The Swine Flu Shot a Waste of Time!

[spindizzy]

Antibiotics will only help you if you get a secondary bacterial infection (like pneumonia). Viruses - ala flu, are unaffected by them and are still *very* difficult to treat. We do have some anti-virals these days, but supplies are limited and effectiveness is limited (Tamiflu has a very specific time period that it must be taken in to work). Of course as you probably know even bacterial infections are getting more difficult to treat, with many resistant to multiple antibiotics. If you are hospitalized with flu your chances of contracting MRSA or some other nasty are much greater (especially if you require intubation). If we were to experience a major outbreak like the one in 1918 it is likely that many, many people (young and healthy people) would still die.

Eden - you are correct to state that antibiotics do not help to eradicate the flu - antibiotics will do nothing for viral infections. I should have stated that the thought is that many died from a cytokine storm (our immune system in overdrive) that caused pulmonary edema and/or a secondary bacterial infection (which at the time there was no antibiotics for).

[xeney]

This is an interesting discussion but feels largely irrelevant from where I'm sitting -- my two-year-old (who is not particularly high risk aside from being very small for her age) is on waiting lists for both H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccine, because her pediatrician's office has run out of both. I'm pregnant and my OB does know when they are getting the shots. Kaiser seems to have both the shot and the mist, but nobody else has either right now. We'll both be vaccinated if we can be, but right now it looks like vaccines will not be available until the worst of the epidemic is over.

[OakLeaf]

Doesn't your health department have it? Since it's on pandemic ordering (I didn't really understand how that worked before reading the article NbyNW posted), all the distribution is through state and county health departments.

Here, no private entities have the H1N1 vaccine, and no word on when they'll have any, but the county health departments have been having clinics once or twice a week for eligible populations.

[Tuckervill]

I was in Sam's Club yesterday afternoon and I stumbled into a little-trafficked area by the pharmacy, and they had a flu shot clinic set up back there. About 50 chairs lined up along the aisle, and not a single person in line.

I did not get the shot. (I doubt they were giving H1N1 anyway.)

Karen

[snapdragen]

Probably just the regular flu shot. They've had a "clinic" -- more like a table in the back of the store -- at our local Safeway. People haven't exactly been lining up there, but I've seen a few getting the shot.

[snapdragen]

Xeney -- check with your Public Health Department

http://www.sacpublichealth.net/

[Eden]

News tonight says 10 million doses of H1N1 will be available by next week.

[SadieKate]

Snap is right. Each state and then each county has a distribution plan. The best place to start for info is with the Sacramento County Public Health Dept.

I'm in a high risk category and I've been told the same thing by my doctor (of course, for my own state and county . . . ).

Xeney -- check with your Public Health Department

http://www.sacpublichealth.net/