H1N1 Hysteria

[BankItDrew]

The following is a product information leaflet from Glaxo Smith Kline, the producer of the H1N1 vaccine:
http://www.gsk.ca/english/docs-pdf/A..._CAPA01v01.pdf

There is currently limited clinical experience with Arepanrix™ H1N1, and limited clinical experience with an investigational formulation of another AS03-adjuvanted vaccine containing the same or a slightly higher amount of antigen derived from A/California/7/2009 (H1N1) (see section Pharmacodynamics) in healthy adults aged 18-60 years and no clinical experience yet in the elderly, in children or in adolescents.

...Yet, the Canadian Government recommends that this vaccine should be taken by everyone over the age of 6 months.

Overblown hysteria?
Governments pushing vaccines that they shouldn't?
Have your say.

[Halv]

Meh. Haven't decided if Im gonna go get the vaccine or not, but it will come down to lazyness and not conspiracy theories.

[a500lbgorilla]

So they tested it on healthy people but now no one has allowed them to test it on our grand parents or children?

[WillburForce]

why do we even need this? Just kill all pigs and turn them into bacon.

Winnar winnar bacon dinner.

[Vinland]

Other flu vaccines have been tested and this one is similar in make up. Its just the dead strain of virus that is different. I prob wont get it b/c I'm healthy and not in the risk priority.
I got it for my kids. If they get sick from it in a bad way I'd feel pretty bad that I didnt protect them due to media hysteria.

As for government pushing vaccines....well I dont really like it but I can see they dont want the triage of every hospital clogged with people who think they are sick...that costs us Canadians lots of $$$ since its all paid for...

I've heared some of the fucking stupidest shit from people's mouths about this vaccine. "Its got mercury in it, I'm not taking it" fuck man, do you think there is a possibility that mercury in small doses has no ill effect? Of course! There's prob more mercury in fish we eat then a 2ml shot of vaccine....It would take a special kind of maniac asshole to put a lethal or poisonous dose of mercury in a vaccine, so I will go on the premise that the makers of the vaccine are propably not homicidal maniacs, just greedy, which if I remember, is allowed under a capitalist system....

Someone tried to tell me there is asbestos in the vaccine (part of the adjuvant) Well I havent heared that for one so they probably read it on the internet written by some hippie liberal fucktard. I quickly said "I didnt know he inhaled the vaccine"

People worry about the most miniscule fucking things its amazing. Its called percentages, dont worry about something that happens .001% of the time, if you do, dont drive your car or work in the post office.....

Fuck me.....

[Ltrain]

Got the vaccine, my wife is 9 mo. pregnant and got the vaccine without the mercury. 3 year old daugher got the vaccine. No issues whatsoever with all of us. I know of 2 people who already have had the virus in Miami and one is a grade school child. Unless you like the idea of getting a virus that will be around for a long time and potentially getting very sick, use your head and stop being afraid of little goblins in a bottle.

[Warpe]

I got vaccinated yesterday, the first day they opened the clinics to non-priority groups. I'm one to trust the science rather than buy into psuedo-scientific speculation and conspiracy theories etc., and I figure I rather have immunity than not.

There's all sorts of moaning about how this was a waste of money etc. b/c it wasn't nearly as bad as they were making out it was going to be, but personally I think that even if that's the case it was a great test of the system and they'll learn lessons here which they'll be able to apply when a REAL pandemic hits us in the future - a new bird flu, for example.

Money well spent, imo.

[BankItDrew]

FWIW:
1) I am not a conspiracy theorist regarding this topic
2) I am not against getting the vaccine
3) I am not for getting this vaccine
4) My concern is the lack of clinical trials that took place before the Government pushed it on everyone

[Vinland]

Were not yelling at you (fucking liberal hanky stomper...lol)

You're just trying to get discussion going.....we know...
plus your avatars make you ok...

[Warpe]

Meh, they've been producing flu vaccines for eons, this is just a different strain, so lack of extensive clinical trials doesn't concern me at all. GAMBOOOOLLL!!!

[bode]

Meh, they've been producing flu vaccines for eons, this is just a different strain, so lack of extensive clinical trials doesn't concern me at all. GAMBOOOOLLL!!!

pretty much this. if they had an extra month or 2 at the beginning of all this hysteria it would have been included in the regular seasonal flu shot and no one would hesitate at all.

[sweetlemon69]

We're peons in a pretty shitty one sided game, what's one to do? People have blind faith. Believing science crap, is still the same thing as somebody blindly listening to the government and media, unless of course, you're an actual scientist in the lab doing the tests.

[Vinland]

We're peons in a pretty shitty one sided game, what's one to do? People have blind faith. Believing science crap, is still the same thing as somebody blindly listening to the government and media, unless of course, you're an actual scientist in the lab doing the tests.

You'd rather listen to blind hysteria generated by fear and media than science?

[surviva316]

We're peons in a pretty shitty one sided game, what's one to do? People have blind faith. Believing science crap, is still the same thing as somebody blindly listening to the government and media, unless of course, you're an actual scientist in the lab doing the tests.

lol, attempt at sounding smart fail.

[Monty3038]

Well, we've all had H1N1 in my family. I'm against the vaccine personally, I can see the point in young infants and old farts with weakened immune systems, but the best defense is the natural one. Granted, my daughter who is 10 suffered through 4 weeks of this crap, and my wife and I suffered (her more than I) but we're all fine again, and to be honest, I'm not even worried about it any longer.

So, does the vaccine help, I'm sure it does, for some, but do they know the effects of it yet? Maybe... I still think building a natural immunity is the best.

[d0zer]

Believing science crap, is still the same thing as somebody blindly listening to the government and media

Speaking generally here, the difference is that science goes through considerably more rigorous scrutiny than what the media or politicians spew.

That being said, I wouldn't endorse blind faith in any source, but it's not fair to compare the legitimacy of peer-reviewed science to any loudmouth who got elected.

Regarding the flu vaccine -- people are acting as if this is an entirely new vaccine with new, untested ingredients where that isn't the case. We've been inoculating against the flu for decades with similar formulas and the only thing different about this one is the strain of influenza your body is triggered to develop antibodies for.

I got the vaccine, but mostly because I live with an asthmatic who's 8.5 months pregnant and I'd feel terrible if I gave her the flu given she's in two of the high risk categories.

Normally I'd be my cynical self, muttering about the media hype overblowing a relatively low risk and trusting in my body's immune system.

[BankItDrew]

lol, attempt at sounding smart fail.

[ ] contributed to thread

[wufwugy]

The risk of bad 'side effects' is substantially higher from the flu itself than from the vaccine.

One reason not mentioned why there's been 'hysteria' over H1N1 is to reduce risk of mutation or hybridization which would result in Black Death type pandemics. For example: many believe that if H1N1 came in contact with H5N1 (I believe that's the particular strain I'm thinking of) that it would be GAME OVER for like 1/3rd of the world's population. This is because the resulting hybrid would have a standard level of contamination, but a super high level of fatalities (like 80+%)

[d0zer]

The risk of bad 'side effects' is substantially higher from the flu itself than from the vaccine.

One reason not mentioned why there's been 'hysteria' over H1N1 is to reduce risk of mutation or hybridization which would result in Black Death type pandemics. For example: many believe that if H1N1 came in contact with H5N1 (I believe that's the particular strain I'm thinking of) that it would be GAME OVER for like 1/3rd of the world's population. This is because the resulting hybrid would have a standard level of contamination, but a super high level of fatalities (like 80+%)

Sounds pretty massively speculative.

[wufwugy]

We're peons in a pretty shitty one sided game, what's one to do? People have blind faith. Believing science crap, is still the same thing as somebody blindly listening to the government and media, unless of course, you're an actual scientist in the lab doing the tests.

Poe's Law is strong with this one

http://rationalwiki.com/wiki/Poe%27s_Law

[wufwugy]

The risk of bad 'side effects' is substantially higher from the flu itself than from the vaccine.

One reason not mentioned why there's been 'hysteria' over H1N1 is to reduce risk of mutation or hybridization which would result in Black Death type pandemics. For example: many believe that if H1N1 came in contact with H5N1 (I believe that's the particular strain I'm thinking of) that it would be GAME OVER for like 1/3rd of the world's population. This is because the resulting hybrid would have a standard level of contamination, but a super high level of fatalities (like 80+%)

Sounds pretty massively speculative.

In a way it is, but the theory is sound. Greater quantities with more variations of viruses over larger regions creates a higher risk of more deleterious mutations. You won't find a single accredited biologist who disagrees with this.

[sniderstyle]

H1N1 is just this year's Sars, Avian Bird Flu. It's a SCARY name but really not that big of an epidemic. Mass hysteria is really interesting though. Everyone should check it out on Wikipedia

[Extremophile]

You can't always wait for the clinical trials to be complete. Spreading of the virus might be more dangerous than the estimated side effects in this case.

[Saint]

hmm interesting subject..
not enough clinical trials have been done on this.. im in Australia .. and in the state im from a 6 year old boy died from this.. and now like if he was a "high risk" candidate i could understand.. but the kid was healthy.. it essentially melted his muscles and he died 4 days later.. i think personally that it was hysteria i mean to be classed a "pandemic" was a bit much.. like i agree its sad that ppl have died from H1N1 but SARS was never considered a "pandemic" i think its bad dont get me wrong.. but its no smallpox .. hmm more research needs to be done.. untill then.. stop kissing the piglets

xxSaint

[Ash256]

H1N1 is just this year's Sars, Avian Bird Flu. It's a SCARY name but really not that big of an epidemic. Mass hysteria is really interesting though. Everyone should check it out on Wikipedia

This is a really silly way to look at things. Do you live in a bubble where nothing is actually real unless it happens to someone you know?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigenic_shift is what everyone's worried about regarding bird flu.

[Monty3038]

I guess I just don't see the hype either. It is harsh flu, but I work around it all of the time, I have had it, and it wasn't that bad. My daughter suffered through it, but now is fine, there is a theory floating around also that if you had the flu very badly around 1978 you have already had a strain of it.

But either way, the media is out of control on it.

[griffey24]

I work in a cancer centre here at Sunnybrook hospital in Toronto. So I kinda had to get the vaccine. I feel like most people that don't get it, don't get it because they think they are immune, or won't get too sick from the flu etc. But they are missing overlying point, which is to avoid you spreading the flu to someone else who might be much more at risk of getting severely sick etc.

Clearly my getting the vaccine is 5% to protect me from getting very sick, but 95% protecting me from making any of the patients here get sick.

[CoccoBill]

Well, we've all had H1N1 in my family. I'm against the vaccine personally, I can see the point in young infants and old farts with weakened immune systems, but the best defense is the natural one. Granted, my daughter who is 10 suffered through 4 weeks of this crap, and my wife and I suffered (her more than I) but we're all fine again, and to be honest, I'm not even worried about it any longer.

So, does the vaccine help, I'm sure it does, for some, but do they know the effects of it yet? Maybe... I still think building a natural immunity is the best.

1) You get the virus, get sick, your body builds antibodies for the virus and you won't get sick again.

2) You get a dead virus that won't get you sick, your body builds antibodies for the virus and you won't get sick.

I don't fully understand how option 2. is somehow more unnatural or worse than option 1, care to elaborate? Your whole family being sick for weeks is to you +EV?

[Warpe]

Hard to build "natural" immunity when you're dead.

[Warpe]

Everyone should check it out on Wikipedia

the definitive source of information on practically any subject

[Galapogos]

Hard to build "natural" immunity when you're dead.

I've never seen a dead guy cough or get a fever.

[mbiz]

i think i got swine flu in australia during the epidemic here. it was described as simply being a mild flu usually (unless it was severe), our govt health department said if you have the flu its probably swine. I was fine, it was a mild flu. never got it diagnosed though so cant be sure of course.

edit: and re. vaccines, from what i can tell the flu only has to change a bit (which it tends to do) and the vaccine is useless.