Wednesday, November 4, 2009

H1N1

I get annoyed by the littlest things sometimes. I'll admit it. I've ranted about them before I'm sure, and I will again. Like right now I'm annoyed with H1N1 (more specifically with all the local people who are convinced they have it but most likely don't). So our kids were off of school from Tuesday thru Friday - 4 days - due to too much sickness in the schools. This was all the snow days we are allotted before we even had any of the white stuff accumulate! I blame the media for much of this because without their constant drumming of how awful this flu bug is and how it's a worldwide pandemic, life may be better. How many people kept their kids home just because they had a runny nose or a little cough, but because everyone is all up in arms about swine flu they felt they couldn't send them to school. My friend got a call at work on Monday from the school secretary to send home her daughter because she was sick. Said friend is a nurse, so she asked if there was a fever, vomiting, symptoms of any kind? Her eyes look tired. Nice.

So then all the news is covering this stuff and talking about how schools need only to have a certain percentage of students out sick before closing down. It doesn't take a moderately intellegent middle or high schooler long to figure out if enough of you are sick, school will be closed. I heard stories of perfectly healthy kids calling home claiming to be ill to help increase the "sick" percent.

Then all the sick people of course are flocking to the emergency rooms - after all, isn't swine flu an emergency? That's a great idea, lets spread this bug to all the people who are sick/dying of other stuff. I can see if H1N1 was a serious condition, but it's not. According to our local infectious disease doctor (who was pleading with people to stay out of the ER), it is milder than the average seasonal flu that we deal with every year. Really the only people who might need to be concerned are those with pulmonary issues (lungs).

So that brings me to the vaccine. Being a medical professional, I'm rather sceptical of a vaccine for a disease that was just identified 6 months ago. Animal vaccines take years to develop what with safety and efficacy studies. We just got a new cow vaccine on the market and it took like 2 years even though it was exactly the same as the old one, just one new ingredient, they had to re-prove the efficacy and safety of all the old ingredients plus the new one. So how did they do that in 6 months? Then the whole "forced vaccination" of medical workers - I won't even go there. You probably know how I feel already:)

So when our kids are in school on July 4th, you'll now know why.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Had H1N1. Wasn't fun. I completely agree with you though. Didn't get the vaccine. Or the regular flu vaccine for that matter...too skeptical at the speed of production. Do people realize how many people die of the normal flu every year????

Lexie said...

I agree with you in many ways, but have had 3 friends who have had young otherwise healthy family members (10 months- 5 years) die from H1N1 within 48 hours of first mild symptoms, all whose parents took appropriate action and heeded medical advice. So down here it has hit pretty hard.

Both of our girls received the first round of the vaccine (technically Delaney gets hers tomorrow), but having apnea puts the baby in the highest risk category, so it (or any cold) can be a much bigger issue in our house.

That being said, I do have some reservations about the vaccine and the speed of production, but I have to just not think about it.

Down here, they are bringing the vaccine into public schools! ANd really urging all parents to get it. That I do have a problem with it. And if you do it at a doctor's office, they are waving the insurance copay. They are really pushing people to get it, which I don't think is right.

ALthough I also don't think its ok for people to barrage people who choose to get it either as a woman in the grocery store did to me today after eavesdropping in on my pediatrician's phone call! We all must believe that parents making conscious and educated choices are doing so because they believe its what is best for their child and their situation/needs.

No school days cancelled this way.