Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Support Group

I did not get it...now I have H1N1 and am wishing I had gotten it.

I personally would not be too worried about side effects even though it might not have been tested very extensively. I read that it is made the same way that other flu vaccines are made, but altered because it is just a different strain of the flu, just like it is every year as the seasonal flu virus mutates. So, it is not likely that there are more side effects than the rare ones that occur with the seasonal flu vaccine.

In my opinion, people should get it if it's available to them because it's easier than having the flu!

I don't get the seasonal flu shot. I'm skeptical of any new vaccine, so I'm not sure. I'm a little afraid of the H1N1 and how severe it is but I am unsure as to whether I will get the shot or not.

But FYI, people have lots of strong feelings about this so just prepare yourself, haha.

As always you will be told to ask your doctor, but you also have to consider your doctor's motives. Does he/she have your best interests in mind or are they just trying to make money?

I got my seasonal flu vaccine in September and my neph hasn't even mentioned me getting the H1N1 vaccine and I will not be getting one even if he recommeneded it. While I may be in the high risk group, I stay at home and am rarely exposed to others. I'm also extremely cautious of a vaccine that hasn't been tested for more than a few months at most. The 1976 swine flu vaccination debacle still affects many friends of mine who had no choice but to be vaccinated (military academy cadets at the time) and some still suffer from some side effects from their experience, so I'm very leery this one as well.

The media is blowing this whole thing out of proportion, but then again they need something to fill their 24/7 new cycle and mass hysteria is always a good news story. It's an influenza virus, milder than many of the other influenza viruses that we are normally exposed to and quite honestly has a lower morbitity and mortality rate (complications of the regular influeza viruses kill approximately 60,000 people per year in the US alone, but we never hear those statistics on TV). The media needs a villian and the goverment needs some justification for this mass production of vaccine using your tax dollars, so here's your villian and your hysteria.

I seriously doubt that everyone who claims to have H1N1 actually has it. The doctors can't actually test for H1N1 in their office (the testing needs to be done at the CDC) and most doctors do not send the samples to the CDC. They base their diagnosis on symptoms and the symptoms are pretty vague and flu like (but less "flu like" than the standard influenza.

Wishh,
I'm not saying you haven't been exposed; you very well may have. But keep in mind that the vaccination takes two shots, 4 weeks apart, in order to confer immunity and it probably takes 3 weeks after the second shot before full immunity is conferred--thus taking a total of 7 WEEKS AFTER THE FIRST SHOT before full immunity is conferred. This isn't a "get a shot, get immunity in a week or two" deal.

Alona,
I suspect doctors' motives are relatively pure when it comes to this vaccine, especially for the intended age groups and those who are at high risk, as long as they truly understand what those risks are. They don't make much of a profit if any; most time the vaccine is adminstered in a vaccination clinic. I don't think a lot of doctor's offices are actually getting the vaccine itself; most of the vaccine seems to be going to the state and city health programs and is being used for their mass vaccination programs when available.

As always, talk with your doctor. Only you and your doctor can determine what's right for you and your family. One important consideration is, if one member of your family is in the high risk category and thus needs the shot instead of the nasal spray, EVEYRONE in your family needs to get the shot so the high risk member isn't exposed to the live virus. The same holds true for the regular Flu Mist; if one person needs the influenza shot, everone gets the shot. You can't get the H1N1 nasal mist and Flu Mist at the same time. You can get the H1N1 shot and flu shot at the same time.

Best wishes to all,
Ruth

I definitely agree that the whole scare about H1N1 is over the top because it is not usually worse than the regular flu. I never get the flu shot for the seasonal flu, but I have gotten the flu multiple times, so afterwords, I always wish that I had gotten it, but I just never get around to it each year. And true that what I have may not actually be H1N1, but I do know that I have been around people who have been diagnosed with it, so I guess I just made the assumption, which may very well be incorrect.

I didn't know that it takes 7 weeks after the first shot before you have immunity. I probably would have gotten the nasal spray vaccine because that was what was available where I work, but I understand nasal spray is not meant for everybody because of it containing live flu viruses (and correct me if I'm wrong there); I don't know how long the nasal spray takes before giving you immunity...so I guess even if I had gotten it, I may not have had immunity before getting sick, if H1N1 is what I actually have.

I remember reading an article about PKD and H1N1 a while back on the PKD Foundation website that you might look at for more info.

Listen, I know that the media makes a big deal out of things that they shouldn't sometimes, but I don't believe the CDC does. If you really want to know what's going on with the H1N1 virus got to CDC.gov.
The biggest issue with this strain of flu is that it adversly affects the young and healthy the most! That age group is between 5 and 25 years of age. The thought is that the people who were born before the Swine Flu outbreak in the 70's have already developed a certain level of immunity and that's why the young are getting so sick.
The CDC is recommending that everyone with a serious health condition that puts them at greater risk for complications get the shot first. That does not mean healthy PKD'ers, however it may include those on dialysis and definately those on immunosupressants. They are also asking anyone with any type of rheumatic arthritis or psoriatic arthritis or anyone on Humira, Ramikade, Enbrel etc. to get the shot first because those drugs reduce your ability to fight off infections.
The second high risk group is the 5 to 25 year olds, then the elderly (over 65) then the rest of the population.
The CDC has reported that nearly exclusively, everyone who has the flu, regardless if they have had their blood tested, has H1N1. There isn't any other flu going around right now. The normal peak incidence of regular seasonal flu is 2.9% of the population for this time of the year, but from the information that has been collected so far (and this is based on positive tests for H1N1) the incidence for week 40, which was last week, is 7.1%. Way higher than it should be.
My husband and my 15 year old just got over the flu, but my 21 year old just got sick with it. She's been sick enough that she needed to go to the doc with a 102 temp. They started her on two seperate anti-virals because she's in the high risk group for complications. The CDC is reporting that most cases are mild, as were my husband and younger dauthers, but that's not the case with everyone. A larage number of the deaths that have occurred are in the young, so if you have grandkids, it might be best to be vaccinated for their protection.
I know that I am in the high risk group and need to be vaccinated, but since I'm already living in a house full of it, I figure I've already been exposed and if I'm going to get it the vaccine isn't going to keep me from it now. I'd rather save the dose for someone else. The H1N1 vaccine isn't widely available to everyone, so even if you want it, you may not have it in your area yet.
Once again, read the information that the CDC has on their site. It's very interesting and takes the media hype out of the equation.
Tami

I just wanted to make a correction that someone else posted: Only children 9 years of age or younger need two doses of the vaccine, one month apart. Everyone else only needs one dose. However, we need two vaccines for the flu: one for the regular seasonal flu and one for the H1N1 flu.
Here is a link to the fact sheet for patients on the flu shot along with information on side affects of the shot itself. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/v...
Tami

Also, US Today had an article back in September that concurred with the one shot is enough, recommendation. The information I could find said that immunity is confurred within 8 to 14 days, which I think is standard. There was some discussion that two shots a month apart gave you better immunity, but in the limited trials that had been conducted, one shot was giving people adequate immunity. Also, the high risk age group is 6 months to 25, but the highest population of people to have it is the 5 to 25 year old age group. In my region (region 5) over 5 thousand people between the ages of 5 and 25 were diagnosed with H1N1 last week. The CDC has a chart based on region for you to get that information.
Tami

I have never had a flu shot in my entire life. The only time I got the flu was while I was in the dorm. After I left I never gotten it again. The media and the government are trying to scare people. Yes any flu is bad but don't many people get the flu each year anyway. I think they are going overboard since the H1N1 has been in our history before. Want to avoid any flu? Wash your hands!!

Thousands of people die from getting the seasonal flu, and this occurs every year! We don't hear much about that and so downplay the risks. I have always gotten the flu vaccine as I worked for many years in healthcare. I still continue to get the vaccine because now I'm in a group that is at high risk. I'm a dialysis pt. with a compromised immune system. Neither type of the vaccine is a live virus (I'm not getting the nasal variety because that is live). and so I'm going for it. I've weighed all of the evidence and advice and so am taking the chance. I have a lot invested in my life, and my health. Lin.

The medical community is equally hysterical and just as "guilty" as the media on this H1N1 epidemic.

A friend's husband was just "diagnosed" with H1N1. But here's how the actuall process went (the additional details provided from his wife):

"I had some night sweats last night"--because it was hot in the house and I didn't feel like turning on the airconditioner

"I have a slight cough"--had it for a couple of weeks due to seasonal allergies

"I have some stuff running down the back of my throat"--post nasal drip; he has it all the time

"I have some body aches and pains"--well, that's because you're 45 years old and did PT challenge 2 days ago with the 18-year old soldiers, running up hills with a full pack in combat boots, running the obstacle course, etc.; anyone would be sore after a workout like that!

No questions asked about the symptoms, how long he's had them, what may have caused them, no question about if he had a fever at all...just an immediate jump to "you have H1N1".

With that type of diagnosing, I have H1N1. I get periodic night sweats (menopause), get a cough now and then, have some post nasal drip and have some serious aches and pains (never mind they're from my liver and kidneys and osteoarthritis)!

Just some food for thought on the "epidemic" of H1N1.