to consider not immunizing ds against swine 'flu?

[deliakate]

And can we do a poll - who is and who isn't and what are the ages of your dcs?

also fact that WHO decision making process now heavily influnced by drug companies themselves and the fact that this is now blurring the decision making process.

I'm deliberately learning to be non confrontational and all encompassing and feeling the love man

The vacs were called off a few weeks ago I believe, but they can use the rest of their supply t people who wish to be vaccinated.

lol, @ felling the love

link to the research about swine flu deaths...

It's a bit lengthy but the box near the bottom has a summary - basically the highest fatality rate is in over 65s (as in seasonal flu) There is a high incidence rate in children but they have the lowest fatality rate of all the groups.

I really don't think this decline be attributed to the vaccine - only a tiny percentage of the population have been vaccinated. By the time the vaccine was introduced many people had been exposed to the flu and were immune already. No doubt the vaccine will be given credit for it though... [hmmm]

oops

Can't people (and children) get complications from 'normal'flu and die though? Is there any statistics on children's mortality rates with 'normal' flu?

Life is all about taking risks and I will not be scaremongered into making more money for pharmeceutical companies and burden my children's developing immune systems with a vaccine they probably don't need. The argument that swine flu can cause more complications that 'normal' flu is a bit baffling as all illnesses affect people differently. A perfectly healthy person can die from 'normal' flu.

I will not be having it (pregnant) nor will DH and the 3 DCs (one mildly asthmatic but no need for inhaler since last year), the same as I would also not have the 'normal' flu jab and have never been invited to! Obviously for people with existing medical problems, it is a good thing but I think the mass innoculation is OTT.

Bubbleymummy - the mortality has been lowest for children 5 to 14. It is considerably higher for children under 5, hence them being a priority vaccination group. That article also says that the risk of death is 9 times higher in those groups that have been prioritised for vaccination.

BigMomma - as it states in the articles I linked to, the risk of complications from swine flu, and particularly the risk of swine flu directly causing serious illness and death, is considerably higher for certain groups than it is from seasonal flu.

If indeed the vaccination campaign has been called off this seems to have been news to our surgery. If that's the case I'm a bit as I did ask them if it was still being recommended, given that the incidence has apparently declined so much. That being said, I'm stil happy with the decision to get DS vaccinated - at least he will be protected for the next wave.