Swine Flu and H1N1 Vaccinations

lindamarie wrote:If that is the case I have been spreading it around for about 4 weeks. I just wish I knew if that is what we had/have. Katie would not have to risk or endure the shot if she has already had the virus.

lv and prayers.
lj

P.S. for everyone, read about vitamin d.

ladyjustice37 wrote:

lindamarie wrote:If that is the case I have been spreading it around for about 4 weeks. I just wish I knew if that is what we had/have. Katie would not have to risk or endure the shot if she has already had the virus.

lv and prayers.
lj

P.S. for everyone, read about vitamin d.

YES!!!!! Dr. Oz is all about vitamin D....he keeps talking about it.

My cousin's 11 yr old daughter was diagnosed last week with H1N1. she has really been sick as a dog. Her mom is fixing to have a kidney transplant and has a horrible immune system and her grandmother is under going chemo for breast cancer(they live together) so they are keeping the little girl in her room(all the time)..and they are wearing masks and gloves since they have low immune systems. this is in Atlanta, Ga which has been hard hit.
Linda Marie, hope you are not in hospital.....

No I am not in the hospital. I just needed something stronger for the sinus infection. The flu in it self is scary but H1N1 is nothing to be taken lightly. I hope your cousins family gets through this okay critter.

thanks LM, glad they are getting you better meds.

From National Lung Association:

Seasonal influenza remains a serious concern this flu season, even with the presence of the 2009 H1N1 virus. Seasonal flu hospitalizes more than a quarter of a million people each year, and is responsible for an average of 36,000 deaths nationwide.

The flu is not a cold. It’s a serious disease. Annual vaccination against seasonal influenza is recommended for more than 80 percent of the U.S. population. It is especially important for those in high-risk groups, including children six months to 18 years of age, adults over 50 years of age, pregnant women, anyone with chronic health conditions and caregivers and household contacts of these high-risk groups.

Flu season lasts from fall through early spring. There’s plenty of time for you and your family to get vaccinated, but we urge you to do it as soon as possible. It’s also important to have all the facts. At Faces of Influenza, you can learn more about the flu, get the latest medical information and read personal stories of people whose lives have been affected by this disease.

Kristi Yamaguchi, Olympic Gold Medalist, winner of “Dancing with the Stars” and mother of two, is the national spokesperson for Faces of Influenza. She and many others are urging everyone in the U.S. to get immunized. The American Lung Association offers a quick and easy way to find the flu vaccine at www.flucliniclocator.org by just typing in your zip code.

We also need you. More than 250 million people in the U.S. should be vaccinated against seasonal influenza this year. You can help support our efforts to get the word out and make sure everyone is protected by making an online donation right now.

Thank you,

Sincerely,

Mary H. Partridge
National Volunteer Chair

I am scared for my little one. They don't have swine flu or flu shots here yet. They said call next week we might have flu shots. UGH! Another thing to worry about with him.

No regular flu shots yet? Wonder why?

That is what I thought wrap.

GET VACCINATED

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20091007/US.US.Swine.Flu/

ok there you have it. coming from the experts, I have no arguments with this.

The news out there is, get vaccinated.

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20091007/US.US.Swine.Flu/

I started a new thread to discuss this specifically.

Since the outbreak, i've been discussing this from my scientist self point of view and havent discussed much about the vaccine or vaccinations, and wasnt sure i would get vaccinated myself, as i didnt know much about it, but now here is the statement from Health and Human service, and I say, listen to what they are saying.

Please read.

Juanita wrote:The news out there is, get vaccinated.

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20091007/US.US.Swine.Flu/

I started a new thread to discuss this specifically.

Since the outbreak, i've been discussing this from my scientist self point of view and havent discussed much about the vaccine or vaccinations, and wasnt sure i would get vaccinated myself, as i didnt know much about it, but now here is the statement from Health and Human service, and I say, listen to what they are saying.

Please read.

Thanks Juanita...what is your take with people who have a compromised immunity?

In no way am I trying to start a conflict,

read and educate yourself before you make the make the decision!

my thoughts are sent w/ lv for each of you!

http://news.aol.com/article/cnns-dr-sanjay-gupta-gets-h1n1-flu-in/683685

CNN's Gupta Gets H1N1 Flu in Afghanistan



It started as a cough.
It wasn't the kind of cough where something is temporarily stuck in your throat. It wasn't the kind of cough where simply clearing your throat would've been adequate. This was the kind of cough that hurts when you do it. A stinging pain that makes you wince and guard and hope that you don’t have to cough again any time soon.
I thought I might have a fever, but of course, I was in the middle of covering a war in Afghanistan, and the conditions were … well, hot. So, maybe it was that.
Problem was, the next day I wasn't feeling any better -- in fact, I was worse. I woke up in my dusty desert tent and tried to step out of my sleeping bag. Two steps later, I almost hit the deck. Incoming. Except this wasn’t due to any sirens going off, this was due to my own body simply being unable to hold myself up. I was lightheaded and freezing cold -- even though it was over 100 degrees outside at that early hour of the morning.


When Is It More Than a Cold?
Cold Symptoms:
Stuffy nose
Congestion
Body aches
Growing cough
Symptoms last 3 to 5 days

H1N1 or Seasonal Flu Symptoms:
Fever
More painful body aches
Dry cough
Diarrhea
Severe fatigue
Respiratory problems
Dehydration


I want to know how many people the good Doctor infected before he diagnosed himself with H1N1.

No kidding. We now have one family member and one good friend that have H1N1, both school age children.
I have never ever had a flu shot, I am actually scared to have one for some reason. Irrational I know, I need to grow some "----" and go get my first one ever.

Wrap, my advice to all healthy people especially younger than 25 is to get vaccinated, thats what they are saying, but generally my advice is to listen to health and human services. I am not a medical doctor myself, i am a PhD scientist in medical research. So my advice is to listen to the director of health and human services and to your doctor. Everyone is different, all those with other health issues are all different, so its up to your doctor.

Katie 4 yr old physical is Nov. 2nd. Her Dr wants her to have the H1N1 vaccine and I agree. Sassy please go get both shots your at high risk.

Good point, nitespin! But, wouldn't ya think that a virus wouldn't flourish in 100 degree desert air?---and he got it there. He was probably carrying it with him and, like you say, probably infected many others before he came down with it.

TerryR, When do people become contagious with this ? Once the fever starts or the cough? I wish I knew. Just saw three commercials from cvs to go get a flu shot.

JUANITA... I need your scientific brain for a second PLEASE....

I just read this article about what exactly is in the vaccine.. and OMG.. I am disgusted...

http://www.ehow.com/how_5419696_understand-contents-hn-vaccine.html

Just a few of the contents are just plain SCARY to me to say the least....

dog kidney, monkey kidney, chick embryo, chicken egg, duck egg, calf (bovine) serum, betapropiolactone, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum phosphate, ammonium sulfate, amphotericin B, fetal bovine serum, formaldehyde, formalin, gelatin, glycerol, human diploid cells (originating from human aborted fetal tissue), hydrolized gelatin, mercury thimerosol (thimerosal, Merthiolate(r)), monosodium glutamate (MSG)

Is this article accurate? And if so, is it SAFE???

My middle son Tyler has bad seasonal Asthma and is BAD it in the winter/spring time, so his pediatrician is HUGE on him getting all flu vaccines because he is HIGH risk of illness. I was ALL for him getting his when his name is picked because they have a waiting list in our city, but after reading this article, I am seriously second guessing it. I need to know your scientific reason on how it is safe to inject all of the above into our bodies :shock:

first of all - this is a user submitted article with no references. please find a source submitted by the NIH or CDC or health and human services

second of all, i read the article. im really surprised at some of these ingredients, because it sounds like this author took some kind of protocol for MAKING the vaccine, and lumped all the stuff into this list. so some of these things might not actually be IN the vaccine because they have been purified out. lol for example. - vero cells.. these are a cell culture.

third - the H1N1 vaccine is made the SAME way that all other flu shots are made. with millions of people young and old getting these every year, and no recalls that i've heard of.. well the benefits outweight the risk.

my opinion which is shared by the entire medical community is - would you rather die of the flu, or try to attempt keep your blood system squeeky clean by never injecting anything into it (only to find out that you are swallowing all kinds of other stuff anyway)

to start on the ingredients, i have a few comments

animal serum has been thoroughly processed and STERILIZED. You won't be getting any kind of infections from this. if it werent sterilized, the vaccine would turn to mush in a day. The serum provides a nice comfy environment for the vaccine where it is stable so that when it gets injected into you, it basically sees the same environment and can carry on its business and not start binding to stuff willy nilly on you. Its already done that in the serum. we use this stuff all the time in our experiments. if it was bad, we wouldnt use it on our live cell cultures.

aluminum hydroxide, aluminum phospahte, ammonium sulfate - the aluminum and ammonium are in small amounts and are often in your body. you can get aluminum from your cooking pans and from foods. the phosphate, sulfate and hydroxide.. these are all "natural substances" very basic chemicals that are easily broken down. These molecules serve to stabilize the vaccine by providing balance to the pH and charge. Once in your body, they are quickly absorbed and broken down and excreted. aluminum is not good in high amounts, just like any other metal, but you are getting a tiny amount. honestly, cooking with aluminum pans gives you more.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphotericin_B -- that might actually be good for you!

finally -- follow the advice of the article. they just threw out the stuff, but they want you to do the research. unfortunately this article isn't even research on its own as it doesnt have any references.

2009 H1N1 Flu: Situation Update

October 9, 2009 11:00 AM ET
U.S. Situation Update

Weekly Flu Activity Estimates
Map of flu activity in the U.S. for week ending September 26, 2009. Select to view full-sized map.

U.S. Patient Visits Reported for Influenza-like Illness (ILI)
Graph of U.S. patient visits reported for Influenza-like Illness (ILI).

U.S. Influenza-like Illness (ILI) Reported by Regions
Map of U.S. Influenza-like Illness (ILI)
Reported by Regions.
U.S. Influenza and Pneumonia-Associated Hospitalizations and Deaths from August 30
to September 5, 2009


International
Situation Update

Map of International
Activity Estimates
(Including 2009 H1N1 Flu)
This picture depicts a map of the world that shows the co-circulation of 2009 H1N1 flu and seasonal influenza viruses. The United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Vietnam, Kenya, China and Hong Kong (China) are depicted. There is a pie chart for each that shows the percentage of laboratory confirmed influenza cases that have tested positive for either 2009 H1N1 flu or other influenza subtypes. The majority of laboratory confirmed influenza cases reported in the latest week for the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Vietnam, Kenya, Hong Kong (China), and China are currently due to 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.
Key Flu Indicators

Each week CDC analyzes information about influenza disease activity in the United States and publishes findings of key flu indicators in a report called FluView. During the week of September 27 - October 3, 2009, a review of the key indictors found that influenza activity increased in the United States. Below is a summary of the most recent key indicators:

* Visits to doctors for influenza-like illness (ILI) continued to increase in the United States, and overall, are higher than levels expected for this time of the year.

* Total influenza hospitalization rates for laboratory-confirmed influenza are higher than expected for this time of year for adults and children. And for children 5-17 and adults 18-49 years of age, hospitalization rates from April – October 2009 exceed average flu season rates (for October through April).

* The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) based on the 122 Cities Report has increased and now exceeds what is normally expected at this time of year. In addition, 19 flu-related pediatric deaths were reported this week; 16 of these deaths were confirmed 2009 H1N1 and 3 were unsubtyped influenza A and likely to be 2009 H1N1. A total of 76 laboratory confirmed 2009 H1N1 pediatric deaths have been reported to CDC since April.

* Thirty-seven states are reporting widespread influenza activity at this time. They are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming. Any reports of widespread influenza activity in September and October are very unusual.

* Almost all of the influenza viruses identified so far are 2009 H1N1 influenza A viruses. These viruses remain similar to the virus chosen for the 2009 H1N1 vaccine, and remain susceptible to the antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir with rare exception.

Please click here for map:

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm

CDC: 76 children dead of swine flu as cases rise

By MIKE STOBBE, AP Medical Writer Mike Stobbe, Ap Medical Writer – 45 mins ago

ATLANTA – Health officials said Friday that 76 children have died of swine flu, including 16 new reports in the past week — more evidence the new virus is unusually dangerous in kids.

The regular flu kills between 46 and 88 children a year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

With swine flu cases increasing throughout most of the country, more deaths are likely, Dr. Anne Schuchat said at a press conference Friday.

She noted that 37 states now are reporting widespread swine flu cases, up from 27 a week ago. A week ago, reports suggested that cases might be leveling off and even decreasing in some areas of the country, but that did not turn out to be an enduring national trend.

"We are seeing more illness, more hospitalizations, and more deaths," said Schuchat, who heads the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

Meanwhile, CDC officials say states have ordered 3.7 million doses of swine flu vaccine for a campaign that started this week. Demand is exceeding supply, at least so far, and people seeking the vaccination can start by contacting their state or local health department to find out where to go, she said.

Health officials also said more data is trickling in from several clinical trials of the new vaccine, and so far no serious side effects have been reported.

Preliminary information from one study indicates that both a seasonal flu shot and a swine flu shot are effective when given during the same doctor's office visit. However, the government is not recommending that people get the nasal spray versions of the seasonal and swine flu vaccines at the same time.

The nasal sprays contain weakened, live virus, and the government doesn't have data on how a person's immune system would react to exposure to both at the same time, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The CDC doesn't have an exact count of all swine flu deaths and hospitalizations, but existing reports suggest the infection has caused more than 600 deaths and more than 9,000 hospitalizations since it was first identified in April.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091009/ap_on_he_me/us_med_swine_flu

Did not realize it was up to 600 deaths now, and I am sure some of the cases have gone undiagnosed. Scary.

THANK YOU Juanita! I knew you would have Good advice for me about this! I will definitely look into this a bit more and also ask my sons Pediatrician more about it when Tyler is up for his vaccine!!

What would we do without our Blog-Scientist??

A 14 year old boy in Columbus, Ohio has died from it, as reported in the news this evening. He had underlying health issues. There are other children hospitalized, one of which spent a long time in a coma because of it.

We have a bad outbreak at a middle school here in my area. Kate came home with a fever today. She is sneezing. Wow how can a kid be sick so often? Her Dr told me yesterday to take Kate to the public health dept tomorrow. Dr office's are not receiving any at this time. He wanted her to have that shot tomorrow. So much for that. I hope she will be healthy enough in the next shipment.

yeah, my suggestion is, if your going to get the shot, get it tomorrow. it takes 10 days to take effect. if your going to get it, get it now, flu season is here, now.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/public/vaccination_qa_pub.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/general.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/thimerosal.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/gbs.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm

The H1N1 virus appears to be taking hold in central Iowa, leaving scores of people with fevers, coughs, body aches and other miserable symptoms.

One of the hot spots appears to be Des Moines' south side, where doctors this week have diagnosed apparent H1N1 flu infections in about 50 Brody Middle School students, according to Terri Henkels, Polk County's top public health official.

Henkels reiterated a request that parents keep their children home from school if they appear sick. Despite similar pleas in the past few months, she said, "children are still going to school ill."

The outbreak has nearly doubled the regular flow of patients at the Mercy South Urgent Care Clinic.

Dr. Mike Agey, a family-practice physician who works at the clinic, said the clinic had seen 100 to 150 patients suffering from what appeared to be the new flu in the past few days.

The disease was not confirmed in most of the patients, because doctors followed federal recommendations and did not order full lab tests. But the patients' symptoms and the results of quick tests done at the clinic left little doubt about what the patients had, Agey said.

The doctor said he didn't know of any patients who were sick enough to need hospitalization. But many were feverish, achy and nauseated, he said.

He said the symptoms seemed similar to those of regular, seasonal flu, but the new disease appears to be spreading more easily.

Many of the patients have been school-age children or young adults. In some cases, entire families have come down with the flu together. "I haven't seen many infants, which is good," he said.

In general, Agey said, patients are being advised to stay home, get plenty of rest and fluids, eat healthful foods and take Motrin or Tylenol for fever.

He is prescribing antiviral medications, such as Tamiflu, only for patients with chronic health problems, such as asthma, which could cause severe flu complications. Authorities have asked doctors to use those drugs sparingly to preserve the medications' effectiveness.

Officials at the area's other major clinic system, Iowa Health-Des Moines, said they had seen a small increase in flu-like illnesses, though they weren't sure if the cases were H1N1.

Henkels, the Polk County public health director, spoke Thursday morning in a teleconference of medical leaders, government officials and business representatives.

She said one area school had more than 100 students absent Wednesday, and that doctors had diagnosed flu in about half of them. A health department staff member later said Henkels was referring to Brody Middle School.

Other local schools, including Phenix Elementary and Dowling Catholic High School, both in West Des Moines, also have had flu cases recently.

Leigh McGivern, spokeswoman for Des Moines schools, said there have been no confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu at any of the district's more than 60 schools.

"Sure, H1N1 is in the community. It is all over the place," she said. "But there is nothing officially confirmed from the Polk County Health Department to us."

She acknowledged that Brody Middle School has had a spike in parent-reported illnesses and absences.

Reports from parents who say a doctor diagnosed H1N1 in a child have not been counted as confirmed cases, McGivern said.

When the H1N1 flu arrived in the United States last spring, health authorities recommended widespread lab testing of suspected cases, and they said schools should be closed if the virus was confirmed in a student.

However, that advice has changed because most illnesses have been milder than scientists feared. Experts are no longer recommending that schools close if they have outbreaks of relatively mild illness.

Absences at Brody, which has 691 students, peaked on Monday, and have dropped each day since, McGivern said. The number of absences was not immediately available, but it is higher than last year at this time.

McGivern said district officials are monitoring clusters of illness, which include bronchitis, pneumonia and regular, seasonal flu.

McGivern said district officials have brought in extra employees to thoroughly clean Brody each night.

The school's staff also continues to use other precautions, such as keeping students apart when possible; more frequently cleaning commonly used surfaces; keeping hand sanitizers and tissues available; and encouraging employees and students to cough or sneeze into an arm or tissue and to frequently wash their hands.

The H1N1 flu also has hit many Iowa colleges and some other school districts. For example, Mount Pleasant Superintendent John Roederer said 153 of the high school's 680 students were absent Thursday, down from 192 Wednesday.

He said many have fevers, coughs, sore throats and muscle aches.

Local doctors have been diagnosing many as suspected cases of H1N1 flu, then sending them home to recover. Roederer said the outbreak has not hit younger children or adult school staff members as hard, although middle-school absences have been climbing, too.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20091002/NEWS/910020349/1001/

great link!! yah you can see the spike this week! a guy in my office stayed home with a sore throat. so far i feel fine.

What is so upsetting to me is I hear on the news that parents don't want to get their child swine flu shot, its like I DO get them shots our way! I am getting all 3 of them shots, whenever we get them. Still NO flu shots here!

babyep wrote:What is so upsetting to me is I hear on the news that parents don't want to get their child swine flu shot, its like I DO get them shots our way! I am getting all 3 of them shots, whenever we get them. Still NO flu shots here!

OMG, I cannot believe you have no flu shots there. Nebraska, correct? And, you said it's already snowing there. Stay warm and wash your hands a lot!!

Yes We carry little bottles of hand sanitizer everywhere, even the kids. I tell them wash their hands and use the sanitizer. Especially when they enter the car after school. We had good talk about how important it is. I am hoping we get shots Monday they said its the manufacturer that is causing the delay.

wow! thanks juanita! phew..

Our state lab is not doing H1N1 testing at all. Dr's are allowed to only test for type "A" and type "B" Our Dr today said I could have Kate tested for one of the others if wanted to. He also made a standing order for Tamiflu. He said it works well on on types going around right now. All we need is a symptom to call and get it.

Lm, are they not testing because they just do not want to know the statistics in your state>?? How is she feeling??

I saw my neurologist today and asked her if I should get the swine flu shot. She paused..thought about it for a moment and said, "No, I do NOT think you should get it as it has known to cause Gillian Barr with rare neuropathy cases as you." Wanna bet my oncologist will tell me something completely different when I see him on Thursday?

Bottom line, I don't think I will get it. Just got the regular flu and pneumonia vaccine.

She said MOST should get it, but not me.

if you already have a neuropathy wrap.. how would that make it worse? does it make you more susceptible?

Yes, but not because of the neuropathy. Because of this:
MGUS. You can look it up. It is way, way too difficult for me to explain. In fact, would love your take. :D

oh boy, another challenging question. gee thanks.. when is the weekend??

lol yesterday the big boss called me and said, off the top of your head can you name a gene expressed in the lung but not expressed in the brain - duhhhh i felt like an idiot cause i should know this i know he knows i should know this... but the issue is, most genes are expressed everywhere at different times, its hard to find one that isnt - but i didnt tell him that.. but he probably just thought i was stupid.. i said "give me 10 minutes and i'll find out", hes like never mind i'll just google it. (thats what i was gonna do) sigh.. so much for all that education lol!!!!

I don't find it a bad thing you couldn't remember. It's quite evident you are highly educated. Bosses - Ugh!!

My poor 29 year old niece got the two vaccines, in nasal spray form and now she is officially diagnosed with H1N1. Dr. said she would have been worse probably if she had not gotten it.
IMO wrap should NOT have it from what Ihave read.

CritterFan1 wrote:My poor 29 year old niece got the two vaccines, in nasal spray form and now she is officially diagnosed with H1N1. Dr. said she would have been worse probably if she had not gotten it.
IMO wrap should NOT have it from what Ihave read.

OMG, is the H1N1 already out? Or, did your niece get the regular flu shot? Does she have medical issues like a compromised immunity? Critter, I don't think you should get it either. I hope you got the regular flu shot. I am very interested to see what my oncologist has to say about this. I have many questions for him.

Wrapitup wrote:I saw my neurologist today and asked her if I should get the swine flu shot. She paused..thought about it for a moment and said, "No, I do NOT think you should get it as it has known to cause Gillian Barr with rare neuropathy cases as you." Wanna bet my oncologist will tell me something completely different when I see him on Thursday?

Bottom line, I don't think I will get it. Just got the regular flu and pneumonia vaccine.

She said MOST should get it, but not me.

OKAY, so I am quoting myself here. LOL. As predicted, I saw my oncologist today and he said "Yes", I SHOULD get the swine flu shot. I told him my neurologist said "No, I should NOT." He asked me why? LMAO!! I told him because of he chance of getting guillian barr syndrom (sorry about the spelling). He said, "Oh, yes..I hadn't thought of that. No, I guess you shouldn't get it."

Bottom Line: WE KNOW OUR OWN BODY BETTER THAN ANY DOCTOR. Take special heed what they tell you. Research the heck out of any malady online!!!!

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.

Swine flu hits hard, early — claims 11 more kids

By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer – Fri Oct 16, 6:58 pm ET

WASHINGTON – Swine flu is causing unprecedented illness for so early in the fall — including a worrisome count of child deaths — and the government warned Friday that vaccine supplies will be even more scarce than expected through this month.

Federal health officials said 11 more children have died in the past week because of the virus.
Manufacturer delays mean 28 million to 30 million doses, at most, will be divided around the country by the end of the month, not the 40 million-plus that states had been expecting. The new count from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention means anxiously awaited flu-shot clinics in some parts of the country may have to be postponed.

It also delays efforts to blunt increasing infections. Overall, what CDC calls the 2009 H1N1 flu is causing widespread disease in 41 states, and about 6 percent of all doctor visits are for flu-like illness — levels not normally seen until much later in the fall.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about half of the child deaths since September have been among teenagers.

And overall for the country, deaths from pneumonia and flu-like illnesses have passed what CDC considers an epidemic level. About 6 percent of all doctor visits are for flu-like illnesses, levels not normally seen until later in the fall.

The CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat (SHU'-kit) says, "These are very sobering statistics."

This new strain is different from regular winter flu because it strikes the young far more than the old, and child deaths are drawing particular attention. Eighty-six children have died of swine flu in the U.S. since it burst on the scene last spring — 43 of those deaths reported in September and early October alone, said CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat.

That's a startling number because in some past winters, the CDC has counted 40 or 50 child deaths for the entire flu season, she said, and no one knows how long this swine flu outbreak will last. Half of those early fall child deaths are among teenagers, also surprising as preschoolers are thought to be most vulnerable.
"These are very sobering statistics," Schuchat said.
Also in contrast to regular winter flu, swine flu sometimes can cause a very severe viral pneumonia in otherwise healthy young adults, the World Health Organization warned Friday.

Typically, influenza weakens people so they're vulnerable to bacterial pneumonia, especially those over age 65. But the new H1N1 can dive deeper into the lungs, in "small subsets" of patients who go into respiratory failure within days, said WHO medical officer Dr. Nikki Shindo.

"Do not delay the treatment," she said as WHO ended a three-day meeting of 100 international flu specialists gathered in Washington.
The new swine flu strain also may have hit some pigs at the Minnesota State Fair in late August, animals possibly infected by some sick 4-H students. If the infection is confirmed, it wouldn't be a surprise: A sick farm worker first infected pigs in Canada last spring, and herds have been hit in Australia and Argentina, too. The virus doesn't spread to humans who eat pork.
Fortunately, most people recover from the new strain with simple at-home care, just as with the regular flu. While there aren't precise counts, states have reported more than 2,000 deaths from pneumonia or flu-like illnesses to the CDC since Aug. 30. And Schuchat said other tracking systems show those deaths have reached the level that each year is used to declare an influenza epidemic, months early.

As of Wednesday, states had ordered 8 million of the 11.4 million doses of swine flu vaccine the government has ready to ship. Just over half of the vaccine now available is in shot form and the rest as a nasal spray. First in line for scarce H1N1 vaccine are supposed to be pregnant women, anyone age 6 months to 24 years, health care workers and people under 65 with flu-risky conditions.

CDC's Schuchat urged patience, saying eventually enough vaccine will be here for everyone who wants it: "I know this is frustrating for people."

Regular winter flu kills 36,000 Americans a year, and around the country some clinics aren't getting shipments of seasonal vaccine as quickly as expected either, as manufacturers juggle the extra work. About 82 million doses of seasonal vaccine have been shipped, and 114 million eventually will arrive, enough for typical demand, Schuchat said.

Also Friday, judges in New York granted temporary restraining orders blocking mandatory flu vaccinations for health care workers who argued they should have a choice. In addition to New York, many hospitals nationwide have mandated shots for their employees this year so they don't infect patients or have to miss work.

Even though swine flu is all that's circulating here now, the regular winter flu that targets older adults has hit other countries along with the new H1N1. South Africa packed in two distinct flu seasons in one winter. WHO's Dr. Vivek Shinde said the extremely early swine flu start in the Northern Hemisphere increases the chance that those countries, too, will get a double-whammy, making it important not to skip the seasonal shot.
"There is a lot of winter left between now and April," he told the WHO meeting.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091016/ap_on_he_me/us_med_swine_flu

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?