Hypothetical: Who should get bird flu vaccine first?

[luvwinnie]

I posted this link in another thread, but in case someone here didn't see it and is interested:

http://med-owl.com/health/H5N1-Virus-Therapy.html

 

[luvwinnie]

Well, at least ONE of the vaccines they are working on is LIVE:

Vaccine Provides 100 Percent Protection Against Avian Flu Virus In Animal Study
University of Pittsburgh researchers announced they have genetically engineered an avian flu vaccine from the critical components of the deadly H5N1 virus that completely protected mice and chickens from infection. Avian flu has devastated bird populations in Southeast Asia and Europe and so far has killed more than 80 people.

Because this vaccine contains a live virus, it may be more immune-activating than avian flu vaccines prepared by traditional methods, say the researchers

I hope someone can come up with a killed virus vaccine if a pandemic does occur.

 

[MouseWorshipin]

Here's my opinion, but I'm sure WHO would take precedence.

First should be people who work with birds. Then, the military and healthcare people. Then children, then old people, then regular adults.

 

[delilah]

The people who are at highest risk of complications should they get the flu. People over 55, those with impaired immunity or chronic lung or cardiac function. And those who take care of them, including health professionals of all types--doctors, nurses, etc.

 

[N.Bailey]

If it's a LIVE virus vaccine, I believe pregnant woman wouldn't be able to take it...or perhaps it would still be better than "Taking the chances", but it would be risky. People with autoimmune disease (like me) and those on immunsuppressant drugs also shouldn't have LIVE vaccines.

I wondered if they'd give it to a pregnant woman after I posted, but thought, if not, someone will come along and state otherwise. So, I thank you for that.

If this thing comes around and you're pregnant, stay inside at all costs! I think it's sad that the mortality rate was so high for pregnant woman in 1918. I do wonder if we should expect the same today? I recall watching a Titanic movie (not the newest one) and they were talking about these wonderful things called vitamins. LOL I doubt many people (pregnant or otherwise) took them back in 1918. Maybe out outcome would be different today?

 

[mickeyfan2]

I say working age adults first. They will keep the country running. Then children since they are the future workers.

 

[mickeyfan2]

I voted the elderly because from what I have read, they are at most risk...people with weakened immune systems being the next in line.

Actually the 1918 pandemic attacked healthy adults most. The reason give was they had the strongest immune systems and those immune systems went overboard and caused more deaths.

 

[N.Bailey]

Military should be the option and should be the first to get any vaccine. Many of our troops are actively deployed to areas of the world where Bird Fluhas already been found. Assuming that it could mutate and pass person-to-person, they could infect entire cities in no time at all. Anyone ever consider how many military personnel are stationed in and right outside of Washington, DC?

You have a very good point. Check back to the 1918 epidemic and see how it originally was passed. It spread rapidly thru our military while the government was reassuring the rest of the country that it wasn't going to hit the public sector. IMO, should this become another pandemic, I fully believe this lie will repeat itself all over again.

 

[mickeyfan2]

You have a very good point. Check back to the 1918 epidemic and see how it originally was passed. It spread rapidly thru our military while the government was reassuring the rest of the country that it wasn't going to hit the public sector. IMO, should this become another pandemic, I fully believe this lie will repeat itself all over again.

The reason it hit the military so hard was the age of the recruits. They were late teens and early 20s. They had the strongest immune systems. See my post above for why that was a problem.

 

[luvwinnie]

The reason it hit the military so hard was the age of the recruits. They were late teens and early 20s. They had the strongest immune systems. See my post above for why that was a problem.

Also see the link I posted...explains cytokine storm and how it's your immune system that actually kills you.

 

[luvwinnie]

Oh, no, did I kill the thread??

 

[Tiggeroo]

health care workers, vital employees such as nuclear power plant and other energy services, followed by those wiho normally get flu vaccines first such as elderly, people with asthma, immune compromised. The people most likely to develop complications.
I think if a vaccine is developed we need to channel a large amount of money toward rapid vaccine manufacture. In fact we should be creating an infrastructure now that can be prepared to manufacture alot of vaccine quickly.

 

[LoveMyDVC2]

I have actually given this a lot of thought!!

As a mother of 2, I voted adults, with the thought that parents can keep their children indoors. I know that is my plan if the Bird Flu does happen. I would NOT let my kids out for any reason!!! I would need to be vaccinated so that I could go and get food, meds, and things for them when we ran out.

If the very young and elderly were vaccinated, who would take care of them later. Also if by vaccinating 18-50 age group, would allow for the working to keep working. This may sound cold but, why vaccinate an 70 year old retired
person with maybe 10+ years left. (if they are lucky)

Hold on...let me get my flame suite on!!!

 

[luvwinnie]

I have actually given this a lot of thought!!

As a mother of 2, I voted adults, with the thought that parents can keep their children indoors. I know that is my plan if the Bird Flu does happen. I would NOT let my kids out for any reason!!! I would need to be vaccinated so that I could go and get food, meds, and things for them when we ran out.

If the very young and elderly were vaccinated, who would take care of them later. Also if by vaccinating 18-50 age group, would allow for the working to keep working. This may sound cold but, why vaccinate an 70 year old retired
person with maybe 10+ years left. (if they are lucky)

Hold on...let me get my flame suite on!!!

No flames. I agree. My 72 yr. old CAN stay in, but somehow dh and I have to work.

 

[U2_rocks]

I have actually given this a lot of thought!!

As a mother of 2, I voted adults, with the thought that parents can keep their children indoors. I know that is my plan if the Bird Flu does happen. I would NOT let my kids out for any reason!!! I would need to be vaccinated so that I could go and get food, meds, and things for them when we ran out.

If the very young and elderly were vaccinated, who would take care of them later. Also if by vaccinating 18-50 age group, would allow for the working to keep working. This may sound cold but, why vaccinate an 70 year old retired
person with maybe 10+ years left. (if they are lucky)

Hold on...let me get my flame suite on!!!

I'm with you. It sounds really calculating, but honestly, if the world were faced with a pandemic and not enough vaccine to go around, some TOUGH decisions would have to be made. The good of society would have to take precedence over the good of the individual.

What would be important under a pandemic scenario would be to have enough working-aged adults left after it was over to keep things going, to continue the businesses, to help get life back to normal. And to have more kids.

As hard as it would be to risk our kids and our elderly parents (and it ould be excrutiatingly hard), it would be the right thing to do for society. And you were right when you said they are the ones who are easier to protect from catching the virus in the first place once it becomes a pandemic (they would just have to hunker down indoors and not be exposed to anyone else).

A horrible decision to have to make, and I hope it never has to come to that.

 

[Puffy2]

It wouldn't have anything to do with "age" at all. It would have more to do with where the problem areas are, density of population, etc.... In other words, big cities first (if they were in high risk locations).

Immunosuppressed are usually vaccinated first.

 

[luvwinnie]

It wouldn't have anything to do with "age" at all. It would have more to do with where the problem areas are, density of population, etc.... In other words, big cities first (if they were in high risk locations).

Immunosuppressed are usually vaccinated first.

Yes, but we are in trouble if they only come up with a LIVE vaccine.