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Dr Hilliary Jones will comment on Swine Flu this Sunday... here are my thoughts

12 replies

C1NDY · 20/11/2009 10:36

I am 21 weeks pregnant and the doctor has lined me up to have the Swine Flu injection. I asked if I could have the Celvapan and not the Pandemrix. It?s confusing and when I found this site, I am debating on which one to have:

news.sky.com/skynews/H...15405950?f=rss

I heard from a friend that she went to see the Doc and talked in length about having the vaccine and what his advice would be if his wife was pregnant. The Doc advised that he would advise her to have the vaccine, due to 6 pregnant women having died from the swine flue already and they were all healthy.

She raised the concerned of the Pandemrix and the concerns of it containing Mercury and he said he was not concerned as the amount was so small, but he was concerned about the element in the vaccine that can cause the nervous system to attack itself ultimately resulting in paralysis. The research originally used 30 years ago in vaccines suggests that paralysis eventually may go away but he wouldn?t want that risk if he was to take the vaccine.

Apparently it transpired that he would wait 6 months or so before he had the vaccine to see what side effects had occurred after administered to hundreds of pregnant women!! His wife is actually pregnant and she has decided not to take it against his advice to have it!

So what is your take on all of this and why does the government not issue the Celvaplan if desired by pregnant women!

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CantSleepWontSleep · 20/11/2009 21:56

If you read the webchat with the swine flu expert recently you will find answers to a lot of your questions.

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madamefreckle · 20/11/2009 22:16

My GP has almost convinced me to go ahead. He said he would recommend his daughter to have it if she were pregnant. He emphasised how incredibly safe practically ALL vaccines are and how the miniscule risks of having the vaccine weigh up favourably against the rather greater risk of contracting swine flu. I'm not 100% going to go for it but definitely swaying.

He emailed me this link regarding mercury in vaccine etc. Hope it's helpful to someone.

www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_107825.pdf

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mollybob · 20/11/2009 22:26

I never liked Hilary Jones - so insufferably smug

The amount of mercury is so small - you get more in a tin of tuna and the paralysis with the previous swine flu vaccination 30 years affected 2 in a million people - more people get that type of temporary paralysis with flu (it's called Guillan Barre syndrome)

I am definitely having the vaccination - probably on Monday. I reckon I owe it to DH, DS and DD to protect myself. The number of pregnant women on intensive care units all over UK is scary. I feel a lot happier knowing that won't happen to me.

Obviously it's an individual decision but that's my 2p.

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madamefreckle · 20/11/2009 23:04

Cantsleep - How can i find the webchat with the swine flu expert?

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CantSleepWontSleep · 21/11/2009 08:54

Here you go madamefreckle.

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C1NDY · 23/11/2009 14:17

Thanks to all of you for your comments. I am still confused and I never believe doctors as they have to promote the jab - I remember the thomedialite (sorry for spelling) tablets which were given to pregnant women, they were recommended by the doctors and other experts! I am however still considering buying the Celvaplan privately as I do not trust the Pandemix vaccine, it has no advajants and this is what the US pregnant women are given.

Dr Hilliary Jones was meant to report something in the paper but nothing appeared!! which is annoying.

Thanks again

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QandA · 23/11/2009 14:29

I saw a thread that said that the DOH, have issued a notice to surgeries to say that if a pregnant woman requests Celvapan, then that request should be honored. I read it yesterday on Mn so if you look you should be able to find it.

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CantSleepWontSleep · 23/11/2009 14:47

But with Celvapan you need 2 doses before you are protected don't you?

Do you mean thalidomide C1ndy? Things have come a long way since then.

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C1NDY · 24/11/2009 13:07

I spoke to my doctor yesterday and he is trying to get the Celvapan for me. He was very nice and very truthful about the Pandemix. Although Pandemix has come along way it can cause paralysis but he said it is very rare.

With Celvapan according to what I read you do need two injections but are protected from the first injection... I am not sure why you need the second one but this must be done 3 weeks after the first. Celvapan protects against Swine Flu and is more expensive than Pandemix (hence the government probably routing for this to be used to safe some money). Celvapan is used for people with severe allergies and therefore the govt has issued guidelines that anyone with an allergy will be given Celvapan.

I am going to talk to my doctor on why we need two injections and do more research on it but I am swaying to take this injection for my protection it has less complications. And my personal opinion may be milder than the Pandemix for my little growing baby!

If you all have another other views on this please let me know, I am just a novice and am researching whatever I can to ensure I am protected but above all my growing baby will not be affected.

Can'tSleepWontSleep i am hoping we have come a long way but I don't trust no one when it comes to my body. Medicine is a Science and therefore we can only trust what they know at the moment. In two or three years time there may be another story about the vacinne causing other problems... I am not worried about me but my growing baby. If I was not pregnant I would not have the jab at all and will take what comes. I am doing the sensible thing by researching and talking to as many people as possible so that I get an overview of what would be the best option for me.

QandA thanks for that information it is great to know that Celvapan will be readily available if someone requests it. My GP however said that they are not buying that many and it will be hard to get the vaccine for me but he will try his best.

Thanks again everyone. I am hoping by sharing our findings/thoughts that we can make a concious choice of what we choose to have injected in our bodies instead of people dictated to by the Government and other health agencies...

Cindy
x

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C1NDY · 24/11/2009 13:22

Can I just ask has anyone taken any of the vaccines and if so did you have any side effects?

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hannahsaunt · 24/11/2009 13:40

My GP was willing to source Celvapan for me but by 27wks (10 days ago) there was still none available in our city as a whole. Because of our particular circumstances - dh is a hospital dr in daily contact with some of the worst SF cases, 2 children in school and 1 in nursery and me at a major University - meant that I went ahead, albeit reluctantly, with the pandremix vaccination. I had fewer side effects than dh, just the sore arm for 2-3 days. We will just have to wait and see re the baby but still getting plenty of movement and with 3 children at home, I couldn't risk their not having a mother. HTH

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C1NDY · 25/11/2009 09:48

Hannah totally understand. I am ringing GP today to see if he has obtained Celvapan for me as this is the route I will be taking.

Will your children be taking the vaccine also?

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