Swine Flu Vaccine Debated as H1N1 Deaths Rise

Swine H1N1 Flu Shots Risks Dangers Cautions Precautions Debate

Oct 18, 2009

Aerosol Spread of Flu is Significant, Philadelphia government (U.S.)

Parents and guardians of children are dealing more suspiciously with the swine flu H1N1 vaccine more than any other vaccine in recent years. Why are there vaccine doubts?

During the Fall and the remainder of 2009 and into 2010, massive doses of the swine flu will be available to protect children, pregnant women and others against the H1N1 swine flu. Some are delaying, waiting and debating what to do. Think well here, and now, and decide — it could be a life or death decision.

Vaccination or Shot Risks in General and Flu Vaccination Risks in Particular

Life has risk. There are high risk and low risk situations. Driving to work is more dangerous than air travel based on total and average miles travelled per passenger. Yet, more people drive than fly, and they take that risk out of necessity. Life insurance companies assess risk and manage risk with charts, tables, and figures to determine morbidity and mortality for motorcyclists, skydivers, tightrope walkers, car drivers, office workers, homemakers males, females, etc., and those assessments are very important.

Consider vaccination. People who are not vaccinated against diphtheria, measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, and whooping cough are more likely to get these diseases, if exposed to agents of these diseases. Legal mandates require vaccinations upon enrollment and prior to actual school attendance. These vaccines are not perfect, but they work well, and are required for the common good.

Consider the swine flu vaccine — it is not required, or mandated, for children attending public schools. The first decision is whether to permit the child to be injected or sprayed with Swine Flu H1N1 vaccine. The parent controls the agenda here. The important question is — are there dangers with this swine flu vaccine and, if so, what are they?

Swine Flu Vaccination or Shots, Good or Bad, Dangerous or Not?

Here are some facts:

117 children and teens have died from the swine flu since August of 2009.
pregnant woman are at increased risk.
cases and deaths are rising through 2009 as the CDC updates are posted. The epidemic may not peak until February - March 2010 which is the 1-year anniversary period of H1N1 swine flu.
the swine flu vaccine is apparently safe, and is not causing death or disability based on the current available data. During the period August 30 - October 31, 2009, 672 deaths have been lab-confirmed as due to H1N1.
failure to get vaccinated increases the risk of acquiring epidemic H1N1 swine flu.
vaccination reduces the chances of getting the swine flu, and transmitting the flu.
any risk of disability and death associated with swine flu vaccination is far less than death or disability with the wild strain.
unvaccinated children risk death from swine flu.
FluMist is an effective, attenuated vaccine for people ages 2-49. (flumist.com/Flumist-Flu-Shot.aspx)
for adults killed vaccines were more protective and efficacious than attenuated influenza vaccines during the influenza epidemic period 2007-2008. This was reported by Monto et al. in the New England Journal of Medicine 361:1260-1267, September 24, 2009, Number 13, Comparative Efficacy of Inactivated and Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccines.

Swine Flu Shots or Vaccines, Logical Conclusions to Vaccinate or Not Vaccinate

All those who are legally responsible for children need to consider these five concluding ideas for swine flu vaccination:

The vaccine is safer than the wild, virulent H1N1 swine flu causing the pandemic.
FluMist Swine flu H1N1 vaccine spray with live, attenuated viruses is as safe a vaccine as killed flu vaccine.
The H1N1 swine flu seems more virulent for children than recent epidemic flu strains.
Vaccination is a preferred preventative, anti-viral therapy is used to treat active disease only.
Vaccination prevention is a wise decision, exposed by most doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, public health authorities, and agencies.

Logical and thoroughly-discussed parent and guardian decisions are important. This brief scientific inquiry should provide some insights into swine flu vaccination.

For more information about influenza vaccine types and the basics of pandemics and epidemics the highlighted words will link directly to those sites. Be alert and be prepared.

Health professionals are needed now more than ever – consider careers in medicine and its allied health fields of nursing, medical technology, radiation technology, respiratory therapy, and physical therapy.

Resources

Timbury, M.C. et al. 2002. Notes on Medical Microbiology. Churchill Livingstone, New York. 598 pp

The copyright of the article Swine Flu Vaccine Debated as H1N1 Deaths Rise in Scientific Inquiry is owned by Donald Reinhardt. Permission to republish Swine Flu Vaccine Debated as H1N1 Deaths Rise in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.