private swine flu jab

[josjos]

I have heard that the swine flu jab is still avaiable with the Childrens Immunistion centre in Birmingham, London, Southampton and Manchester. Just wondered if anyone had any experience of the swine flu jab at any of these clinics as it is all very new to me. many thanks

josjos - don't waste your money at this time of year. We're out of flu season. Think about it again next September. It might available on the NHS then or it may no longer be the dominant strain.

If you want to save a bit of money, don't have the jab.

However, the thing about Swine Flu is that its will only disappear when the entire population is immune either through vaccination or infection. It is a can be very dangerous to pregnant and Obese women, so if there is any chance you intend to get pregnant, get the jab now while its quiet. My wife is a nurse in Krakow and she has seen the effect of Swine flu, here they don't care for prevention. A entire hospital was closed down, the nurses were violently ill. Months later she was seeing women in their mid thirties still in intensive care.

One other thing about Swine flu is that is seem to offer protection against other strains of Flu (they are studying it to see if it could form the basis of a universal vaccination). So I would recommend you get a swine flu vaccination now as completely different from season flu. I'm going to do so, as is my wife.

Again Peter, you don't know that most of the population haven't already had it? IIRC it was estimated that a very high percentage of cases were completely asymptomatic. Not sure why you would need to get it now because it is 'quiet' either. People get offered the vaccine from Autumn onwards because it is coming into flu season so there is plenty of time to consider it then if it is still an issue - which it might not be at all! Certainly looking at the Southern Hemisphere, which is currently in its flu season, the number of swine flu cases have declined significantly. Your choice to get the jab of course, just make sure it is an informed choice. :)

Also, not sure about your final point - surely it would make more sense to contract swine flu in that case - because it offers universal flu protection. They are trying to develop a vaccine based on the disease itself - the current vaccine does not offer that protection. So, theoretically, by protecting yourself against the small risk of swine flu you could be missing out on universal flu immunity :)

"Again Peter, you don't know that most of the population haven't already had it? IIRC it was estimated that a very high percentage of cases were completely asymptomatic."

Possibly true. It which case the vaccination would have precisely no effect, so its harmless. But no reason not to have the jab.

"People get offered the vaccine from Autumn onwards because it is coming into flu season so there is plenty of time to consider it then if it is still an issue - which it might not be at all! "

Maybe, if Swine Flu wasn't so dangerous to some people and for the fact that it does tend to get everyone eventually.

"They are trying to develop a vaccine based on the disease itself - the current vaccine does not offer that protection. "

The vaccine is a mild form of the disease, so it could offer protection against other versions of flu.

"So, theoretically, by protecting yourself against the small risk of swine flu you could be missing out on universal flu immunity"

Er.. no. And you could kill, or cause serious long term damage, to yourself and baby by getting Swine flu.

Sorry Peter - no vaccine is 'harmless' - every vaccine carries a risk of side effects.

"The vaccine is a mild form of the disease, so it could offer protection against other versions of flu."

This is not true. The flu vaccine for 2010/2011 contained the 3 dominant flu strains of which swine flu was one. There was no crossover protection. The studies that showed the antibodies against many strains of flu were found in those INFECTED with H1N1 itself - not those who had been vaccinated against it. So you are protecting yourself against something that could offer you long term benefit.

"And you could kill, or cause serious long term damage, to yourself and baby by getting Swine flu."

Yes, you are at greater risk if you are pregnant (As you are with most illnesses when you are pregnant) but that risk is still quite small. In any case, you are recommending the vaccine for all which would seem somewhat unnecessary (reflected in the advice for only certain groups to be vaccinated) given that for the majority it is a mild disease and catching it has an additional benefit of offering protection towards other strains of flu.