H1N1 (Swine Flu) Vaccination may be ready by July

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Ron AKA Posted: Sat, Jun 13 2009 11:25 PM

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Not sure if others here have been following the news, but here in Canada there seems to be strong correlation between deaths of H1N1 and diabetes. Our provincial government has announced that it will make the vaccine available to everyone, but diabetics and others with compromised immune systems will be given priority.

Novartis seems to be targeting the fall, but a US company, Baxter, is saying they will have vaccine by July. See this article.

I assume everyone with diabetes will be looking to get vaccinated?

After doing a little bit of research on this and testing my aging memory, I have concluded that I actually was vaccinated once in 1976 for swine flu. There was a lot of controversy over that program, but I'm thinking I may have some immunity as a result, so I don't really lose any sleep about swine flu.

In any case we do like to visit Mexico for a vacation once a year, and I hope to get an update of the vaccination before our next visit in December or early in the next year.

What are you thinking about this whole swine flu thing?

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Simi_Papa replied on Sun, Jun 14 2009 1:13 AM

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I think the regular flu kill just about as many people every year but the media doesn't make a big deal over that.  The WHO called it a pandemic with 30,000 cases worldwide, which is silly since there are millions of cases of the regular flu every year.  So far, everyone I have heard about who died had some kind of compromised respiratory system.  I haven't heard a problem here in the us with diabetics.  The key thing is to see a doctor if you are having flu symptoms.  If they catch it early there doesn't seem to be a problem.

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Ron AKA replied on Sun, Jun 14 2009 10:26 AM

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Have not looked at the regular flu stats for some time, but I think yes the number of deaths annually is at least 10 times the current number from swine flu.

Our rate of infection in Canada of the swine flu now seems to be almost double that of the US. Death rates are nearly double as well. The latest development here is that some native reservations where living conditions are congested and less than sanitary have seen high infection rates. More deaths seem probable. There seems to be no doubt that this flu will continue to spread. The only question would be if it gets worse when normal flu season hits.

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Spirit replied on Sun, Jun 14 2009 9:10 PM

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For one thing...I had to sign in again with my user name and password to respond.  And the first time I did I was denied access.   I know it is a minor obstacle, but I have had this happen too often.  It is getting annoying!  There have been times when I have wanted to reply/post, but I couldn't access the board.  I have also lost spell check each time this happens. 

All in all, not a user friendly board lately. 

Anyway,I recall being vaccinated in the 1970's for swine flu.  I wonder if that carries any residual immunity? 

I will probably be vaccinated when and if it becomes available. 

Spirit

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Ron AKA replied on Sun, Jun 14 2009 10:07 PM

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Spirit:

Anyway,I recall being vaccinated in the 1970's for swine flu.  I wonder if that carries any residual immunity? 

One recent review of the data suggest those over 60 have increased immunity to the new swine flu. Some speculate that may be due to getting the 1976 swine flu vaccination.

The 1976 vaccination program was very controversial. In the end it is said that only one soldier died from the flu, while 30+ died from the vaccine. It is thought that the vaccine was rushed into use and was flawed. Hopefully they do better this time. But those who got it in 1976, may be getting some long delayed benefit.

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shortie replied on Sat, Jun 20 2009 3:38 PM

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I was hoping that our government would just add the swine flu vaccination to the winter flu shot that we get each year...it would be one of the 3 strains that they thing are " a comin'" ?   Am I incorrect in that assumption?  I get the flu shot cause I am diabetic. 

shortie

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Ron AKA replied on Sat, Jun 20 2009 9:51 PM

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shortie:

I was hoping that our government would just add the swine flu vaccination to the winter flu shot that we get each year...it would be one of the 3 strains that they thing are " a comin'" ?   Am I incorrect in that assumption?  I get the flu shot cause I am diabetic.

That certainly would make a lot of sense, but I suspect it will not happen. My guess will be that they will "ration" out the swine flu vaccinations on a priority basis, while the regular seasonal flu will be for anyone that wants it. Also, I'm sure there is the cost issue and they will want to be paid extra for the swine flu -- no 3 for 1 specials!

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Ron AKA replied on Fri, Jul 3 2009 8:48 AM

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I found an article which talks about the potential reasons why this flu seems to be more dangerous to younger people and kids than those over 50. The underlying heath factors which are almost always quoted (but not detailed for personal privacy reasons) are appearing to be asthma or other lung conditions, heart disease, diabetes, pregnancy (not a disease), and possibly even obesity.

Here is a link to the article.

And a summary quote:

"A number of health conditions and lifestyle behaviours are known to increase a person's risk of becoming severely ill and even dying from influenza. They include:

Lung conditions: Flu is tough on people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder or COPD. Likewise asthma - 41 per cent of hundreds of hospitalized swine flu patients in New York City were asthma sufferers.

Heart disease, diabetes and diseases that compromise the immune system: People with these conditions have a harder time fighting off flu.

Pregnancy: Not an illness, but a time when a woman's immune system must strike a fine balance between protecting her and not rejecting the foreign tissue she's carrying. Past pandemics have been hard on pregnant women and a number have already died from swine flu.

Smoking: Anything that weakens the lungs makes flu a more dangerous foe.

Obesity: Not traditionally recognized as raising one's risk from flu, obesity is on the table as a potential complicating factor with swine flu. Anecdotally doctors treating patients say they are seeing more obese people among the severe cases. Some say it's just the morbidly obese, others say even people 20 or 30 pounds overweight seem harder hit. Experts are watching, but a link hasn't been confirmed."

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Ron AKA replied on Fri, Jul 3 2009 9:16 AM

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Found another report which seems to be based on New York City statistics. Quote:

"The officials said most of the victims had underlying medical conditions with diabetes being the most prominent risk factors discovered in the cases. Pre-existing medical conditions make contracting the A/H1N1 flu more dangerous. They pointed to the fact that among those who have died, 34 percent had diabetes, 30 percent had asthma and 21 percent had heart disease."

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Spirit replied on Fri, Jul 3 2009 6:15 PM

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I have an annual visit with my doctor coming up next month.  This will definitely be on my "cheat sheet" list that I carry with me to the appointment to discuss with him further. 

Thanks, Ron, for keeping us up-to-date about this.  The number of H1N1 cases in Maine (where I live) is growing. 

It's not something I worry about needlessly, but it is a concern.  I was previously vaccinated in the infamous 1976 influx so I think I have at least a smidge of protection until the current vaccine comes out.

Spirit