Swine Flu and H1N1 Vaccinations

CLEVELAND -- The entire Cleveland Cavaliers team is being treated for flu as a precaution after six players reported flu like symptoms. Of that group, three players have tested positive for Influenza A, including superstar LeBron James.

H1N1 or swine flu is a strain of Influenza A. The team says the players are being treated proactively as if they have the H1N1 virus although test results are not back.

Besides James the players which tested positive for Influenza A are guard Coby Karl and forward Darnell Jackson.
In addition, guard Andre Barrett, forward Jawad Williams, and forward J.J. Hickson have presented with flu-like symptoms.

The Cavaliers are scheduled to travel to San Antonio for a match-up against the Spurs Friday Night. James is expected to make the trip and is listed as probable for the game.

The team is under the care of Cleveland Clinic doctors.
James told reporters that the illness forced him to spend an entire day in bed resting. He says he couldn't remember the last time he was sick.

James missed the Cavs pre-season game Wednesday night at Quicken Loans Arena.

In addition to James, Karl, Jackson and Williams will make the road trip to Texas.

Barrett and Hickson will stay behind in Cleveland.

http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/news_article.aspx?storyid=123543&catid=45&GID=7knWxMHPnI909cWuNVQEA2K4074dbPr5Rl4XFh0XGsk%3D

Recap: San Antonio vs. Cleveland
Tony Parker tallied 22 points and doled out seven assists to lead the San Antonio Spurs in a 105-98 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in preseason action at AT&T Center.
Tim Duncan and George Hill both had 13 points for the Spurs, who improved to 3-2 on the preseason. Duncan also hauled in a team-best nine rebounds, while Malik Hairston donated 11 points in the triumph.
LeBron James, one of three Cavs who tested positive for Influenza A on Thursday, gave 22 points in just under 20 minutes for Cleveland, which received 15 points from Mo Williams. Jamario Moon added 12 points and Russell Robinson 11 in defeat.
Darnell Jackson and Coby Karl, the other two players to test positive for the flu, ended with four and two points, respectively, in the setback.
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/basketball/wires/story/1286885.html

I think its really messed up that these guys are allowed to continue traveling around spreading the virus from town to town. They don't get paid if they don't play or what?

I agree, Nitespinner. They should have been quarantined. Money evidently talks. I sure hope no other players contracted it or anyone else who was around them. What a bunch of b.s.!!

Money talks and money makes people make poor choices.

All sorts of wrong to spread it around like that.

i got a free flu shot at work on friday. last weekend the public was getting free flu shots (seasonal) no word on the vacine yet.

why are the words flu bold in my last post?

i thought you might find this website helpful
http://hospitals.unm.edu/h1n1/

shoot that was weird.. i hope forumotion is not experimenting with word linking

stuff for you to read

http://hospitals.unm.edu/h1n1/

Juanita wrote:DEFINITELY know your own body! i would not disagree with that!

i suggest wrap, that you weigh the risks to yourself from getting the flu versus getting GBS. for your preexisting condition, wouldnt getting the flu be WORSE? i personally don't know, but if i were you, that is the specific question i would be asking.

Juanita, for the link.

I agree with your question. I saw my GP today and she said if my neurologist thinks I should NOT get the H1N1 vaccine, then I shouldn't. That was her response when I asked the question about "what is worse." It is very confusing to me!!

I am to the point where I think that anyone who doesn't have a compromised immunity should definitely get it. I also am wondering when it becomes available, how will it affect people.

Is it available in any state yet?

LOL, flu is NOT in caps now. :idk:

not available here yet

wrap, you should call someone at the cdc, maybe there is a hotline. im not happy with the advice your GP gave you, this is assuming your neurologist knows what they are talking about, and if they are doing the switcharoo on you, then they may not be up to speed on this.

Juanita wrote:not available here yet

wrap, you should call someone at the cdc, maybe there is a hotline. im not happy with the advice your GP gave you, this is assuming your neurologist knows what they are talking about, and if they are doing the switcharoo on you, then they may not be up to speed on this.

What is the CDC?? I may do that if you can give me some information. Thanks, Juanita. I agree. No doc of mine really has a clue on this. Makes me wonder what else they don't have a clue about as my condition is so rare.

"centers for disease control"

www.cdc.gov

c-span right now

senate committee interviewing the secretary of health and human services

1) vacine is more effective than previously thought, one shot is very effective

2)previous lower production has been resolved, no shortage expected, hoping early november, the production be back on track

3) 11 million vaccinations have been released, daily orders are being made and delivered

4) no safety concerns with the vaccine

my sister in law is sick with h1n1 and now my brother is at home sick. they have a 6year old with down syndrome. i'm waiting to hear from him again tonight or tomorrow about the news.

Juanita, I am so sorry. The 6 year old is at major risk I would think?

Please keep us updated!!

To hell with it, I am going to get the shot. I hope we all do!

Thanks, Juanita!!!

Production of swine flu vaccine is way behind

By MICHAEL RUBINKAM, Associated Press Writer Michael Rubinkam, Associated Press Writer – Wed Oct 21, 7:14 pm ET

SWIFTWATER, Pa. – The federal government originally promised 120 million doses of swine flu vaccine by now. Only 13 million have come through.

As nervous Americans clamor for the vaccine, production is running several weeks behind schedule, and health officials blame the pressure on pharmaceutical companies to crank it out along with the ordinary flu vaccine, and a slow and antiquated process that relies on millions of chicken eggs.

There have been other bottlenecks, too: Factories that put the precious liquid into syringes have become backed up. And the government itself ran into a delay in developing the tests required to assess each batch before it is cleared for use.

What effect the delays will have on the course of the outbreak is unclear, in part because scientists cannot say with any certainty just how dangerous the virus is, how easily it spreads, or whether it will mutate into a more lethal form.

Since April, swine flu has killed more than 800 people in the U.S., including 86 children, 39 of them in the past month and a half, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than half of all hospitalizations since the beginning of September were people 24 and under.

"We're in this race against the virus, and only Mother Nature knows how many cases are going to occur over the next six to 10 weeks," said Michael Osterholm, a vaccine expert at the University of Minnesota.

In the meantime, many states have had to postpone mass vaccinations. Clinics around the country that managed to obtain doses of the vaccine have been swamped. And doctors are getting bombarded with calls from worried and angry parents.

"Nobody has it," said AnnMarie O'Connor, who waited more than four hours for the vaccine in Rockville, Md., standing in line with her two young children and about 1,000 other people. Health officials "said the shots would be here in early October. But where are they?"

Federal officials counsel patience, saying that eventually there should be enough of both vaccines for everyone who wants them.

"We wish we had better ways to produce vaccines perfectly predictably, but this is how influenza vaccine production often goes," Dr. Anne Schuchat, who heads the CDC's immunization and respiratory disease section, said last week.

The delays have led to renewed demands for a quicker, more reliable way of producing vaccines than the chicken-egg method, which is 50-year-old technology and involves injecting the virus into eggs and allowing it to feed on the nutrients in the egg white.

Federal officials initially projected that as many as 120 million doses of the vaccine would be ready to dispense by mid-October. They later reduced their estimate to 45 million. As of Tuesday, only 12.8 million were available. (Health officials say a single dose will protect adults, while children under 10 will need two doses.)

In a sign of how rapidly the virus is spreading, education officials said 198 schools in 15 states were closed Wednesday because of swine flu, with more than 65,000 students affected. That was up from 88 school closings the day before.

"Right now, the vaccine is in a race against the virus, and the virus is winning," Osterholm said.

The government now hopes to have about 50 million doses out by mid-November and 150 million in December, Dr. Nicole Lurie, assistant health and human services secretary for preparedness, told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

"By the end of November, I think we're going to be pretty well back on track," she said.

However, a study by Purdue University researchers said the vaccinations will probably come too late to significantly reduce the number of infections. The study, published last week, predicted that infections would peak in late October and that by the end of the year, 63 percent of the U.S. population will have caught the virus.

The blame for the delays has been placed in part on the chicken-egg technology. It is a slow process, and the pressure on manufacturers to produce two vaccines at the same time — for both swine flu and ordinary flu — has made it even slower.

Also, the virus on which the swine flu vaccine is based was found to reproduce very slowly in eggs — much more slowly than the ordinary flu virus. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who on Wednesday was grilled about the delays by the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said the problem has been fixed.

The U.S. government is funding newer technologies that hold the promise of a more reliable and expandable vaccine supply.

"We need a man-to-the-moon effort for flu vaccine if we don't want to find ourselves in the same position in the future," Osterholm said.

Flu vaccines are not nearly as profitable as other kinds of drugs, and most of the biggest vaccine makers have little incentive to switch from a method with which they are familiar.

At its two plants in the Pocono Mountains town of Swiftwater, Sanofi Pasteur, the top U.S. supplier of seasonal vaccine, is churning out more than 75 million doses of swine flu vaccine and 50 million doses of the winter flu variety.

Sanofi spokeswoman Donna Cary said egg-based production of flu vaccine is "tried and true" and will probably remain the dominant method for years to come.

"If it weren't for the egg-based process, we wouldn't be able to respond to this pandemic," she said.

More than 30 farms in the eastern United States are under long-term contract to provide eggs for vaccines, tending 9 million to 12 million chickens.

Once the fertilized eggs arrive at the vaccine plant, the flu virus is injected into them and allowed to multiply for several days. Then the eggshells are cracked; the virus-laden fluid is extracted, the flu virus is killed and the substance is purified. The inactivated strain is tested to determine purity, potency and yield.

From start to finish, the process takes about six months. In normal years, that is usually enough time to get the vaccine to anyone who wants it. But in an all-out epidemic, egg-based production is incapable of producing huge batches quickly.

The government has awarded a $487 million contract to Novartis for a plant in North Carolina that will make flu vaccine by growing the virus inside animal cells, preferably from mammals. The plant is expected to be up and running by 2011 or 2012.

Also, Protein Sciences Corp. of Meriden, Conn., landed a five-year, $147 million contract to develop a vaccine using its recombinant technology — flu proteins grown in insect cells. The hope is that the first doses would be available within 12 weeks of the beginning of a pandemic. That is about twice as fast as flu vaccine produced from eggs.

"I think you're going to see these new technologies come on board rapidly, especially given what's happened this year," said Paul Radspinner, president and chief executive of FluGen Inc., a Madison, Wis., company working on several new vaccine technologies of its own.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091021/ap_on_he_me/us_med_swine_flu_chicken___egg

There is no excuse for this. Our government is crap. MOO!

please see my post in H1N1 vaccinations thread

wrap, your risk for the B? syndrome is the SAME with the H1N1 vaccine as it is with seasonal flu vaccine. So there is much more data out there on the seasonal flu vaccine and your condition, so i would extrapolate from that.

Juanita, is you brother ok? Has their son caught H1N1 from your sis in law? keep us posted. thanks, chick!!

I will extrapolate and . My mother, a retired English teacher, would be damned proud of you for your vocabulary. Seriously!! She is one of those people who cannot stand to hear people talk with bad grammar. Oi Vay!!

1 good word, 10 bad grammars!

he hasnt called or emailed me back, typical of him, so im not sure. i guess no news is good news

Okay Juanita I am so confused about the H1N1 vaccine for pregnant women. I read that pregnant women are at high risk and should get the vaccine. Then you read they should not get the live vaccine.

Is it for the same reason that people over 50 are not supposed to get the nasal mist?

LOL, Juanita..I can relate to the family b.s.

if you have a news link linda please send it. i know nothing about the live vaccine and pregnant women

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111714561

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167740.php

http://www.kcci.com/news/21364106/detail.html
DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Polk County Health Department plans another H1N1 flu vaccine clinic on Sunday.

The clinic will be held at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, but will start later than the clinic last weekend. County officials said they want to minimize the number of people waiting in long lines in the cold.

The Polk County Health Department also plans to staff the clinic with more nurses to help shorten the wait time. The county hopes to do a better job of communicating with those wanting to get a shot to make sure they qualify and help them get through the line more quickly.

Plus Katie has asthma going on right now so I guess she is not a good choice for it. Kate is using a neutralizer right now for coughing and wheezing.
Officials plan to put in place even more limits on who qualifies for an H1N1 shot, since the latest round of vaccines only include 2,200 doses.

Seasonal Flu Clinics

Visiting Nurse Services has the flu mist readily available. Flu Mist is approved for people from age 2-49 years of age, who are not pregnant do not have asthma, or do not have chronic health conditions.

Visiting Nurse Services is open Monday through Friday from 7:45 to 4:30 and is located at: 1111 9th Street Suite 320 Des Moines, Iowa 50314 Phone 515-288-1516

In addition, Visiting Nurse Services of Iowa will be providing weekend Community Flu Mist Clinics:

Friday October 23rd, 2009 Merle Hay Mall-by Shoe Carnival 5:00-7:00 pm

Saturday October 24th Valley West Mall 11:00 am-1:00 pm

Saturday October 24th 4:15-6:30 pm Lutheran Church of Hope 925 Jordan Creek Parkway West Des Moines, Iowa 50266

Saturday October 24th 3:30-6:00 pm Holy Trinity Catholic Church 2926 Beaver Avenue Des Moines, Iowa 50310

Sunday October 25th 7:45 am-12:00pm Holy Trinity Catholic Church 2926 Beaver Avenue Des Moines, Iowa 50310

Sunday October 25th 12:00-2:00 PM Lutheran Church of Hope 925 Jordan Creek Parkway West Des Moines, Iowa 50266

Please note that on Oct. 21, Oct. 22, and Oct. 23 the Story County Public Health will offer only the flu mist version of the vaccine. The flu Mist is a live attenuated influenza virus vaccine indicated for active immunization of individuals two to 49 years of age against influenza disease.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/06/h1n1.vaccine.questions/index.html
The nasal spray version of the vaccine should be used only in people 2 to 49 and who do not have an underlying health problem, Frieden said. The priority groups for it include health care workers, children and people who care for infants, he said. Pregnant women should not have the FluMist version because it contains the live virus.

Maybe Kate and I will wait for the dead stuff.

lindamarie wrote:http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/06/h1n1.vaccine.questions/index.html
The nasal spray version of the vaccine should be used only in people 2 to 49 and who do not have an underlying health problem, Frieden said. The priority groups for it include health care workers, children and people who care for infants, he said. Pregnant women should not have the FluMist version because it contains the live virus.

Maybe Kate and I will wait for the dead stuff.

OK, well if you are not pregnant, than there is nothing wrong with taking the live virus, it is attenuated. live virus is not recommended for pregnant women because the effects on the fetus have not been investigated

Obama declares swine flu a national emergency

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama has declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency.

The White House on Saturday said Obama signed a proclamation that would allow medical officials to bypass certain federal requirements. Officials described the move as similar to a declaration ahead of a hurricane making landfall.

Swine flu is more widespread now than it's ever been and has resulted in more than 1,000 U.S. deaths so far.

Health authorities say almost 100 children have died from the flu, known as H1N1, and 46 states now have widespread flu activity.

The White House said Obama signed the declaration on Friday evening.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091024/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_swine_flu

It is now becoming the beginning of this epidemic in Ohio with many schools reporting confirmed cases in children in the last 2 weeks. If they are not hospitalized, they are being diagnosed as the flu so it is hard to say which flu they actually have. I know of some friends who have H1N1 who live in Ohio. Some classrooms have reported 50% absentee rates this past week.

This is really, really scary, Terry Rose!

Critter asked me to share these tips with you all. She is knee deep in cooking for her family and friends today. Wish I was there..the gal can cook!!

*Prevent Swine Flu - Good Advice*

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any partmof face.

3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.

5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C citrus fruits). If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm. sinus rinse kits are available at the drug store and relatively inexpensive….under $15.

Thanks Critter and Wrap!----these are all excellent methods to try to resist the flu. I hope many will read them and follow them---they may save a life---or lives.

Well guess what?
It is in my town and a school-aged child may have died from it...they need to confirm this. The schools are reporting higher than usual absenteeism rates. So scary, as I am sending my 3 school-aged children off to school today.
Vaccinations are not starting till December here. And we are all out of the seasonal flu shot. What is wrong w/ America???

cherylz wrote:Well guess what?
It is in my town and a school-aged child may have died from it...they need to confirm this. The schools are reporting higher than usual absenteeism rates. So scary, as I am sending my 3 school-aged children off to school today.
Vaccinations are not starting till December here. And we are all out of the seasonal flu shot. What is wrong w/ America???

I share your frustration about how the vaccines have not been available before the flu epidemic has begun and even now that it has begun, they are in scarce supply for doctors and hospitals in my state. National drugstore chains got the lion's share of the vaccines, but actual healthcare providers have yet to receive any. They are still waiting for their supply while the epidemic infects many more every single day. It seems to me it will be a question of "too late" for many when they actually have the opportunity to get vaccinated in my state and many other states. It is getting scary here too as I am aware of several cases of H1N1 in my immediate vicinity.

Deaths happen every year with season flu. I really believe that we have already had it and we survived. Kate tested positive for type A. CDC is not wanting testing done unless a patient is admitted to the hospital for H1N1. On local news today all central Iowa hospitals have restrictions on kids younger than 18 visiting the hospitals. No child or kid under the age of 18 are being allowed in the hospitals unless they are a patient. Does that tell you how bad it is here when I live? Good medical care is very important in treating any flu symptoms. At the first sign of fever of flu you should be calling your Dr not waiting it out. Remember most cases are mild and if treated right away with Tamiflu. I share all of your concerns. The Dr told me Katie should have a vaccine for H1N1 as soon as she is healthy enough to get it just in case that is not what she had. As a matter of fact my understanding is it take 2 shots 30 days apart to get the full benefit.

Yep, the girl in my community that died was 14 years old and she died from H1N1. Usually seasonal flu takes the lives of about 50 children a year. I believe this flu has already surpassed that # in deaths for children, and it is only just starting. Flu season lasts into April. We have a long way to go.

In New York where they got hit really hard H1N1 is dying out. It will linger on but once enough people are immune to this strain it will get less and less. Until next Flu season. My Dr calmed me down a lot with the facts of "flu". It is a killer even if it is not H1N1. cherylz we do not know what kind of medical care that girl got do we? Last month a healthy 28 yr old father of 3 died from H1N1. Turns out he did not seek medical care soon enough. I hope all of my friends out there will be sure to see a Dr if you have flu symptoms. We all know it is spreading fast and furious as predicted. The only type that is going around in a lot of areas is H1N1. It is to early for the other flu's which will hit us hard this November in Iowa. Through April 2010.

IDK, Lindamarie. Come to find out she is the daughter of my MIL's friends son. She became ill on Fri. and died on Mon.
Are they readily giving Tamiflu if you have suspect symptoms? My 15 year old son is staying home from school today...99.4, cough and fatigue. His school is reporting a much higher than usual absenteeism rate. I have to admit this does concern me.

the flu is going around here in albuquerque. i dont know if its h1n1 because they dont seem to be testing for that unless you are hospitalized.

the vaccine should have come around 2 weeks ago, but it didnt, so just take care of yourself yall, lots of fluids!

Juanita, can you have swine flu w/no fever but glands are sore bilaterally?? I know you're not an MD but you know your shiat.

Please everyone take care. I flew yesterday and sanitized my seat, tray table and everything in site..

cherylz wrote:IDK, Lindamarie. Come to find out she is the daughter of my MIL's friends son. She became ill on Fri. and died on Mon.
Are they readily giving Tamiflu if you have suspect symptoms? My 15 year old son is staying home from school today...99.4, cough and fatigue. His school is reporting a much higher than usual absenteeism rate. I have to admit this does concern me.

My Dr office is giving out tamilflu with any sign of the flu. We have a standing order and all I have to do is call. As a matter of fact many Dr's in this area are telling patients to not come in at all and to call instead for a script of tamiflu. Of course I am worried about this pandemic myself. I do think we are being mislead as to the seriousness of it. I understand that if people begin to panic that it could make this much worse. At the same time we have a right to know. Getting sick on Friday and dying by Monday is just scary. If you could find out what treatment if any was given to this young lady I would like to know.

Cherylz, that is horrific and very scary at the same time. I agree w/Linda Marie. We have to go about our business..but be cautious. Take sanitized wipes wherever you go!!

So sad about so many young people dying. This is one of the richest countries in the world. What is going on here??? Why not enough shots...they have had a long time to prepare.

I have heard that you can have this flu without a high fever, or have no fever, Wrap.

Regarding Tamiflu, I have heard that it is in short supply and they fear a rush on it will make it unavailable to some who need it here in my state. This is inexcusable in my mind!!!! There is no reason that this item cannot be stocked up, knowing that a bad flu season was going to hit!

I am online at the hospital and wiping down everything in site - the ER is FULL!! I may ask for a mask, seriously!

They pushed my mom's surgery up to 1pm. They gave her valium, already injected her breast and she is sound asleep. I am enjoying my sister. I had not seen her in almost 9 years. She drove in from NYC.

I read all your wonderful thoughts and prayers on the Member's Only thread. Thank you all so much!! Linda Marie and I are hanging in there!!

Do it!! Ask for a mask! Take all precautionary measures Wrap! You do NOT need to be sick!!

Oh how nice!.... Your sister is there with you! 9 years? Oh wow! That's a long time.

Concentrate on your Mom.....prayers on this end! Gotcha covered!

Oh Wrap, I will have to update my reading about your mom. I am sorry and will say a prayer. May you find a feeling of peace during this trying time.
Lindamarie, per my husband-(he talked to his mother)--she had trouble breathing and they called 911-it didn't sound to me like she had any tx. beforehand.
I have a call in to my Pediatrician Re: my son. I think that he has a mild case of it.
As far as fevers go some have been low-grade w/ this and some have been very high-up to 105. Swollen lymph nodes mean that your body has identified a germ in it and is working over-time to kill that germ. Fever will probally come. Sore lymph nodes are a sign of infection. When they are enlarged and "non-tender" that is usually from another process going on.

Cory wrote:Do it!! Ask for a mask! Take all precautionary measures Wrap! You do NOT need to be sick!!

Oh how nice!.... Your sister is there with you! 9 years? Oh wow! That's a long time.

Concentrate on your Mom.....prayers on this end! Gotcha covered!

ask for a mask, please, your resistance has been down for two months with your sinus and allergy infections. Do not touch your eyes or nose or mouth. Glad you and your sis are having such a nice visit!!!!!!!