Swine Flu and H1N1 Vaccinations

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!!!!!!!

Thanks, cherylz, for your expert opinions on this thread. As we continue on into this scary flu season, please continue to post on this thread. We can learn a lot from you and we will probably continue to have many questions about this new virus until it wanes next spring. Thanks!

Aaawww...TerryRose for your words.
My son has had a low-grade temp and cough w/ chest pain since Tues. afternoon. Just got back from the sick clinic. The covering MD said he has H1N1...she didn't need to test him...as she said she has seen enough cases to know this is it. She said 1/2 of the kids in our area schools have it. His own Pediatrician has it. She ordered Tamiflu for him and for my little one...Grace that we adopted...she has very bad asthma. Awaiting for Pharmacy to call me. It is not covered by our insurance...$260.00/person. But, if it helps it is worth it.

cherylz wrote:Aaawww...TerryRose for your words.
My son has had a low-grade temp and cough w/ chest pain since Tues. afternoon. Just got back from the sick clinic. The covering MD said he has H1N1...she didn't need to test him...as she said she has seen enough cases to know this is it. She said 1/2 of the kids in our area schools have it. His own Pediatrician has it. She ordered Tamiflu for him and for my little one...Grace that we adopted...she has very bad asthma. Awaiting for Pharmacy to call me. It is not covered by our insurance...$160.00/person. But, if it helps it is worth it.

I am sorry to hear that your son has H1N1---that is very worrisome! But 1/2 of the school children in your area? I would say the feared epidemic has certainly begun. Here in our state, I have heard about children having it in local schools, and some pregnant women at a local hospital. It looks like no lower 48 state will escape this. Why does Tamiflu have to be so pricey?---What's in it----Gold?

Cherylz, Hope your son is better and that Grace does not get it. How can insurance not cover a life saving drug such as Tamiflu? That is crazy!!!! Insurance pays for the Dr visit to tell you he has H1N1!! Keep up your strength!

Did insurance tell you why they don't cover it? It will be the best money you have ever spent. I am so glad you got right to the Dr. That is very important in the treatment for H1N1. BTW I love the name Grace. If I had a second daughter that would have been her name. I will pray for your family.

cherylz I forgot to add Kate has probably had it too. She is finally getting better but it took 4 long weeks.

TerryRose...I should clarify..the Pedi. said that 1/2 the kids in our schools have "flu like symptoms". From what I have been told they are only testing if you are hospitalized. The School Nurse at our HS on Tuesday said she was sending home about 120 kids w/ flu like symptoms. It is full-blown here.
I am still waiting for a call from our Pharmacy they needed to talk to the Dr. 1st...(she ordered it as a suspension) to prepare the Tamiflu. It has to be given w/in a 48 hr. window in order to be effective. My son is almost at the end of that time-frame.

Yep, the Pharmacist said it is non-formulary and we would have to pay $160.00/per person. So far just 2 out of the 6 of us need it. This could get expensive. The last 2 days his temp. has maxed at 99.5, but today it is 99.7/ 2 hrs. after Motrin. He is wheezing and he does not have asthma, so they ordered an inhaler for him. Scary.
They need to start closing the schools during an epidemic in a town like this and call for voluntary isolation until the cough is gone. IMO.
Will keep you updated. Please everyone stay healthy and take heed to those sensible tips on staying healthy that were posted here a couple of days ago.

the best to you and the family Cherylz!!!!

Cherlyz, so sorry that your kids have the swine flu!!! OMG, this stuff is scary!!! I am in Ohio and it has really hit up here!!!!!!!! Everyone, I agree..take heed of the precautionary measures!!

I have a cold w/a sore gland on left side (NOT swollen and no fever). Ugh!!!

This stuff is truly an epidemic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wrap, my grandkids have allergies, and, when we travelled to South Carolina beach by the ocean, they were breathing the fine air with no allergic problems at all. On the long car ride back, as soon as we reached Ohio, everybody's sinuses started acting up bigtime. Maybe you have a virus, but coming to Ohio probably has triggered some reactions also, making you feel worse. And yes, as I have stated above, in Ohio, the epidemic of both types of flu has begun and is continuing to get more widespread day by day.

Asthma is the most common underlying condition associated with H1N1 Swine Flu: CDC Report
19. October 2009 01:35

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Reports Asthma As Most Common Underlying Condition In Severe Cases of H1N1 Swine Flu; Cannabis Science Reports That Cannabis Has Been Long Used To Treat Asthma And Cannabis May Also Help Reduce Deaths From Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome From Swine And Avian Flu

Cannabis Science Inc. (NASD OTCBB: CBIS) an emerging pharmaceutical cannabis company, notes a report by epidemiologists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) saying that, among people hospitalized with severe cases of the pandemic strain of H1N1 Swine Flu, asthma is by far the most common underlying condition associated with the disease. In fact, among the hospitalized adults, 26 percent had asthma.

Cannabis Science, Inc. President & CEO Dr. Robert Melamede stated, “There is a long history of cannabis being used in the treatment of asthma, and that is an area where we are currently working on product development. Obviously, it fits well with our development of phytocannabinoid pharmaceutical products to help reduce ARDS-associated deaths from both the H1N5 Avian and H1N1 Swine Influenza infections. As a reminder, we urged all cannabis consumers in the past that if you come down with the flu, cease smoking and switch to edibles. We believe that smoking marijuana when a person has influenza will lead to some unnecessary deaths, whereas eating it can prevent unnecessary deaths.”

Previously, Cannabis Science has emphasized the importance of addressing the threat presented by Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). ARDS is caused by an excess immune-generated inflammatory response that leads to apoptosis (cell death) and subsequently to organ failure. The Company's approach will mimic how the human body uses endocannabinoids (cannabinoids that occur naturally in the body) to regulate immune activity and cell survival, by regulating inflammatory biochemistry. Excessive inflammatory responses are associated with numerous disease states including autoimmune diseases, neurological imbalances, and cardiovascular disease. Asthma is also an autoimmune disease. Phytocannabinoids provide a natural means to supplement illness-specific endocannabinoid deficiencies.

Dr. Melamede concluded by saying, “We think that it is our duty to continue to emphasize that cannabis can play a very important role in treating respiratory diseases such as multiple influenza strains and asthma. There is an ever-increasing demand for our cannabis-based drugs, and this demand is growing exponentially throughout the United States and the rest of the world because it works. Modern science supports the public demand for cannabis-based FDA approved drug products that reduce the impact of critical life altering illnesses. The public need for our products drives our efforts to rapidly move our drugs through all available regulatory channels. We believe this enormous public demand on a global scale is a major key to our success and we are very excited to be positioned to provide solutions.”

http://www.cannabisscience.com/

Very interesting. I hope that stubbornness won't get in the way of putting a good life-saving drug to work in the field, instead of it languishing in a lab somewhere.

Today I am just plain ticked off at our countries response to the H1N1 pandemic. Tomorrow I have to take Kate in for a shot even though I think she and the rest of my family have had H1N1 already. Because they are not testing for it there is no way to know so we need to still have the vaccination. What really sucks about this is that people start lining up 3 hours early. I am sure most of you can relate to standing in a line for even an hour with a child 4 yrs old or under. I am trying to make a plan to have a family member probably me stand in line and call someone else in the family that can get Kate there when it is her turn. This sucks and I think our government really let us down on this. Wrap was confused when I put our swine flu threads under homeland security. Well to me it is homeland security because if a flu virus does this to us how well are we prepared for something far worse than a virus? What is our government doing? They are suppose to protect us. I see this as bad news for our whole country. I am so pissed off that I or someone will be standing in line for hours outside in the cold.
:evil:

[quote="lindamarie"] This sucks and I think our government really let us down on this. What is our government doing? They are suppose to protect us. I see this as bad news for our whole country.

I agree totally, Lindamarie. This revalation was slapped in my face a few years ago. Having a first-hand, up close and personal experience with hurricand Katrina made me realize how much a failure our government can be.

I hope things move quickly for you and your wait isn't too bad and hard on you. We still are waiting here for the vaccine, although I won't get it on advise of my doctors, my other family members will, esp. grandchildren.

LM, can a child get H1N1 more than once? Would be nice if the dr's said no, wishful thinking on my part. Hope your time in line passes quickly.

After reading about Mimi's grandson it made me see that standing in line for hours will be worth it. I am sorry I complained. Kids need two shots I am reading now. Does anyone know if adults need two?

yes, adults also need two

scary times for America.

Update: My 15 y.o. dx. w/ H1N1 is finally on the mend. Sick X8 days and still coughing and very weak. He lost 7 lbs. And, he was on Tamiflu. They tx. my now 2 y.o. w/ Tamiflu b/c she has bad asthma...although w/out sx. of flu. My husband is at MD's now--he has it. Our schools average a 25%/day absenteeism rate. Scary stuff.

cherylz Thanks for updating us. H1N1 is not always fatal and your family is proof positive of that.

cherylz wrote:Update: My 15 y.o. dx. w/ H1N1 is finally on the mend. Sick X8 days and still coughing and very weak. He lost 7 lbs. And, he was on Tamiflu. They tx. my now 2 y.o. w/ Tamiflu b/c she has bad asthma...although w/out sx. of flu. My husband is at MD's now--he has it. Our schools average a 25%/day absenteeism rate. Scary stuff.

It sure does seem contagious, hope your husband does not get a bad case and glad your 15 year old better.

cherylz, glad to hear your children are on the mend. It is thanks to an excellent nurse they have I am sure. I hope your hubby and you will be okay too. My granddaughter showed signs of this last week, but a call to the doc was a surprise because the doc said it sounded like a case of strep and not the flu like we were all thinking and prescribed a strong antibiotic over the phone. Maybe your hubby has something else too? This isn't just scary, but also confusing, isn't it?

Katie got her first H1N1 shot today. I got in line about an hour before they started dispensing. It was a wild scene that made me think back of the "Asian Flu" days. I bet it was much like the Swine flu is for us right now. Hundreds of kids and some pregnant women were there. Some of those kids waited in line for hours to be the first one. It went really fast actually. They started dispensing at 3:00 pm just like they said. It went so fast that we could not get Katie there fast enough. Done and out of there by 4:20.
:cheers:
One down and one to go. People over the age of 10 only need one shot for some reason. Kids under 10 need two 30 days apart.

cherylz wrote:Update: My 15 y.o. dx. w/ H1N1 is finally on the mend. Sick X8 days and still coughing and very weak. He lost 7 lbs. And, he was on Tamiflu. They tx. my now 2 y.o. w/ Tamiflu b/c she has bad asthma...although w/out sx. of flu. My husband is at MD's now--he has it. Our schools average a 25%/day absenteeism rate. Scary stuff.

Cherylz, please forgive me for taking so long to respond. I am very happy your family got through this unscathed!!!

ATLANTA - Swine flu has sickened about 22 million Americans since April and killed nearly 4,000, including 540 children, say startling federal estimates released Thursday.

The figures — a quadrupling of previous death estimates — don't mean swine flu suddenly has worsened, and most cases still don't require a doctor's care. Instead, the numbers are a long-awaited better attempt to quantify the new flu's true toll.

"I am expecting all of these numbers, unfortunately, to continue to rise," said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We have a long flu season ahead of us."
And tight supplies of vaccine to combat the illness continue: Not quite 42 million doses are currently available, a few million less than CDC had predicted last week.

A new Associated Press-GfK poll shows nearly one in six parents has gotten at least some of their children vaccinated against swine flu since inoculations began last month. Another 14 percent of parents sought vaccine, but couldn't find any.

Only about 30 percent of children routinely get flu vaccinations during a normal winter. That even this many have gotten vaccinated against the new flu that scientists call the 2009 H1N1 strain despite the shortage suggests CDC's target-the-young message has gotten through.

But three times as many adults have tried and failed to find vaccine for themselves as have succeeded.

"I know they're trying their hardest," Joy McGavin of Pittston, Pa., said of the CDC's vaccine efforts. She hasn't yet found vaccine for her three children despite a persistent hunt — even though she and her youngest child are at extra risk because of chronic illnesses.

"But it is kind of frustrating, being as my children's school already shut down" because of a big outbreak, McGavin said.

And interest among the young adults who also are at high risk is waning fast, found the AP-GfK poll of 1,006 adults nationwide.

Thursday, Schuchat again urged patience in seeking vaccine.

"It's a marathon and not a sprint," she said. "More vaccine is being ordered and delivered and used every day."

Until now, the CDC has conservatively estimated more than 1,000 deaths and "many millions" of new H1N1 infections. The agency was devoting more time to battling the pandemic than to counting it, and earlier figures were based on laboratory-confirmed cases even as doctors largely quit using flu tests months ago — and experts knew that deaths from things like the bacterial pneumonia that often follows flu were being missed.

Thursday's report attempts to calculate the first six months of the new H1N1 strain's spread, from April through mid-October. The CDC said:

Some 98,000 people have been hospitalized from this new flu or its complications, including 36,000 children, 53,000 adults younger than 65 and 9,000 older adults.
Deaths could range from a low of 2,500 to as many as 6,100, depending on how the data's analyzed.
Some 8 million children have become ill, 12 million adults younger than 65 and 2 million older adults.
The estimate of child deaths may seem especially surprising, considering the CDC's conservative count of lab-confirmed deaths a week ago was 129.

"We don't think things have changed from last week to this week," Schuchat stressed, explaining the importance of looking beyond those lab counts. It's "a better estimate for the big picture of what's out there."

The question now is what effect those estimates will have on a public that largely views swine flu as not that big a threat.

The AP-GfK poll, conducted last weekend, found just 23 percent of responders — and 27 percent of parents — were very likely to keep seeking vaccine.

Stephanie Hannon of Douglas, Mass., decided to get a swine flu vaccine for just one of her three children, the one at extra risk because of asthma. She's concerned that the swine flu vaccine hasn't been studied long enough to justify for her less-at-risk youngsters.

"Only because of my other daughter's condition, I felt like I didn't have a choice," she said. "You never know if you make the right decision."

Swine flu targets young adults, too, yet just 16 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds were very likely to seek vaccine, down from 34 percent in September.

The AP-GfK Poll was conducted November 5-9 by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Media. It involved landline and cell phone interviews with 1,006 adults nationwide, and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Swine flu sickened about 22 million Americans between April and mid-October — and the newly estimated toll is only expected to rise, government health officials said Thursday.

About 4,000 people have died, including 540 children, said Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDC's director of immunization and respiratory diseases.

The startling new figures — about four times higher than previous death estimates — don't mean swine flu has suddenly gotten worse. Instead, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday called them a long-awaited better attempt to understand the virus' true toll.

"Things haven't really changed from last week to this week, we just feel like we're finally able to update the public on the toll this virus has taken so far," Schuchat said.

The CDC now believes that about 98,000 people have been hospitalized in the first six months of the nation's swine flu epidemic, including 36,000 children.

The new, higher figure was first reported by The New York Times. It includes deaths caused by complications related to swine flu, including pneumonia and bacterial infections.

Until now, the CDC had conservatively put the U.S. swine flu death count at more than 1,000. Officials said this week they're working on an even more accurate calculation.

New calculations better track disease
The new estimates more closely match the way government officials estimate the toll of seasonal flu. The numbers are based on a 10-state surveillance system that tracks specific cases in 562 counties, and also on aggregate reports of illness and death in other states.

Previous estimates were based on laboratory-confirmed illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths.

The new figures, which track from April to Oct. 17, actually suggest a wide range of effect, with the number of estimated hospitalizations ranging from 63,000 to 153,000 and deaths ranging from 2,500 to as many as 6,100.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33881535/ns/health-cold_and_flu

Thanks for the article, Linda Marie.

The H1N1 vaccine is NOT in Texas yet!!! Unreal!

I just read the above nice words...thanks guys for thinking of us!!! (This topic never showed up in "new views" till today).
My H. had it and was treated w/ Tamiflu. And, my Doc put me on a preventive dose--but, only 1/2 dose due to an underlying condition. It worked I did not get it! And, thank God, neither did my 3 daughters!
My 2 yo was just vaccinated w/ her 1st dose on Sat. The schools in our district are vaccinating the school-age kids but not till December 1st and 3rd. Hopefully, once ppl get vacc., there will be a big lull in cases.

lindamarie wrote:After reading about Mimi's grandson it made me see that standing in line for hours will be worth it. I am sorry I complained. Kids need two shots I am reading now. Does anyone know if adults need two?

director of health and human services stated that one shot is enough, but i think they are still giving two to the kids just in case

Flu infections starting to peak in some areas:

By Laura MacInnis Laura Macinnis – Fri Nov 13, 1:22 pm ET

GENEVA (Reuters) – Flu infections may be peaking in some parts of the northern hemisphere, but are still spreading fast in others, the World Health Organization said on Friday.

In an update on the H1N1 swine flu virus, the WHO said parts of the southern and southeastern United States, as well as Iceland and Ireland, seemed to have weakening levels of disease after an unusually early start of the winter flu season.

But the U.N. agency, which declared a global flu pandemic in June, said that big sections of the United States were still experiencing "widespread and intense" flu infections.

It described waves of outbreaks across Canada and in Mexico, where the first severe cases were identified earlier this year.

"In Europe and central Asia, overall influenza transmission continues to intensify," the WHO said, adding that almost all the influenza viruses analyzed in Europe in recent weeks have been the H1N1 strain and not seasonal flu.

The pandemic virus has now spread to 206 countries, with the latest reported laboratory-confirmed cases in Somalia, Nigeria and Burundi. There have been more than 6,250 deaths to date, mostly in the Americas region, according to the WHO toll.

While saying "high to very high intensity of respiratory diseases" have been reported in some parts of Europe including Belarus, Bulgaria and Russia, it said experts were now less concerned about a big outbreak in Ukraine.

"The initial analysis of information from Ukraine indicates that the numbers of severe cases do not appear to be excessive when compared to the experience of other countries and do not represent any change in the transmission or virulence of the virus," it said in a statement posted on the WHO website.

Ukraine and Belarus have recently extended school breaks due to fears about the pandemic virus while Afghanistan declared a health emergency and ordered its schools shut for three weeks to battle it.

WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said that school closures were among steps that could slow viral spread at the beginning of an outbreak, but had less usefulness once the flu had reached 5 percent of a given population.

"After the virus becomes more widespread in a country, closing schools has less of an impact," he told a news briefing earlier this week. "If you take a decision to close schools and universities and other institutions you have to be aware there are social and economic consequences of this decision."

In new guidance also published on Friday, WHO experts said that people planning "mass gatherings" of 1,000 people or more should consult with public health authorities to make sure the events do not amplify the spread of pandemic flu.

"The decision to proceed with a mass gathering or to restrict, modify, postpone or cancel the event should be based on a thorough risk assessment," it said in the recommendations published on www.who.int.

Guests and participants should also be encouraged to follow the same flu-fighting steps the WHO has widely urged, including to stay home and especially avoid travel when unwell, to clean hands frequently and to cover coughs and sneezes.

"Where possible, organizers should consider distancing measures to reduce close contact among people during a mass gathering," it said, suggesting for example that transport be staggered and food and drink stations spread out to avoid unnecessary congregation.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091113/ts_nm/us_flu_who

My history..I hope it helps.

Last Thursday I decided I was being silly not getting a flu shot. So I went in and got one of the last regular flu shots they had. Saturday evening I started feeling really cold, chilled. Went to bed with the chills and a terrible headache. Sunday tired and in and out of bed all day. Stomach hurting and no appetite. Bathroom problems too. Monday kind of recovering took shower.
Tuesday up and about in the house. Started coughing and having trouble breathing. Wednesday complete relapse. Called the doctor and he had me come in for five shots. Antibiotics, stomach and others I can't even remember. By the way, when I told my daughter, the nurse, she said I can ask for a list of what I was shot up with so I can read it when I get home. And probably tell her. Thursday and Today I am kind of out of it. My breathing is hard but no pain. My cough is sooo low and tight I am wearing a mini. The doctor gave me Mucinex and an inhaler. I have never used an inhaler but am keeping it close by in case I need it.

I don't know if this is regular flu from the shot or swine flu? I know it is terrible.

Thank goodness our hospital is close by.

I always thought of the boards as a great place to discuss things and people in the news. When the news slowed down we came up with other subjects. Now we have this flu season and I see this forum being a great service to all of us members.
What a blessing.

Thank all of you sooooo much.

Oh, jeanne, you are really very, very sick!---So sorry to hear of this! Looks like you are one of those people who shouldn't get flu shots. I hope you are not developing pneumonia there. From what I read of a little local girl, that is the scenario of her H1N1, she got better, than worse. Please take care.

Jeanne...fever??? The other sx. sound like the H1N1. Seasonal flu has not yet started.

Sounds just like H1N1. Please take care of your self jeanne. The bug we had go around our house like that lasted 4 weeks with huge respiratory issues. Good care when your sick with the flu is the key to getting better.

Thank you all for your kind thoughts. I think I read somewhere there is no way to tell if it is swine flu?

I asked the nurse that gave me the shots if I had swine flu and she said "I had that a few weeks ago and you are not sick enough". She said she was so sick she could not even walk.

Thinking about what I said there has to be a test??? How could they have "confirmed" cases if no test?

I am a bit "not in my right mind" so pardon anything I say.

Jeanne, are you allergic to eggs? Do you smoke? If you answered NO to those questions, I would say you have the H1N1. I am not a doctor but really..it sounds like you have the swine flu.

How are you today? Any better? If not, you may want to go to the ER!!

I tend to gauge a sickness buy one's strength. My son was in bed, down for the count for 3 days and my H. for 2 1/2 days. Temps were 101.4 and 102 respectively. Cough deep and non-productive. Real bad for a few days, but they still have it now.
Also bad body aches. Does this sound familiar Jeanne? Prob. too late for you to get Tamiflu. Rest and hydrate. Take Mucinex and a fever reducer.
They were both put on Tamiflu w/in 48 hrs of sx. Supposedly shortens the severity of sx. and the duration of the illness.
I hope you feel better, it just takes time.

http://www.nationalterroralert.com/updates/2009/11/18/black-lung-virus-mystery-in-ukraine/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NationalTerrorAlertResourceCenter+%28National+Terror+Alert+Response+Center%29

The above link is to a story from the National Terror Alert. In the Ukraine, they suspect the Swine Flu virus may have mutated and, if they are right, the world will be in for another round of a deadly disease. They are calling it black lung because it turns the lungs black. As if we don't have enough to worry about, now this? I sure hope they are wrong!

There is a nice video news report on this link.

When I first heard this it confused me, black lung is caused by exposure to coal over a period of time. By mutating, it must be the making of the lungs turn the color black that is why they call it this. Wonder why the lungs are turning black?? So scary.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/26/h1n1.bacterial.pnuemonia/index.html
By Miriam Falco, CNN
November 26, 2009 1:57 a.m. EST

Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- As H1N1 cases are rising, so are bacterial pneumonia cases, health officials are finding.

They're seeing an increase in flu complications leading to pneumonia. At the same time, the flu is at record levels because of the new H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu.

The number of cases is outpacing the typical number of regular flu cases at this time of year. Cases of regular flu usually peak between December and May.

"We're seeing an increase in serious pneumococcal infectious around the country," said Dr. Anne Schuchat, who heads the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC tracks pneumococcal infections with help from 10 state health departments.

For instance, Denver, Colorado, averages about 20 cases of pneumonia in October during a regular flu season, Schuchat said. But "in October 2009, they had nearly triple that number."

The Denver area has seen 58 flu-related pneumonia cases, and at least two-thirds of those sickened were aged 20 to 60, she said.

During a regular flu season, most serious cases of flu and flu-related pneumonia occur in people 65 or older. However, people younger than 65 are much more vulnerable to H1N1, because the virus is unlike any other flu their bodies have come in contact with.

A flu infection thins the lining of the respiratory tract, making the lungs more vulnerable to bacteria that can cause pneumonia.

CDC officials are urging high-risk adults to get vaccinations against both pneumonia and H1N1.

Smokers and people with diabetes; chronic heart, lung and liver disease; or HIV are considered high-risk.

Only 25 percent of high-risk adults under age 65 have gotten a pneumonia vaccination, Schuchat said at a news briefing Wednesday.

"It's a vaccine you pretty much get once as an adult, not every year, the way the flu vaccine works," she said.

The CDC also announced that 7 million more doses of H1N1 vaccine have been made available since Friday, bringing the total doses available so far to 61.2 million.

CDC officials have studied safety data since H1N1 vaccinations started in early October.

"So far, everything we've seen is very reassuring," Schuchat said. " ... we're seeing patterns that are pretty much exactly what were seeing with the seasonal flu vaccine."

Most of the reported side effects include sore arms and tenderness at the injection site.

Health officials are particularly interested in a side effect that can cause a rare neurological illness called Guillain-Barre syndrome, because the last time a large-scale pandemic vaccination program was launched, in 1976, there was an alarming rise in Guillain-Barre cases.

This time, after millions of Americans have been vaccinated, Schuchat said, only 10 potential cases of Guillain-Barre have been reported, which is similar to what health officials see during a regular flu season.

Thanks for this post, Nitespinner.

You get the pneumonia vaccine every 5 years. I was due and got one as my last was in 2004. Also, this Guillain-Barre syndrome scares the crap out of me due to my neuropathy. Not sure whether to get the damned thing or not, but still not smoking.

In general, I think that it is better to get the vaccine and take your chances w/side effects rather than not get it and possibly get this horrible bug. This is my opinion only.

my friend's MIL developed Guillian-Barre syndrome after her shot. she looks like she has had a stroke, one side of her face is hanging and she cannot chew on that side. Awful thing to see.

well FYI, the risks for GB syndrome are the same with the regular flu shot as with the H1N1 flu shot.

So sorry to hear that your friend has suffered such an awful reaction to the shot, Critter. Thanks for posting about it because it is better to know about the risks to make a wiser decision for ourselves.

Wow, Critter..that is horrible. I am so sorry for your friends MIL.

I go back on the 8th to see my neurologist. I am going to really bug her about this. If the risks are the same with the regular flu shot, than the horse has already left the barn!!

well heres the deal wrap, nobody knows what causes GB syndrome, and this H1N1 vaccine is new, so really they arent sure if the risks are the same exact percentage statistically the same as the seasonal flu shot.. but there is a risk with both shots, and according to news reports now, it is rare. Im not saying you shouldnt worry about it, of course you should always be informed of any risk, im just saying that if youve already gotten a flu shot in the past and not worried about it (we all have a comfortable level of worry) than just compare the current numbers of GB with H1N1. Of course its going to be very hard to find cases, as their arent that many H1N1 shots given out right now. the truth is, we dont really know the true frequency for H1N1.

im very sorry to hear about your MIL critter.

I just read the AM newspaper and was amazed to find an article about cooking and handling chicken very carefully. They tested all brands and found campylobacter and salmonella in a very high percentage. My point is that they said in that article that Campylobacter (which I already knew is a leading cause of ulcers) can cause Meningitis, Arthritis, and get this----Guillian-Barre Syndrome!

It would seem that many things can cause this syndrome.

My daughter in law's sister lives in Turkey (she's Christian) told us that none of the Muslim's will be be getting the H1N1 shot because it is made with pork.