Please do NOT go to Disney World if you (or your children) are sick

[RMulieri]

How about a compromise if anybody in my family gets sick with the flu at WDW.......we quarantine ourselves at Universal.

Now THAT is an idea !

 

[TDC Nala]

I"m going with a sinus infection that's clearing (but may be resurgent from the plane ride). Couldn't care less if people give me dirty looks because they think I have swine flu.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

That wouldn't even be a thought, though, if people weren't going down with it. It makes everyone look bad.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

Unfortunately, the vaccine is not availble in all areas yet. My state sent all of the first wave of vaccines to 2 areas ( Philly and Pittsburg) .So even as a healthcare provider , I am not able to get my vaccine till Mid-November at the earliest.With the fact that I work with the flu patients and also cancer patients, and have a school aged daughter, It will be a MIRACLE if I don't get the flu before then

Odd to hear that you couldn't get the vaccine. I live in SE, PA, not in Philadelphia, and our County is already holding 2 clinics, and the school districts already are administering the vaccine.

 

[mom2taylorandemily]

Odd to hear that you couldn't get the vaccine. I live in SE, PA, not in Philadelphia, and our County is already holding 2 clinics, and the school districts already are administering the vaccine.

I live in Williamsburg, VA, a high tourist area, and guess what - the vaccine is currently not available to us. We can't get it. I teach, we've had classes with 5-10 students absent every day for the past 3 weeks. It has hit our school bad. My own DD and I had it last week. Thank God, DH got his vaccine at work and other DD had the H1N1 in the spring. DD & I recovered from it very quickly, we got some Tamaflu, but not all areas of our country are getting the vaccine.

 

[poohmickey]

I just got back last night, and I did notice that there were a few people running around Disney World with what seemed to be more than a little cold. When you have a barking cough that sounds like you are hacking up your lungs, it at least sounds like you shouldn't be in the parks.

I have allergies myself, so I know that people can be coughing and sneezing and not be contagious. I do try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but I did back away from some people who didn't sound well. And I used a ton of hand sanatizer too.

If you know you are sick, please stay home.

Barking coughs are not always a sign that someone is contagious, so please don't assume someone who sounds really bad is being inconsiderate and exposing others to illness. My DD (and a few others that we know) were sick about 2 weeks ago with typical flu symptoms. My DD stayed home until her fever had been gone for a complete 24 hrs and then was told by her doctor and the school that she could return. She still has a cough which sounds really bad, but her doctor said that is will just take some time to get rid of and as long as she's not running a fever or having difficulty breathing she should be fine and can go to school.

We were also told that people with H1N1 can actually be contagious 1-2 days before they have symptoms such as fevers, and therefore it's impossible to completely prevent exposure.

I agree with others that say don't purposely expose others to your illnesses, but there are plenty of conditions people have that sound bad, but aren't a danger to others.

 

[sau418]

Unfortunately, the vaccine is not availble in all areas yet. My state sent all of the first wave of vaccines to 2 areas ( Philly and Pittsburg) .So even as a healthcare provider , I am not able to get my vaccine till Mid-November at the earliest.With the fact that I work with the flu patients and also cancer patients, and have a school aged daughter, It will be a MIRACLE if I don't get the flu before then

And even being in Pittsburgh, unless you are High Risk, the availability is severely limited.

While the flu is a serious illness and does warrent precautions, the general public also needs to remember and take into consideration that not every illness is the flu nor is every observable cough, sneeze, or running nose contagious.

 

[disneyshakeygirl]

Barking coughs are not always a sign that someone is contagious, so please don't assume someone who sounds really bad is being inconsiderate and exposing others to illness.

I agree. Both my mother and I suffer from severe asthma. We were in the Epcot parking lot one morning this past February and my mother had just gotten over a bad bout of asthma, so she was coughing quite a bit. A man was walking by with his wife and a few friends. He turned and said quite loudly and sarcastically, "Thanks for spreading your germs, ma'am." My mother, stunned , replied "I suffer from severe asthma, actually, sir." He looked a little shocked, then said "Oh. You're allowed in then!" before his wife and friends, looking totally mortified, grabbed him and rushed him off.

Just because we're coughing quite a bit doesn't mean we're contagious. I understand totally if the person is actually ill and contagious, but there may be other reasons.

 

[hookedonears]

Adding my 2 cents. If you're a LOCAL, absolutely yes. No question. If your flying with no trip insurance. That's a different story. It obviously depends upon how sick the child is. in many cases, a trip like Disney is just too complicated and expensive to cancel. There is no black and white answer here.

 

[Spikekc1]

Isn't anyone getting vaccinated for H1N1?

I would gladly get the vaccine. . .but it is not available where I live. Furthermore, healthy adults are not supposed to be getting the vaccine now anywhere. If they have, then whoever gave them the vaccine is not following the guidelines listed by CDC - this is on their website.

The H1N1 spray is available in my hometown but in very limited quantities. It has been prioritized for healthy kids and young adults less than 25 years old, health care first responders, and day care workers who work with infants. If you don't meet these criteria, you are not eligible to get the spray vaccine until there is a larger supply available. The shot is available across the state line from where I live. . .but again, in limited quantities and only for children with chronic, underlying conditions.

 

[oybolshoi]

There is always something circulating at WDW ... too many people from too many different areas of the world to avoid it. My husband and I like to refer to it as the happiest petri dish on earth.

We just got home on the 24th from a 10-night stay. I have some chronic health issues that are all immune system disorders ... I know that if the wrong germ finds me at the wrong time I'm coming home with an unexpected gift. There seemed to be a lot of hacking and gacking going on this month at WDW and while I showed up there pretty healthy by the time we got home I was feeling craptacular and now I have bronchitis.

Should I blame that guy at the Beach Club quiet pool last week who practically coughed up a lung while sunning himself in the pool and the hottub?

Maybe we shouldn't have joined our friends for that character breakfast at Cape May on Friday? I bet there were plenty of germy people running around there breathing on the food and the characters.

I probably shouldn't have closed down the bars each night with my hubby and our friends.

I'm poking fun but the fact is that a lot of people don't even know that they're contagious: some people are carriers but never actually get sick and some people (like me) are just fragile hothouse flowers. I like to think that people, for the most part, are considerate, but none of us should be passing judgement on each other or other guests when we don't have all the facts. All we're doing is making assumptions and accusations and what's the point of that?

PS. This post has been sanitized for your protection!

 

[blondinkaya]

The problem I have with H1N1 (like nobody else has a problem with it ) is that it seems like it could be a cold to some, yet a major deal with pneumonia to others. My youngest ds had a fever that spiked to 104 last weekend. Was it swine flu or something else? I don't know. We kept him home on Monday, as per the school's rules that he be fever free without meds for 24 hours. If he'd had a fever on Monday, we would have called the base clinic. Swine flu acts so ... randomly, kwim?

I'm still waiting for my seasonal flu shot. 2009 H1N1 vaccine hasn't even entered into the picture. My dh is military and got his seasonal flu shot in Sep. Our boys got theirs earlier this month. Because I'm over 26, I'm not considered high risk, so I have to wait until the military hits 80% immunized before I can get mine. With the swine flu, dh will be first, the kids will be second, and I will be last, just like with the seasonal flu shot. I have no idea when that will happen. Last year, I got the seasonal flu shot in November, so I'm expecting the same this year. Eats rocks for me, but at least the rest of the family will be covered, with the seasonal flu, anyway ...

I'm pro-immunization, as far as flu shots go. A couple of years ago, a close friend of mine, who had a dd one year older than my youngest, lost her little girl to complications from the flu. She deteriorated in a matter of just a few days. It broke my heart to see first-hand how horrible it is to outlive a child. I can't even begin to imagine the agony. I can only hope that I never experience it myself.

All of that said, I cannot forget my first paragraph. 2009 H1N1 (or swine flu, however you want to address it) seems to manifest itself in so many different ways. I leave in 33 days. If one of the boys seems to have a cold, we'll still go. They're well versed in sneezing and coughing into their elbows, and we'll sanitize the heck out of anything we touch. Beyond that, there isn't anything else to do. But if someone has a fever, we'll draw straws at who gets to stay home. Whoever stays home will get a father/son or mother/son trip alone together at a later date.

At least we aren't looking at 1918 ... yet ...

 

[ols386]

There is always something circulating at WDW ... too many people from too many different areas of the world to avoid it. My husband and I like to refer to it as the happiest petri dish on earth.

We just got home on the 24th from a 10-night stay. I have some chronic health issues that are all immune system disorders ... I know that if the wrong germ finds me at the wrong time I'm coming home with an unexpected gift. There seemed to be a lot of hacking and gacking going on this month at WDW and while I showed up there pretty healthy by the time we got home I was feeling craptacular and now I have bronchitis.

Should I blame that guy at the Beach Club quiet pool last week who practically coughed up a lung while sunning himself in the pool and the hottub?

Maybe we shouldn't have joined our friends for that character breakfast at Cape May on Friday? I bet there were plenty of germy people running around there breathing on the food and the characters.

I probably shouldn't have closed down the bars each night with my hubby and our friends.

I'm poking fun but the fact is that a lot of people don't even know that they're contagious: some people are carriers but never actually get sick and some people (like me) are just fragile hothouse flowers. I like to think that people, for the most part, are considerate, but none of us should be passing judgement on each other or other guests when we don't have all the facts. All we're doing is making assumptions and accusations and what's the point of that?

PS. This post has been sanitized for your protection!

Hey, how do you do that???

 

[oybolshoi]

Hey, how do you do that???

It's a secret.

 

[Withacy]

I would gladly get the vaccine. . .but it is not available where I live. Furthermore, healthy adults are not supposed to be getting the vaccine now anywhere. If they have, then whoever gave them the vaccine is not following the guidelines listed by CDC - this is on their website.

Actually, as an employee of the DHHS, and someone quite familiar with the CDC guidelines, that's not exactly true. The CDC does recommend that all adults, age 25-64 receive the vaccine, but only when the supply in their area is sufficient. Which the CDC maintains it will be in most areas within 2-3 weeks (we'll see).

And while most areas do currently have a shortage of the vaccine, it's not universal. The CDC is advising local officials to start vaccinating health adults age 25-64 once the demand in the target groups has been met.

Also, the target group includes pregnant women, and ALL children/young adults age 6 months to 25 years, and ALL persons caring for OR living in households with babies under 6 months of age (that includes parents, grandparents, siblings, roommates, whatever - since babies under 6 months are not supposed to receive the vaccine).

In areas with severe shortages of the vaccine, they limit it to the same target group, except it's only ALL children 6 months to 4 years, and children 4-18 who have medical conditions. But health care workers, pregnant women, people with medical conditions & ALL people caring for or living with infants under 6 months of age are still included.

 

[princessmom29]

The is no H1N1 vaccine in our area, none. Not a single dose for anyone, high risk or not. I am really, really miffed b/c the health dept. refuses to vaccinate private school children at all when it eventually does arrive. We will not be able to get it from our peds, and the health department will recieve all of the inital supply here, and they will only be going to public schools with it. There are NO plans at all to vaccinate private school children!

 

[ogreenlee]

This is a little good news coming out of the south. We can hope that they include Florida, the yankee state to the south of the south.

http://www.11alive.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=136840&catid=3

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hjdCHrP82YTFser5vD6CzTK1az6wD9BJOODG0

It hit down here first, and has now made it's rounds. It's heading north, which is the area getting hit the worst, it seems, lately. Maybe we're over the hump, though.

It's very contagious, but seems to be moving fast. I hate that it's taking victims along the way, but so does seasonal flu. I know it's different, but what can you do? It could be worse, really.

 

[ShannonMB]

The is no H1N1 vaccine in our area, none. Not a single dose for anyone, high risk or not. I am really, really miffed b/c the health dept. refuses to vaccinate private school children at all when it eventually does arrive. We will not be able to get it from our peds, and the health department will recieve all of the inital supply here, and they will only be going to public schools with it. There are NO plans at all to vaccinate private school children!

Are you sure your children will not be able to go to the public school to get the vaccine? Here they are also planning on giving the vaccine at the public schools, but other eligible people will be able to receive it there whether or not they are students at the school (from what I understand).

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

I'm guessing most of the ones that say they will go sick or take thier children sick have never actually been at disney when sick. Alot of times on here people say a bad day at disney is better than a regular day at home, this does NOT ring true when you are sick. I have never been sicker in my entire life than I was a Disney a few years ago. We left with what I thought was a mild sinus infection coming on and it continued to get worse, we had a doctor visit me and also got antibiotics at disney. 6 days later we ended up renting a car driving straight home (no flights for 3 days) and to the ER. I was extremly sick and needed many rounds of antibiotics and was off work for another 3 weeks. Every second I was at Disney on my dream trip (longest yet, supposed to be 2 weeks, first one w/ free dining, at Christmas, nicest resort we had been able to afford yet, had CRT for Breakfast and LeCellier for dinner booked, the Segway Tour booked, etc) when my illness kicked in I was miserable. I tried to be a trooper and tough it out for my traveling companions and it was awful. There is nothing worse than being sick somewhere like Disney when you SHOULD be having the time of your life on a trip you have looked forward to and planned for a year and you are down and out.

Think about your kids (or yourself) if you are sick before you go, how will you remember that trip, as a fun happy time or as one of the most miserable weeks ever spent on this earth?

 

[maxiesmom]

I'm guessing most of the ones that say they will go sick or take thier children sick have never actually been at disney when sick. Alot of times on here people say a bad day at disney is better than a regular day at home, this does NOT ring true when you are sick. I have never been sicker in my entire life than I was a Disney a few years ago. We left with what I thought was a mild sinus infection coming on and it continued to get worse, we had a doctor visit me and also got antibiotics at disney. 6 days later we ended up renting a car driving straight home (no flights for 3 days) and to the ER. I was extremly sick and needed many rounds of antibiotics and was off work for another 3 weeks. Every second I was at Disney on my dream trip (longest yet, supposed to be 2 weeks, first one w/ free dining, at Christmas, nicest resort we had been able to afford yet, had CRT for Breakfast and LeCellier for dinner booked, the Segway Tour booked, etc) when my illness kicked in I was miserable. I tried to be a trooper and tough it out for my traveling companions and it was awful. There is nothing worse than being sick somewhere like Disney when you SHOULD be having the time of your life on a trip you have looked forward to and planned for a year and you are down and out.

Think about your kids (or yourself) if you are sick before you go, how will you remember that trip, as a fun happy time or as one of the most miserable weeks ever spent on this earth?

Awww, that sucks. I hope you were able to have your dream trip later on.

I know when I am sick the only place I want to be is home in my own bed. Even as nice as the Disney resorts are, they still would not be as comfy.