate the input from you all on this subject. So far I am still up in the air about whether to get the shots.  I had a pcp appointment this past week, asked the doc about them, and she told me they are presently "out" in our area.  She did tell me though should I find a clinic, to go ahead and get them.  I have had regular flu shots every year for a good many years, but all were before the RA diagnosis.  I was wondering about being more susceptible since on RA meds, although being unemployed I rarely go out much, so I won't be around many people.  Supposedly by November they are supposed to have more in our area, and I guess I will continue to think about it until then. Around the end of the month I go to the Rheumatologist again, so will probably ask what she thinks.  Again, thanks for the infomation, it is appreciated.

My doctor also advises me to get the flu & pneumonia shots (but not the mist, as everyone else says).  He left it up to me about the H1N1 shot.

My rheumatologist recommended both the regular flu and H1N1 flu shots.  She did say, under no circumstances should I get the nasal mist - ONLY THE INJECTION. 

I just got my H1N1 shot this morning and I have severe RA.  I made sure I got the shot and not a nasal spray.  The shot is made with a dead virus-the spray has a live virus!  My arm is slightly sore, and a little swollen.  I feel like I might have a slight fever, but mostly I feel fine?  Check with your doctor before you get any vaccinations and make sure you are not allergic to eggs and anything else that makes up the vaccine.  I would much rather deal with the inconvenience of feeling tired, then deal with the severity of both kinds of flu!  It is a personal choice-one I felt for myself that it was a no-brainer, and I Had to get the vaccination.