I have a question that I hope someone out there can answer for me ...

First off , I don't take , and have never took a flu shot and I wont be getting the H1N1 vaccine , aka flu shot , this year either .

I have not had the flu in over 12 years now , or there about . As a rule I don't get sick either , knock on wood .

Now for my question , if you don't get the flu , as a rule , is that a good indication that you most likely won't catch H1N1 , or , is the H1N1 a more contagious strain of the flu ?


Also worth noting , the media here where I live is hyping the flu as if everyone is going to catch it and they are doing every thing they can to try and get people to take the H1N1 shot . Is that them simply hyping the H1N1 because the vaccine has just been released ? Hows the media coverage going in your part of the woods , are they hyping it ? Just what impression are you getting form there various reports ?

[edit on 28-10-2009 by Max_TO]

[edit on 28-10-2009 by Max_TO]

I'm not a doctor, but here is what I understand.

Your immunity (or lack there of) to H1N1 deppends on your age. If you are in your 20's or older you should have the same immunity to this as you do the regular flu. Unless you are elderly, then the risk goes up again.

This strain of flu is slightly newer though, so it is particulary dangerous to children who have no natural immunities to it at all. That is why we see so many children dying from this, which is just a flu strain that is actually less deadly than the "regular" flu virus.

I almost never get sick as well, and I am not going to start getting vaccines now. But I HAVE considered getting this for my son, who is almost 8, because his body does not have any of the tools to fight this off.

That question is hard to answer because from what I have observed, the health care industry knows nothing, nothing at all, zero about our health. Why? Because like a fingerprint, we are all different from one another. What might heal you will kill me, what might make me high as a kite will kill you.

I've noticed that some die of H1N1 in days, and some just get a little flu and are fine in days. The flu shot is not the answer, especially since it hasn't been fully tested.

The H1N1 flu shot is the equivalent of wearing a bullet proof vest, and then your shot in the face.

IMO, your odds are the same whether or not you get the shot. Prove me wrong, because the WHO hasn't. IT'S NOT EVEN TESTED PROPERLY, YET!!!

I get the feeling that from now on the medical community will recommend two flu shots each flu season from now on . I also get the feeling that there will be a lot of incorrect diagnoses this season with the " regular " flu being diagnosed as the H1N1 . We may even see the odd infection being misdiagnosed as well , my point being , we may see an inflated number when it comes to H1N1 diagnoses .

The media in my area is ABC induced so its all about get the shot . The anchor is even stating she has made a appointment with her doctor for the shot now that some will be in any time. She cant wait, lollllll.
She sends chills up my spine. They are manipulating the H1N1s stat reporting not reporting illness 90% of the time. If you die here but were born or live in another county it goes on there totals as a death or illness even if they are treated here in a hospital.
I dont take shots and wont take this shot of what I feel is poison. I am healthy and my child has only has 1 shot when born and it made her sick 25 years ago. She has had no shots since and has never been sick accept 1 time when 9.
I think your immunity has nothing to do with it, its a manufactured influenza are body will not be able to fight it off if we are exposed,my opinion based on alot of reading.


[edit on 28-10-2009 by saralee]

I have mostly ignored the rhetoric on both sides of the news on this subject.



That said,...

I personally know one person, and two people close to friends of mine, that have died as a result of contracting H1N1.



That I know.

I have never had a flu shot and do not intend to ever get one. Especially NOT the H1N1. I work in healthcare. A few days ago there were at least five (that I know of) adverse reactions to this lot among staff members. One nurse went into shock and almost crashed...had to be hospitalized for several days because when called, the distributor said that it could happen again whithin 72 hours. (apparently she is NOT the only one) She has had many seasonal flu shots and never reacted to it before. I saw the huge bruise she still has on her arm from it.

I truly feel that the ones who are dying from this are the ones that 1: Do not have a natural immunity due to be over-vaccinated 2: about 50% have underlying conditions that lead to their death 3: The rest are dying from a secondary infection, usually bacterial pneumonia. Where do you think they are picking that up at? Most likely the ER or doctors office. This is why it is SO important to isolate yourself if you come down with this. The virus attacks the lining of the lungs, making you more suseptible to the bacteria. Protect yourself from this and you should be okay. DO NOT go to the docs unless you HAVE TO.

That being said, I still think the vaccine is a personal decision and somewhat based on your risk factors. My daughter has asthma. She got sick the same time I did and was MUCH milder and got over it twice as fast....probably because I kept her home and doubled her vitamins.

You need to make an educated decision. There are a TON of independent articles out there. I do not think the vaccine is safe, it is not worth the risk for me OR my family. The propoganda for it is FULL SWING here in Washington State. There are literally billions of dollars in it....it is very profitable to the drug companies and they now have immunity to any legal action.

My friend, took his son (15) to the hospital with a bad cold, and they diagnosed him with H1N1. Two days later, his dad (47) developed a bad cough and went to the hospital. In the process of diagnosis they did in fact diagnose him with lung cancer. He died within 5 days of that diagnosis untreated for the cancer. Between missing a day from work to take his son to the hospital for a flu, and appearing and acting very healthy, he passed within seven days.

I know the cancer could have been an issue, but my experience and knowledge of lung cancer is that is a long, and painful, way to go. He did not exibit this at all.

The other two persons were a perfectly healthy friends neighbors wife of 47, that died within a week of contracting, and a best friend of a friend of maybe 60ish, again, within a week.



My kids have taken the nasal innoculation, and my wife and I will when supplies and rules allow it.

As far as I can tell, H1N1 isn't particularly more contagious than ordinary flu. In fact, for most people, it is just another bout of flu, with no serious, lasting effects.

What makes H1N1 different is that, unlike regular flu, it can cause a person's immune system to attack the body, killing him. So, while H1N1 will kill the weak, the very young, and the elderly, it will also kill younger people who are in robust good health. The ones with the strongest immune systems are the ones who can be hurt the most, if the immune system turns against them.

People in their twenties won't have immunity to H1N1, because it hasn't been around since about 1957 or so. People in their fifties may have some immunity.

Whether to take the vaccine or not is debatable. People die from H1N1, and they die from the vaccine. So far the odds of dying of H1N1 are greater than dying of the vaccine. However, for each of us, it's 100% either way - we either survive, or we don't. So it's hard to say whether it's better to take the shot or pass it up.

Originally posted by Max_TO


Is this true ? " The ones with the strongest immune systems are the ones who can be hurt the most, if the immune system turns against them. "

No, it's not. The vaccine hasn't even been proven to work. They don't know anything. Like I said before we're like fingerprints, we're all different from one another, what can cure you, could kill me.

Originally posted by chiron613
As far as I can tell, H1N1 isn't particularly more contagious than ordinary flu. In fact, for most people, it is just another bout of flu, with no serious, lasting effects.

What makes H1N1 different is that, unlike regular flu, it can cause a person's immune system to attack the body, killing him. So, while H1N1 will kill the weak, the very young, and the elderly, it will also kill younger people who are in robust good health. The ones with the strongest immune systems are the ones who can be hurt the most, if the immune system turns against them.

People in their twenties won't have immunity to H1N1, because it hasn't been around since about 1957 or so. People in their fifties may have some immunity.

Whether to take the vaccine or not is debatable. People die from H1N1, and they die from the vaccine. So far the odds of dying of H1N1 are greater than dying of the vaccine. However, for each of us, it's 100% either way - we either survive, or we don't. So it's hard to say whether it's better to take the shot or pass it up.

Where did you get your information? Because I do NOT think it is accurate!

H1N1 does not cause your immune system to turn on itself. That is what an immunological condition does, such as Lupus or Rheumatoid arthritis. The H1N1 virus is believed to attack the lining of the lungs (among other things) making it more susceptible to the secondary bacterial infections, such as staph pneumonia.

The stronger your immune system, the better you will fight off ANY viral infection. The biggest thing is how strong your immune response is, your vitamin intake (especially D) and NOT exposing yourself to those bacteria.

You have made some pretty strong comments that I think are very innacurate. And to say your chances of dying are 100% either way is also not accurate. So far it is a 1% death rate....so your chance of dying if you get it is only 1%. As far as the vaccine...it is still unknown. We will start to see some numbers soon. Those are only for the immediate reactions though...the long term will not be known for years.

What will make us sick is worrying about getting sick. And that's a fact.

I once flew from LA to New York, and on the plane was a Time Mag with a 30 page article on diabetes, and I read every page, and when we landed, I had diabetes.

Don't stress about it and you'll be fine.