H1N1 shot ... for those of you going in November/early December

[AZMyers]

We're leaving in less than three weeks and the h1n1 shot is available in Manitoba starting tomorrow. My best friend is a pharmacist and said DH and I should get it before we leave....I'm not sure what to do as I don't want to be the first round of people to get the vaccine. I also don't want to get sick on our trip from the plane or all the crowds. It is only available for high risk individuals at the start so if it's not available to everyone by the time we leave, then I guess our question will be answered for us.

For those of you leaving in November/early December, what are you planning on doing. Getting it before or after your trip?

[TanteDidi]

We are leaving for Disney in a 1 week and we wont have the vaccine before we go. and I would not take the chance of get the vaccine less then 2 or 3 weeks before a trip in case of some reaction from it.

After the trip, I will see if we will get it or not... my decision is not made right now :confused3

[cab0899]

My son and I are getting into today (Manitoba) but we're included in the first priorities as I work in health care and he has a chronic disease. Hopefully dd and DH will get it before we leave at the end of November.

[Ted in Halifax]

My family gets it tomorrow (the shot) and we leave in 10 days ....

[riu girl]

If you live in a household where one member is asthmatic, would that allow you (the asthmatic person plus the people who live with her) to get the H1N1 vaccine with the high risk group (first round of vaccines)?

[casper_jj11]

If you live in a household where one member is asthmatic, would that allow you (the asthmatic person plus the people who live with her) to get the H1N1 vaccine with the high risk group (first round of vaccines)?

That's a really good question. I'd like to know too. I have three kiddos with asthma. The two youngest will get the shot but my oldest had a reaction to teh flu shot last year and his paed recommends that he not get the h1n1... I'm going to get it but if I could get it the same time as my two youngest (both under 4), that would be perfect.

[dennise]

I got mine last Friday, but it will be up to 10 days before I am fully protected.

[snickerboo]

If you live in a household where one member is asthmatic, would that allow you (the asthmatic person plus the people who live with her) to get the H1N1 vaccine with the high risk group (first round of vaccines)?
__________________

Depends on your health unit. I called ours last week and left a message because I wnated to make sure dd's asthma qualified under their terminology "chronic condition". The nurse that called back left a message saying that, if I wanted, I could be vaccinated as well to save me coming back just for myself. I'm hoping that will apply for ds, too, since he's 6 so not in the 'young' category. I'll find out Wednesday. But I know another health unit nearby said they will not vaccinate you if you are not in the priority groups.

We leave one week tomorrow.Wednesday won't give us full immunity (kids need two shots, they *think* but are now saying maybe not, 21 days apart) but it's better than nothing. I don't care if we get sick, just don't want my kids to end up in hospital.

Stay healthy everyone! Wash hands a lot!

[LauraLap]

We are going on Wednesday to get the shot, exactly 10 days before we leave. It is the first day it is available in my area, so we may be waiting awhile in line! It will get us ready for Disney lines anyway ;)

The problem is, only DD qualifies as "high risk" because she is 4. I'm hoping DS will be OK because he is 5 and just over the recommended age....and then I'm going to beg if I can get it myself. I've had pneumonia twice in the last two years and I am just scared to death of this flu!

[Calgary DISHeads]

We're leaving in less than three weeks and the h1n1 shot is available in Manitoba starting tomorrow. My best friend is a pharmacist and said DH and I should get it before we leave....I'm not sure what to do as I don't want to be the first round of people to get the vaccine. I also don't want to get sick on our trip from the plane or all the crowds. It is only available for high risk individuals at the start so if it's not available to everyone by the time we leave, then I guess our question will be answered for us.

For those of you leaving in November/early December, what are you planning on doing. Getting it before or after your trip?

From what I understand this vaccine is the same one that has already been used in Australia etc, as they have already been through their flu season. So, they would have been the guinea pigs. Anyone know if this is true?

[nat1234]

That's a really good question. I'd like to know too. I have three kiddos with asthma. The two youngest will get the shot but my oldest had a reaction to teh flu shot last year and his paed recommends that he not get the h1n1... I'm going to get it but if I could get it the same time as my two youngest (both under 4), that would be perfect.

I'm pretty sure that since you have a child with a chronic condition who can't receive the flu shot, that you qualify to get it the first round out. They are offering it to people who are caregivers to people with chronic conditions who can't get the shots because they don't want them to get the flu. My son also has asthma and my daughter's school was declared as having an outbreak yesterday, so I'll be in line tomorrow getting my son's flu shot.

[mickeywho?]

We are going on Wednesday to get the shot, exactly 10 days before we leave. It is the first day it is available in my area, so we may be waiting awhile in line! It will get us ready for Disney lines anyway ;)

The problem is, only DD qualifies as "high risk" because she is 4. I'm hoping DS will be OK because he is 5 and just over the recommended age....and then I'm going to beg if I can get it myself. I've had pneumonia twice in the last two years and I am just scared to death of this flu!

I called Halton Public Health yesterday to find out how strict they were going to be a the clinics this week. We leave on the 7th for our trip and I had hoped that we could get our shots before traveling. I was told that "no one will be turned away no matter what their health or occupation" and that really I was not jumping the line etc. There is more than enough vaccine to go around - they just want to run the clinics in an orderly fashion and want those with compromising health conditions or occupations that would put them at high risk to make sure to get in as quickly as possible. So we are off to the clinic tomorrow and if it's too crazy busy we'll go back on Friday.

We don't always get the seasonal flu shot. I don't worry if I miss it and until the last couple of years I never got it for my kids. I really feel they are generally healthy and could risk getting the flu. But a dear friend of mine is an ER doc and I've been talking to her a great deal about H1N1. What helped me decide to get this vaccine was something she said that really spelled it out for me.
"I saw another seven H1N1-sick people today, mostly under 20 year olds. Two were very sick with secondary pneumonias and I hope they don't deteriorate to the point that will require hospitalization. H1N1 is now widespread in our community and I believe that most young people will get either the disease or the vaccine, whichever occurs first. There will be complications, some severe for unknown reasons, with both those who get the disease as well as those who get the vaccine, but the risks from the disease is estimated to be at lease 4-6x the risks of getting the vaccine based on previous experience. " Her opinion of course, but I do value it, and I'm certainly convinced to get the vaccine.

[disneyfan2]

From what I understand this vaccine is the same one that has already been used in Australia etc, as they have already been through their flu season. So, they would have been the guinea pigs. Anyone know if this is true?

although, i have read that in Australia they were not giving it to kids under the age of 10 :confused3 so that kinda worries me. Not sure if it is true, but my kids have both been sick FLu-but did not test for H1N1, doctor advised not to come unless they don't get better. Thankfully , they are better but not 100%

[honeymooner09]

We can't get it here (Newfoundland) until Nov 2. We leave Nov 18. I am planning on getting it but am a little afraid of any reaction after.

But still will be getting it if I can before I go.

[snickerboo]

I was told that "no one will be turned away no matter what their health or occupation" and that really I was not jumping the line etc. There is more than enough vaccine to go around - they just want to run the clinics in an orderly fashion and want those with compromising health conditions or occupations that would put them at high risk to make sure to get in as quickly as possible. So we are off to the clinic tomorrow and if it's too crazy busy we'll go back on Friday.

Just got back from our clinic and they were telling people they have to come back when they open for the general public in two weeks. Hope you guys can get your shots. We got ours. Dd has asthma. I had called last week about her asthma and the health nurse said my son and I could also get them then rather than coming back but we wouldn't have gotten them if she hadn't told me that.

So far so good. They say your arm really hurts the next day so we'll see. Personally, I would be sad if the trip were cancelled because we got the flu but I have been more worried about my asthmatic daughter taking very sick with H1N1 while we were in California. She won't have full immmunity when we're there but she should have built enough antibodies to keep her from being hospitalized. That's the most important thing.

[LauraLap]

Myself and both kids were able to get vaccinated today after a lengthy 4+ hour wait - yikes! But I'm happy I got it.

Mickeywho - Were you in that huge line in Acton today? It was horrible, but I'm so happy it's overwith (for now, until the kids need their second shot).

[Harvestdj]

:sick:We leave on 1 December. We got our shots today after a 3 hour wait but we wanted to get it early enough that we can recover befor our trip if there are complications from the shots.

[mickeywho?]

Myself and both kids were able to get vaccinated today after a lengthy 4+ hour wait - yikes! But I'm happy I got it.

Mickeywho - Were you in that huge line in Acton today? It was horrible, but I'm so happy it's overwith (for now, until the kids need their second shot).

We were going to head over to the clinic in Oakville but I only had a 2 hour window before I had to get back to work. I heard so many stories today about the long waits and many parking tickets. Apparently the police just walked up and down Bronte Rd handing out tickets - they did very well today!
I'm heading over tomorrow - the clinic opens at 4pm but I'll be there around 2 and hopefully will be in as soon as it opens. I'm taking the kids out of school early just for this...they can't decide if that's a good thing or not!:rotfl:

[minnie56]

You know, they scare us half to death then make us scramble to clinics and wait hours?? If there's enough vaccine, why? Why can they not allow family Dr's to vaccinate as well?????? What a fiasco!

[Calgary DISHeads]

DH and kids went yesterday in Calgary and only stood in line just over an hour. They have changed it up so they only offer H1N1 shots as opposed to doing the flu and pneumonia shots also. Unfortunately until I get the results of my swab back I won't know if I need the shot or not.

[Tantor]

You know, they scare us half to death then make us scramble to clinics and wait hours?? If there's enough vaccine, why? Why can they not allow family Dr's to vaccinate as well?????? What a fiasco!

The media has whipped this into a frenzy now and people are panicking. People really need to let the high risk get there shots now.......
I will wait a couple of weeks and get the shot. I have told my DD to make sure that she uses the hand sanitizer and that she also washes her hands(ie use common sense).

There are some family doctors that signed on but I believe it's the paper work that is the issue (lots of it) and the size of the dosages.

[tigger2on]

:headache:
We now have to wait as 5 out of 6 in our family were exposed to H1N1 and came down with some severe flu. I have 3 under 5 that have it now and it is painful as myself and hubby have it to. The cough hurts sooo much that it feels like your chest will collapse, and it is really tight. Extremely high fever.... 103+, muscles and joint ache like you need to be oiled and chills that give you goosebumps even when yu are under 2 heavy quilts. I also had the worst headache of my life yesterday.... we have NOT been tested for H1N1 as the results take longer than the duration of the symptoms but are being treated as such. My one year was sooo irritable and floppy yesterday .... scared the bugs outta me... could not get his fever down and almost took him to emerg but when I called they said stay home if he was conscious and drinking....
This is NOT something I would wish on my worst enemy and I have had the flu before.

[canadianjovigirl]

We have to skip it as we leave in 48 hours and all my kids are getting over a cold (a regualar cold....runny nose, sore throat, no fever, no aches)...so i guess we will hope for the best and make a decision at the end of November as to if we will do the vaccination or not.............

[BellyBaby]

If there's enough vaccine, why? Why can they not allow family Dr's to vaccinate as well?????? What a fiasco!

My guess is that Dr's will cost the system way, way more to administer than the local health nurse. It always comes down to $$ :teacher:

We're weren't going to get it, but yes, got sucked into the media frenzy, no one wants it to be "their" family to have a terrible experience. But we're not so scared that we're going to rush in and wait 3 hours. Maybe mid to end of Nov. I'm lucky that my DD4 doesn't go to daycare, so less exposure. And hoping my teen is smart enough to keep washing.

[hopeis]

They won't be immunizing children in my daughter's school until after November 30th! Though my almost 2 year old can get her's on Monday. Then hubby & I have seasonal asthma so not sure when we'll get ours... I was told by someone who works in health care that our province doesn't have enough so I don't know! "They" would turn away anyone who wasn't pregnant or under 2. Hard to find factual information though!

[Kris74]

We all got ours yesterday DH and DS have asthma. No troubles other then a 2 hour wait.

[AZMyers]

In order to be protected before we leave we need to get vaccinataed before Thursday to allow for the 10 days for the vaccine to work. Now in Manitoba they're saying they'll run out of vaccines by Monday!

I'm trying not to get myself worked up if I can't get it by Thursday. I guess there's nothing I can do. I'm going to enjoy my trip!! Hopefully everything will be OK.

[AZMyers]

We all got ours yesterday DH and DS have asthma. No troubles other then a 2 hour wait.

Looks like we're going on the same day!

[snickerboo]

You know, they scare us half to death then make us scramble to clinics and wait hours?? If there's enough vaccine, why? Why can they not allow family Dr's to vaccinate as well?????? What a fiasco!
__________________
Because there's not enough *right now*. If you follow this closely what they are saying is that there will be enough for everyone to be vaccinated eventually ("by Christmas" was what I saw on CTV yesterday)-NOT that they have enough right now. But it's in every corner of Canada NOW, it's in our kids' schools NOW. Now there's a shortfall in vaccine to be delivered next week because the government asked GSK to make unadjuvanted instead for the small amount of the pop that eed that. GSK can't make both at the same time so the adjuvanted went on the backburner and now provinces will be getting a large shiortfall of avccine this week, meaning it will be 2nd week Nov by the time general Canadians can start being vaccinated. Call me crazy, but since th evaccine takes at least 21 days to be effective in children, and my dd has 10 kids absent in her class today, and 1/4 of the school is out sick, isn't that way too late? I think that people will get it before they can be vaccinated then we'll end up with a big stockpile of vaccine that no one wanst that taxpayers paid for.

[granolacruncher11]

EXCELLENT observation snickerboo....ITA!

[AZMyers]

In order to be protected before we leave we need to get vaccinataed before Thursday to allow for the 10 days for the vaccine to work. Now in Manitoba they're saying they'll run out of vaccines by Monday!

I'm trying not to get myself worked up if I can't get it by Thursday. I guess there's nothing I can do. I'm going to enjoy my trip!! Hopefully everything will be OK.

I was able to go yesterday!

I'm so glad I did. Now I will not be so parranoid. I think my DH is glad I got it....I was driving him nuts with my paranoia!! =)

[Calgary DISHeads]

__________________
Because there's not enough *right now*. If you follow this closely what they are saying is that there will be enough for everyone to be vaccinated eventually ("by Christmas" was what I saw on CTV yesterday)-NOT that they have enough right now. But it's in every corner of Canada NOW, it's in our kids' schools NOW. Now there's a shortfall in vaccine to be delivered next week because the government asked GSK to make unadjuvanted instead for the small amount of the pop that eed that. GSK can't make both at the same time so the adjuvanted went on the backburner and now provinces will be getting a large shiortfall of avccine this week, meaning it will be 2nd week Nov by the time general Canadians can start being vaccinated. Call me crazy, but since th evaccine takes at least 21 days to be effective in children, and my dd has 10 kids absent in her class today, and 1/4 of the school is out sick, isn't that way too late? I think that people will get it before they can be vaccinated then we'll end up with a big stockpile of vaccine that no one wanst that taxpayers paid for.

I absolutely hear what you are saying, and the situation we have placed in is absolutely not acceptable. However, the vaccine will not go to waste. Even if you have been confirmed with H1N1 you still need the vaccine. I am living proof, as advised by the Calgary Health Region. Frustration for me is that there is no vaccine here in Calgary for high risk vaccination clinics. When there was vaccination clinics open I was in isolation with the flu. I am now sick with bronchitis and pneomonitis, went back to work for one day after the flu, now and down with this. It's been two weeks.

[hopeis]

Well, over here in SK we are still waiting to have our children vaccinated... it has only been pregnant women and children 6 months to 5 years. They have just opened it up for children under 10 with underlying health problems... not sure when all the other kids will get their needles. Who knows when it'll be available for the adults.
We've been told that they 'should' have a second vaccine BUT the health unit doesn't know when they'll receive more so are trying to get the kids their first dose.
Little worrysome, we are running out of time before we leave. I would really like a good two weeks before our trip to make sure there are no reactions!
Kids are getting sick (seasonal flu I suspect). Our schools are required to sent a letter home once they have 10% absent. There are a few in our system that have had that letter. Staff have been told that if the pandemic hits that no one will be allowed any extra time off... which means our trip would be cancelled ~ we both work for the school and were taking a few extra days with our winter break.
Lets hope all our kids can be safe!!

[Ham Ham]

During both SARS out breaks in 2003 I spent most of my days in, around and hospitals close to the women and men fighting the virus daily on the frontline.
SARS havd a higher chance of not you surviving once you were diagnosed with it.

Chances of contracting SARS was very low for most people as it was mostly contained to medical facilities.

Swine flu isn it is out in the community. Far more people will contract Swine Flu than Sars. One of the questions about is H1N1 more dangerous?
Most folks who contract H1N1 will survive.

Stay informed glean information from different sources. Wash those hands.

Here's a link to CBC's Swine Flu page. Plenty of info.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/flu/