Pardon my extended break from writing, but I must emerge from my piles of papers to weigh in on some of the hoo-ha that has been going around regarding the H1N1 vaccines.
First, here's what you need to know about H1N1 (information aggregated from here, here, here, here and here):
- Young, healthy people (aged 10-60) are at a higher risk of being infected by the virus, which is unusual for influenza, since it usually attacks the elderly and very young
- H1N1 is mild in most who catch it, but for those who develop the severe form, H1N1 is life-threatening
- Many more people will catch the H1N1 flu than is typical of the season because it is novel and immunity is lacking in the population
- The vaccine cannot give you the flu, the vaccine contains a dead form of the virus that is incapable of infection
- The H1N1 vaccine has been tested and is safe with no aspect of production or clinical trials having been rushed
- Besides protecting yourself, vaccination protects others around you by preventing the spread of the flu. This is known as herd immunity.
- The current H1N1 virus bears a high resemblance to the 1918 influenza, otherwise known as the Spanish Flu
- H1N1 is the fourth flu strain that has been officially given the status of pandemic in the last 100 years, along with the 1918, 1957 and 1968 flu strains
The Government of Canada has put together a very nice list of 'Vaccine Myths' that you should glance over if you have other concerns.
There is no reason why you should not get the flu shot this year, as with any year. The benefits of getting the shot far outweigh its costs especially if you, like me, purport to be a 'young adult' this year.
*Update*
Up until a few days ago, Canada was taking a strange approach to H1N1 vaccinations. Treating it much like the regular flu, the vaccinations were given to the very young and elderly, as well as those middle-aged individuals who have chronic conditions. This approach did not reflect the available scientific information, which clearly shows that the highest risk group for the H1N1 virus are young, healthy individuals.
Please protect yourselves.
As of November 18th, Canada is making the H1N1 vaccine available to the entire population.
Up until a few days ago, Canada was taking a strange approach to H1N1 vaccinations. Treating it much like the regular flu, the vaccinations were given to the very young and elderly, as well as those middle-aged individuals who have chronic conditions. This approach did not reflect the available scientific information, which clearly shows that the highest risk group for the H1N1 virus are young, healthy individuals.
Please protect yourselves.
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3 comments:
Amazingly helpful as always. Thanks Konstantine.
Ditto! Thanks K!
Konstantine - thank you for this.
It is frustrating that people continue to spread myths and lies about this crap.
There is not a day that goes by that I don't receive a "watch this before you consider getting the H1N1 shot" (or the like) with references to Dumb and Dumber - Dr. Mercola and Dr. Blaylock. (Thankfully they put a horrible "prequel" to that movie so that Dumberer can show his face - Gary Null)
On my blog I pointed people to the set of Wired Magazine articles on the war on science,etc.
Unfortuantely the conspiracy theorists and natural health nuts won't accept the truth unless it comes from someone who shouldn't know what the truth is.
They often suggest that a "profit motive" is the reason that Doctors (real ones) as in Sciencebasedmedicine.org and Scientists (real ones, again) would push the flu shot.
I think, like religious believers (of which many anti-vaxxers are), that these people have an extremely negative view of humanity - most humans would like to do what is right and it'd be difficult to get millions (yes millions) of people, in competing industries (drug companies are competitors) to agree to lie.
However, the profit motive idea is one that they fail to turn towards their preachers (Dr. Mercola and Gary Null) - they stand to benefit DIRECTLY from people choosing not to get the shot but purchase their "cures".
On the flip side, MDs do NOT benefit from immunizations - if profit was the main goal, they'd make a shit ton (thanks Chariots of Iron) more money by letting people come down with the flu. Drug companies, too, would make more with their over-the-counter products (retail packages is the highest mark-up, most profitable part of their business!).
I'm also flooded with "I know someone who got GBS from the shot" or "My nephew got autism from the shot" - and, assuming it was true (it isn't), people fail to miss the statistical risks involved with preventing harm but that would make a valid counter argument of "my nephew got the shot but didn't get autism so the shot must be safe" or "my nephew got the shot and didn't get autism so the shot must of have prevented it".
Thanks Konstantine.
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