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You already vaccinate your children for the seasonal flu. The seasonal vaccines are made annually.
You're not waiting a decade before you allow your children to have those vaccines.
The swine flu vaccine isn't made any differently whatsoever. It's just a different virus taken to make a vaccine in the same way.
And every single year they take a different virus to make the seasonal flu vaccines.
I really don't care if you give your child the H1N1 vaccine.
But at least recognize that you're putting your children at the very same risks you fear every year when they get the seasonal vaccine.
Thank you for being a voice of reason!
Here's a fascinating article from Wired Magazine about vaccination for further discussion. I particularly like the author's observation that educated communities are hot spots for the anti-vaccination movement, but they're also hot spots for the re-emergence of measles, mumps, and other diseases that should have been eradicated long ago.
Here's a fascinating article from Wired Magazine about vaccination for further discussion. I particularly like the author's observation that educated communities are hot spots for the anti-vaccination movement, but they're also hot spots for the re-emergence of measles, mumps, and other diseases that should have been eradicated long ago.
That article skirts what I believe is the true issue. The rampant fear would not be so rampant if the government/CDC were more transparent about what was really going on. That's definitely my primary complaint - a lack of transparency. They're not saying anything at all, instead leaving the media to blast out so much information about H1N1, true or false, that people are scared both ways. Older folks are scared of dying from the disease and want the vaccine. Parents and younger folks are afraid of the vaccine killing them. The only way to lay everything to rest is for the powers-that-be to come clean about things and quell the fear mongering that's out there. I still think that the shady and shadowy way that things are being handled is just more proof that something more underhanded is going on - and while I don't think the vaccine is intentionally killing folks, I still do think it's a knee-jerk reaction to the fear. Quell the fear, fix the vaccine or at least be 100% clear about what the vaccine is really doing and the risk of harm - and you might have a better receptiveness to things.
It's not our government's fault that most people would rather watch Fox News than read the weekly updates on the CDC website, but if anybody is so inclined, here is the H1N1 web page:
The information presented there seems pretty transparent to me. The website includes information about symptoms, infection prevention, incidence, anti-viral medications, and the vaccine, among other things. What more do you want to know?
Personally, I don't care whether or not you are vaccinated, but I find it distressing that you are perpetuating the idea that there is some great conspiracy to keep the public in the dark. That's simply not true. The information is available from reputable sources for those who seek it. If you choose to put more stock in dubious media reports, well, I don't know what to say.
Last edited by formercalifornian; 11-15-2009 at 12:36 PM..
Reason: fixed link
It's not our government's fault that most people would rather watch Fox News than read the weekly updates on the CDC website, but if anybody is so inclined, here is the H1N1 web page:
The information presented there seems pretty transparent to me. The website includes information about symptoms, infection prevention, incidence, anti-viral medications, and the vaccine, among other things. What more do you want to know?
Personally, I don't care whether or not you are vaccinated, but I find it distressing that you are perpetuating the idea that there is some great conspiracy to keep the public in the dark. That's simply not true. The information is available from reputable sources for those who seek it. If you choose to put more stock in dubious media reports, well, I don't know what to say.
Look. This is what I'm talking about. Look at this map:
Unless I'm reading the legend incorrectly, this map is basically saying that the majority of US states are in a state of pandemic, that it's widespread and affecting the GP, which is either true or not true. It's maps like this that are contributing to the fear.
And this:
Quote:
Originally Posted by CDC.gov
2009 H1N1 flu
(also known as "swine flu") is a new influenza virus causing illness in people. This new virus was first detected in people in the United States in April 2009. This virus is spreading from person-to-person worldwide.
It's not a new virus. It might be a new strain...but "swine flu" as it were, has been around for nearly 30 years. Minor typo? I'll give you the possibility...but still, what if it isn't? And this isn't the best way to present this virus. Fear mongering.
I also note that of the mounds of information on that site the one thing missing is the one thing that should be top center: "Policies and Procedures". They talk about the testing that's done; but never once, at least from what I see, do they explain what their testing procedures are. That's what I would be interested in. How do I know what's been tested if I don't know what tests you claim to have performed? Or do you just take a random group of people and inject them, hoping they don't drop dead? Paranoid? Maybe. But that's what I'm talking about when I say a lack of transparency. Telling people how to get well - duh. How about informing us what steps you take as an organization to ensure that (A) the virus is properly contained (which it wasn't), and (B) if a vaccine is needed, that it was thoroughly and rigorously tested, and you explain those testing methodologies?
It's not our government's fault that most people would rather watch Fox News than read the weekly updates on the CDC website:
I've never watched Fox news in my life. As usual, people like you make anyone who may have reservations and not line up like lemmings to get a shot in a local high school gym out to be fear mongerers, or worse...(gasp, horror of horrors!) Conservatives. I'm a registered Independent who votes all over the map and frankly, I find it humorous when people try to make this out to be a political argument.
I don't send out mass e-mails about how the vaccine is going to sterilize everyone (I got that one a few days ago). I am not a believer that the MMR shot gives kids autism. It would be helpful if the name calling would stop. It would be helpful if the attitude of "we know what's best for you because you're an idiot" would stop.
The reality is this...the H1N1 virus isn't killing any more people than food poisoning does each year. Far more people die of the seasonal flu every year, yet production on the seasonal flu shot has all but stopped in order to push this other vaccination out on the market. The media is reporting it as if you and your family will surely die unless you line up for hours outside your local vaccination clinic and that is just not true. My daughter had it. She will be returning to school tomorrow after a nearly 2-week absence. It was miserable, she was miserable, but we made it through, just like we did a year ago when my husband got the flu.
Perhaps another fact is as important...4,000 people have died from the virus. The CDC (yes, I read their website frequently) estimates that 22 million have been infected. That tells me that the odds of dying are miniscule. But you won't hear that on any news channels and that's why people like me are skeptical.
Furthermore, the government agencies who are in charge of our health haven't exactly been doing a bang-up job of it lately. Spinach recalls, numerous meat recalls, lead in toys, halting cold medicine for babies, cold medicine that leaves holes in your nasal passages, pharmaceuticals that cause suicidal thoughts, the list goes on. This is the first big year for swine flu. Yes, it's been around for a while (and there are some theories that it was the big pandemic in the early 1900s which is why so many older people aren't getting the virus) but this is the first year that so many people have been vaccinated. I don't feel it's irresponsible to wait and see if there are any side effects.
Wash your hands, wash your children's hands, keep a bottle of handgel in your purse and your car, keep an eye on your child if they get sick and head immediately to the doctor if they seem sicker than usual. If you feel comfortable getting the vaccine, knock yourself out. There is not a need to panic unless you are in a high-risk group. Don't feel bad or feel like you are uninformed if you take a moment to step back and get some perspective.
And as far as the news goes...get some perspective on that too. This is the same organization who covered the Michael Jackson and Anna Nicole Smith deaths as if another 9-11 happened. "If it bleeds it leads" and if they can show a 2-hour vaccination line outside a clinic in New York, it makes for a great story. What's even more ironic is how they then sit back and pretend to be shocked when people start lying about medical conditions in order to get the vaccine or fights break out in line. THEY cause the hysteria and then cover the result.
Or do you just take a random group of people and inject them, hoping they don't drop dead? Paranoid? Maybe.
I don't think you're paranoid and since there are plenty of pharmaceuticals that get pushed out into the market after so-called "extensive" testing, then later get recalled (Phen-Phen anyone?), I don't think it's being paranoid to say, "I'm going to wait at least a year and see if anyone who was vaccinated during the so-called pandemic ends up with a higher rate of birth defects, side effects or disabilities".
From the Seattle Times, this article was published: Swiss pharmaceuticals company Novartis AG said Friday it has successfully produced a first batch of swine flu vaccine weeks ahead of expectations. The vaccine was made in cells, rather than grown in eggs as is usually the case with vaccines, the company said.
From the Washington Post: AstraZeneca is one of five companies with a contract to sell a vaccine for the H1N1 virus to the federal government. Bernardus N.M. Machielse, executive vice president for operations, said the company is getting more doses out of each egg used to grow the vaccine than companies using inactive vaccine. "We can ramp it up much more quickly than the inactive vaccine guys now," he said
So...as it turns out, the production of this vaccine IS NOT being produced the "usual" way.
I don't think it's being paranoid to wonder if things are safe when companies stand to profit enormously from producing as much as possible. Companies take short cuts every day to ensure a larger profit. It's not irresponsible to let other people be the guinea pigs...for me and my family, we'll wait, take precautions and head to the doctor immediately if something resembling the flu appears. It's what we did with my daughter who was diagnosed with the H1N1 virus and I'll do the same if my youngest starts to get unusually sick.
I've never watched Fox news in my life. As usual, people like you make anyone who may have reservations and not line up like lemmings to get a shot in a local high school gym out to be fear mongerers, or worse...(gasp, horror of horrors!) Conservatives. I'm a registered Independent who votes all over the map and frankly, I find it humorous when people try to make this out to be a political argument.
I'm not at all sure where you got that I made this into a political argument. I used Fox News, but I just as easily could have used CNN, MSNBC, Newsweek, or USAToday. I apologize for not spreading the love around to the various news agencies.
I NEVER called you or anybody else a fear mongerer for expressing concern about the vaccine's safety. I understand that H1N1 has been a mild illness for most people and that the vaccine is not risk-free. In fact, my children's pediatrician is on the fence about the vaccine because he thinks it's mostly unnecessary. Of the two hundred or so cases he's seen, only a handful required any medical treatment beyond rest and fluids.
My issue was with Revelated's contention that there is some great government conspiracy to keep our citizens in the dark, which I consider ridiculous. There are many reputable sites for information that, along with a physician's input, can help an individual decided whether or not the vaccine is a good choice, and I linked to a couple of them.
In the future, please stop assuming that I'm out to bash you or any particular political party. On the other hand, you are welcome to assume that I think Glenn Beck is an idiot.
Peace...FC
Last edited by formercalifornian; 11-15-2009 at 05:39 PM..
I've never watched Fox news in my life. As usual, people like you make anyone who may have reservations and not line up like lemmings to get a shot in a local high school gym out to be fear mongerers, or worse...(gasp, horror of horrors!) Conservatives. I'm a registered Independent who votes all over the map and frankly, I find it humorous when people try to make this out to be a political argument.......
THEY cause the hysteria and then cover the result.
The news was showing crowds of people standing in the cold rain in some city waiting patiently to get a H1N1 flu shot. And people will wait hours in crowded waiting rooms with the general public hacking and coughing in order to get some magic shot that obviously has not accomplished anything for the USA which has far more deaths and illness from this than any other country anywhere.
There is no evidence at all that people who turned down all flu shots are the ones who died. A baby here that supposedly died from a flu had received all vaccinations. Yet many people are not getting either flu shot and are doing just fine.
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