Is the swine flu vaccine safe?

[Racoon]

If you have a child, Racoon, will you give him/her the polio vaccine. Why or why not?

 

What do you think?

[freeztar]

I don't believe in clairvoyance.

 

I'm guessing you are suggesting that the polio vaccine is good. Yes/no?

[Buffy]

At least you recognize hormones in the process.

 

We should pump all pregnant females with the Vaccinne thats still unproven First !

 

Well, they did a variation of this back in the sixties: they were called birth control pills, which we still can't get insurance coverage for, while you boys get your Viagra paid for... :rolleyes:

 

I realize that you think that you're the only data point that matters. Unfortunately, not many other people agree.

 

A man in all the world's new fashion planted, that hath a mint of phrases in his brain; One whom the music of his own vain tongue doth ravish like enchanting harmony, :phones:

Buffy

[CraigD]

Tamiflu (the Roche tradename for Oseltamivir) is not intended to prevent an H1N1/09 swine flu infection, as the special (monovalent) vaccine is, but to treat it and many other flu and other viruses, lessening their symptoms and severity.

 

Like most antiviral drugs, Tamiflu is present in a patient’s body only while they are taking daily or more frequent doses of it. It works by interfering with the mechanism used by many viruses to reproduce and spread. Flu vaccines, on the other hand, works by presenting your body’s immune system with proteins resembling various flu viruses, “training” it in how to effectively respond to a flu infection. When effective in a particular person, one or a few doses of a vaccine provide months or years of immunity to the flu viruses it targets.

 

In short, vaccines should be given before the flu, to prevent it, antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu and Relenza should be given after getting it, to lessen its severity and duration. Thus, what Buffy describes

When my daughter was at camp this summer, one of the girls in her cabin came down with swine flu (confirmed), and they gave everyone else in the cabin a full-run of Tamiflu. None of those half dozen did (and mom was pretty happy about that!).

appears to be an example of camp staff, medical staff, and parents taking sensible action. Though no one can be sure her daughter or her cabin mates would have gotten swine flu had they not been treated, as adverse reactions to Tamiflu are rare and rarely severe, while swine flu can be severe and even fatal, giving the girls the full run (usually 10 pills over 5 days) is a sensible application of the “better safe than sorry” dictum.

 

Prior to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, Tamiflu was considered ineffective against H1N1 flu viruses, as over 99% of its more common forms, H1N1/A, which are immunized against by the regular seasonal flu vaccine, are resistant to Tamiflu. Fortunately, testing has revealed that less than 1% of H1N1/09 is resistant to Tamiflu.

 

Source: wikipedia articles “oseltamivir”, “2009 flu pandemic vaccine”

[BrianG]

I've seen over a hundred people who got the swine flu vaccine, two "got sick" and attributed it to the vaccine, but it doesn't seem unsafe to me.

[Turtle]

after millions of doses of H1N1 vaccine given, it is safe by all reasonable standards.

 

CDC H1N1 Flu | 2009 H1N1 Influenza Vaccine Safety

January 4, 2010, 9:30 AM ET

 

The 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccines are showing similar safety profiles as seasonal flu vaccines, which have very good safety track records. Over the years, hundreds of millions of Americans have received seasonal flu vaccines. Millions of people have also safely received the 2009 H1N1 vaccine. The most common side effects following flu vaccinations are mild, such as soreness, redness, tenderness or swelling where the shot was given.

 

CDC 2009 H1N1 Flu

Vaccination: CDC recommends influenza vaccination as the first and most important step in protecting against the flu. The week of January 10-16, 2010 marks this season’s National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW), a national observance to highlight the importance of continuing influenza vaccination beyond the holiday season. Because supplies of the 2009 H1N1 vaccines have increased dramatically, CDC is now encouraging everyone who has been patiently waiting to receive the 2009 H1N1 vaccine to get vaccinated at this time. ...