Will you take a swine flu shot or not? (Anderson: estimated, office)

[rigas]

Saying that more people are dieing from h1n1 then seasonal flu is terribly incorrect. About 35000-40000 people die from seasonal flu each yr compaired to less then 500 world wide from swine flu to date.

That said my son had a doc visit And he suggested the h1n1 nasal. This was from one of the most reputable pedia docs in Houston

[XodoX]

Originally Posted by rigas

Saying that more people are dieing from h1n1 then seasonal flu is terribly incorrect. About 35000-40000 people die from seasonal flu each yr compaired to less then 500 world wide from swine flu to date.

That said my son had a doc visit And he suggested the h1n1 nasal. This was from one of the most reputable pedia docs in Houston

You are incorrect. There are more children dying from it than from the regular flu.

Schuchat said 86 children have died from the H1N1 swine flu since the virus emerged last spring, with 43 of those deaths coming in September and early October alone. That underscores the concern that swine flu is particularly dangerous for children and young adults who may not have immunity to the disease. During the past three years, deaths among children from the regular seasonal flu ranged from 46 to 88 annually.

Atlanta health, diet and fitness news*| ajc.com (http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/cdc-/632095.html - broken link)

[txstate]

No shot; Use essential oils as diffusers, keep the air in your house clean.

[rigas]

according to the CDC my numbers are pretty darn close.

CDC - Seasonal Influenza (Flu) - Q & A: Seasonal Influenza (Flu): The Disease

In the United States, on average 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu; more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from seasonal flu-related complications, and; about 36,000 people die from seasonal flu-related causes. Some people, such as older people, young children, pregnant women, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications.

How does 2009 H1N1 flu compare to seasonal flu in terms of its severity and infection rates?
With seasonal flu, we know that seasons vary in terms of timing, duration and severity. Seasonal influenza can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. Each year, in the United States, on average 36,000 people die from flu-related complications and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu-related causes. Of those hospitalized, 20,000 are children younger than 5 years old. Over 90% of deaths and about 60 percent of hospitalization occur in people older than 65.

When the 2009 H1N1 outbreak was first detected in mid-April 2009, CDC began working with states to collect, compile and analyze information regarding the 2009 H1N1 flu outbreak, including the numbers of confirmed and probable cases and the ages of these people. The information analyzed by CDC supports the conclusion that 2009 H1N1 flu has caused greater disease burden in people younger than 25 years of age than older people. At this time, there are relatively fewer cases and deaths reported in people 65 years and older, which is unusual when compared with seasonal flu. However, pregnancy and other previously recognized high risk medical conditions from seasonal influenza appear to be associated with increased risk of complications from this 2009 H1N1. These underlying conditions include asthma, diabetes, suppressed immune systems, heart disease, kidney disease, neurocognitive and neuromuscular disorders and pregnancy.

the thing that makes the H1N1 so different is the age of the infected. it attacks generally those who would be normally strong enough to fight off the seasonal flu.

[rigas]

in addition, to put H1N1 on the world scale compared to seasonal flu...
from the W.H.O.

WHO | Influenza (Seasonal)

Seasonal epidemics

Influenza epidemics occur yearly during autumn and winter in temperate regions. Illnesses result in hospitalizations and deaths mainly among high-risk groups (the very young, elderly or chronically ill). Worldwide, these annual epidemics result in about three to five million cases of severe illness, and about 250 000 to 500 000 deaths. Most deaths associated with influenza in industrialized countries occur among people age 65 or older. In some tropical countries, influenza viruses circulate throughout the year with one or two peaks during rainy seasons.

[XodoX]

Hm ,your point is? Don't get it?
First of all, you can see that more children have died from it already, and the flu season has not even started. And "die from seasonal flu-related causes" can mean anything. Read #42 again, it clearly states that there are more children dying from it.
No need to downplay anything. It's easy to get a shot. It's just a little hard right now to find a place here that still has shots available ( seasonal ). Everybody seems to be out of flu shots here in Houston

[rigas]

my point is that there is a common misconception that the H1N1 is more dangerous then seasonal flu. this is just not the case. as for your point of h1n1 has killed more kids then seasonal, 1st flu season has not gotten here and this is a "will YOU get a flu shot" not "will you get your CHILDREN a flu shot" thread.

now the stats listed in the article you linked seem a bit skewed or disproportionate. the cdc says about 36000 people die in the usa alone every year, 90% are elderly (above 65 yrs old) that leaves 10% of "others". now using the highest number in your article of 88 per year, that would be .24%. not 24% but .24% (24 one hundredths of a percent.) of the total deaths in the usa are children. just by sheer volume this can not be correct. this would also only be about 2.4% of the total "other" category. it just makes no sense.

also, nobody is "down playing" the risk, as i stated, my sons doctor suggested he get the h1n1 instead of the seasonal for 2 main reasons. 1st, the flu season is not here just yet and there is time to get it later (you can not take the nasal h1n1 and seasonal at the same time as well) 2nd, the h1n1 is govt provided and at no charge to you or your insurance. now IMO the "hype" of the h1n1 is so over bearing that it borders on ridiculous. in the grand scheme of things there is a ton of misinformation, and there is a ton of "scare tactic" going on with this subject. when you consider there are anywhere from 200,000-500,000 deaths from seasonal flu every year and an average of 36,000 deaths in the usa, and the number of cases world wide in the tens of millions (south east asia had 3.1 million cases last year if i remember the number correctly) the h1n1 is rather small. the symptoms are not nearly as bad as everyone expected them to be (including the cdc), not even as bad as the seasonal flu in something like 90% of the cases.

my only advice, if you think you need a shot (flu or h1n1) then go get one, but it is FACT that you are more likely to contract and/or die from the seasonal flu then the h1n1. so far the cdc says only about 29% of the people claiming the flu (having symptoms that resemble the flu) actually have the flu which to me shows just how the media has gotten into peoples heads. and in region 6 (ok, tx, la, nm, ar) that number is more like 18%.

thats all i have for now as i have a jiu jitsu class to teach.

[dv1033]

If you get the seasonal flu shot, there's no reason why you shouldn't get the H1N1.

H1N1 is more dangerous than the seasonal flu because, like the Avian Flu, the Swine Flu has mutated from flu genes that normally affect pigs and to which we don't have antibodies to fight against. As with most news today, it is overhyped and broadcasted millions of times but H1N1 has the potential to be very deadly. The Spanish Flu of 1918 killed 50-100 million people and was a subtype of the swine flu. Just get your shots and wash your hands frequently and you should be fine.

[XodoX]

I got mine for 16 bucks today.

[ShelbyGirl1]

Originally Posted by XodoX

I got mine for 16 bucks today.

Your flu or H1N1?