Too Clean For Our Own Good
My server was down for the past two days so I am frantically trying to catch up. Maybe it had the same plague I did.
My plague is better. I was really annoyed I got sick. But it just goes to prove that no matter how many times you wash your hands and keep things clean, bugs can get you. Not that I was afraid it was H1N1, I didn't want to get sick with anything that might involve a visit to the doctor, where you could contract any number of NEW bugs.
This is why I try to avoid crowds this time of year.
We've had 19 confirmed deaths due to H1N1 in Texas and thousands of cases that were milder. Most of the affected are children or young people.
I've heard vaccines are limited and they're being doled out in batches. But here's something that's been bothering me. We're told Texas received only the nasal vaccine for H1N1. The media shows children being vaccinated, but they're getting injections. Yet the news story was specifically about what Texas was doing about H1N1. It had nothing to do with any of the other influenzas. The footage was misleading at best.
Edited to add: I found out today (Tuesday) that all the H1N1 vaccine was earmarked for health care workers first and all those doses have been given out. Children were not being vaccinated for H1N1.
The next batch of H1N1 vaccine will arrive in November--maybe.
An interesting side note is that many people, including health care workers are refusing the H1N1 vaccine.
The "experts" say it is no different than any of the other vaccines. They use a killed virus. But I'm a little concerned at the speed they put this together. Is it possible they skimped on testing this as thoroughly as their other vaccines in order to get it out to the public?
I'm also hearing from the blogosphere that doctors are reacting differently on how to treat patients. Some give Tamiflu right away even if it's not H1N1, others refuse outright. Since we have so few options for fighting the flu virus, they don't want to prescribe Tamiflu unless it's absolutely necessary. This way you don't build up an immunity.
The question is, when do you decide it's serious enough to take the only reliable medicine?
I've often felt we are too clean in this country. We no longer have any of the bugs in our system that used to protect us. Now we're surrounded by anti-bacterial this or germicidal that. I'm grateful for the higher plane of clean, but it's also hurt us.
Have you taken the H1N1 vaccine? If you haven't, would you take it?
My plague is better. I was really annoyed I got sick. But it just goes to prove that no matter how many times you wash your hands and keep things clean, bugs can get you. Not that I was afraid it was H1N1, I didn't want to get sick with anything that might involve a visit to the doctor, where you could contract any number of NEW bugs.
This is why I try to avoid crowds this time of year.
We've had 19 confirmed deaths due to H1N1 in Texas and thousands of cases that were milder. Most of the affected are children or young people.
I've heard vaccines are limited and they're being doled out in batches. But here's something that's been bothering me. We're told Texas received only the nasal vaccine for H1N1. The media shows children being vaccinated, but they're getting injections. Yet the news story was specifically about what Texas was doing about H1N1. It had nothing to do with any of the other influenzas. The footage was misleading at best.
Edited to add: I found out today (Tuesday) that all the H1N1 vaccine was earmarked for health care workers first and all those doses have been given out. Children were not being vaccinated for H1N1.
The next batch of H1N1 vaccine will arrive in November--maybe.
An interesting side note is that many people, including health care workers are refusing the H1N1 vaccine.
The "experts" say it is no different than any of the other vaccines. They use a killed virus. But I'm a little concerned at the speed they put this together. Is it possible they skimped on testing this as thoroughly as their other vaccines in order to get it out to the public?
I'm also hearing from the blogosphere that doctors are reacting differently on how to treat patients. Some give Tamiflu right away even if it's not H1N1, others refuse outright. Since we have so few options for fighting the flu virus, they don't want to prescribe Tamiflu unless it's absolutely necessary. This way you don't build up an immunity.
The question is, when do you decide it's serious enough to take the only reliable medicine?
I've often felt we are too clean in this country. We no longer have any of the bugs in our system that used to protect us. Now we're surrounded by anti-bacterial this or germicidal that. I'm grateful for the higher plane of clean, but it's also hurt us.
Have you taken the H1N1 vaccine? If you haven't, would you take it?
Comments
I wouldn't have vaccinated my kids against chicken pox if law hadn't required it. I'm completely of the mind that we're vaccinating ourselves to death.
Don't use any of the anti-bacterial stuff either.
I grew up around the time they developed a vaccine for polio. I knew several people a little older than myself who didn't get the vaccine during the 50s. I wouldn't wish that disease on anyone.
I agree it is hard to make the right choice and I have vaccinated my kids but things like chicken pox bug me. I still remember as a child my sister and best friend had chicken pox at the same time and my mom made me spend as much time with them as she could force on me so I could get chicken pox and be over it, LOL. Never did get them. Then as an adult I was exposed again and I did get it but it was so mild I think I only had one spot and my main complaint was fever...and I know I was lucky.
I just don't see the point in getting a flu shot for me. I'm (fairly) young and incredibly healthy. I know, I know ... that could change, but for now. Nope.
And, I absolutely agree with you on the germ thing. My in-laws are freaky about them (to the point they carry anti-bacterial stuff everywhere: purse, car, desk at work, etc). And, oddly enough, they are frequently sick.
I remember the day we brought DD home from the hospital -- she was three days old. I set her carrier down on the coffee table, and Bailey came over and gave her a big, sloppy dog kiss. I started as I intended to go on. DD played in the dirt, crawled on the floor, and even drank from the dog's bowl more than once. She's never had an ear infection, has NO allergies and seldom even catches a cold. My in-laws kids, OTOH, are always sick (and sometimes with serious stuff like croup) and every last one of them have major allergy problems. And, it's not because DD didn't go to school, because all of our kids are homeschooled.
I promote being sensible, not obsessive.