Swine flu...hmmmm! Vaccine? Ahh!

[rattigan]

Ok...im very confused about this all!!!
My mother is a doctor and said that less than 25% of people who got lab testing (when they still did it) for swine flu after having what they thought were the symptoms actually just had normal influenza.
But now they dont do lab testing, nearly all people who phone doctors/the helpline etc are just confirmed with it and given tamiflu etc.
Sooo does this mean thousands of people think they had it when they didnt at all, therefore thinking they have immunity and wont need the vaccine..but technically wont be immune at all?

For example, some of my friends/family say they had it but then said 'oh it was just like a bad cold, i was only in bed for a day etc etc' but then my mum has told me the people who in the beginning she confirmed had it after lab testing literally were bedridden for a week and were extremely sick from it.

Do some people really just have it very mildly or now if anyone gets a temperature or runny nose it it just classed as swine flu??

Its because of this that i cant decide if i should risk the vaccine or not! If swine flu is usually very mild then is there any point in being a guinea pig at the moment if i should be perfectly capable of fighting off the disease on my own?
Or is the 'real' swine flu actually a lot more dangerous?

Im not really sure if any of this makes any sense whatsoever! I am booked in for my vaccine on Wednesday and im petrified of having it and my baby or me suffering because of it!

Has anyone had it and suffered bad side effects? My midwife said it will probably make my arm sore for a few days and i might be under the weather a couple of days but i still dont know if its worth it!

Ds has suspected swine flu at the moment and I had the same symptoms as him a few weeks ago. It is anyones guess whether it really is swine flu or just another virus. My GP said that the people they are seeing now have much milder symptoms than those diagnosed in the summer, is that because the virus has mutated to a milder illness or is it because they are wrongly diagnosing people? I think unless you have had confirmed swine flu you have to assume that you are not immune.

Saw GP last night on another matter. He said (a) only a fraction of people he saw who thought they might have SF probably did have it (can't be certain as no testing) and (b) even if they probably did have it it was relatively mild. He did add that things can always change.

(Would at least seem from what he said that they aren't now banning anyone with possible symptoms from within a 100 mile radius of an actual doctor!)

i agree with your mum.

I think that "real" swine flu is more dangerous. My DH says he's had swine flu and I'm sure he hasn't, he had man flu. Bit of a temp, felt a bit shakey/shivery, blocked nose, sore throat. That ain't swine flu.

Talking to a nurse at the hospital where I work apparantly there have been a number of deaths from it, people in their 30s who you would not expect to die from it. Yes they had asthma but its still worrying. The government bods are saying that if a pregnant woman gets swine flu then she is more likely to have complications.

I had the jab done yesterday, was umming and ahhing about it. I'm not pregnany, don't have asthma but I am more likely because of my job to come into contact with people who have it. I decided to get it done in the end as although not too worried about me getting it I don't want to bring it home to my kids and risk them. My arm is slightly tender if I touch it but thats all.

I have just been searching on e-bay and found a VACCINE DVD for £1.99 it may be worth a second opinion. The seller has a few by the looks of it and no I am not the seller. Just a concerned and loving mum!