Everyone to receive jab against swine flu

[sherby]

here

will you be having it?

Sounds very sketchy: "could be introduced"... well yes, it COULD be.

The year that I received the flu jab I became very ill with flu and had a chest infection which lasted a year and triggered asthma. I am not sure whether I want to risk that again.

If and I stress, if it was made available to all, no I would not have it.

why not soh?

I wouldn't either soh.

I have to have it as am immunosuppressed.it can't come quick enough for me tbh!

I would, I think.

Those who wouldn't - why? what have you heard about it?

For many, many reasons hecate. I can go on and on and on but I won't.

For people like noddyholder I think it can't come soon enough but everybody? With a flu that thus far is comparably mild? Don't make me a vaccine, save the money, spend it on treating somebody who needs the help now.

The point is soh that by autumn it is likely that it will no longer be mild.

I have had the normal one every year since 1999 and have never had flu.My ds is terrified I get it so i think it would put his mind at rest tbh.There has been no info about the 'hea;thy' person who died yet I am hoping he was very old at least otherwise it is a worry

But will any immunisation given now be any use against it in autumn, when in all likelihood it will have mutated into a different beast altogether?

I would I think (after waiting for a few more people to have it done first, so side effects/risks are known), but then I always get the normal flu vaccination because I'm asthmatic.

I'm not overly worried about swine flu in general, but having had my breathing severely knocked for about 6 months after normal flu, I'll take any protection offered.

There's no likely that it won't be mild. Mutation is random so it could be milder. Impossible to predict - there is the potential that it could be more serious but that us true of many other viruses as well.

The one absolute essential rule for vaccination in this house (actually there are 2) is that a) the risk from the illness must be high and/ or b) we must be likely to get it. Clearly b) is fulfilled but a) isn't yet.

Will watch with interest but I won't be getting one just because it's being given out.

I must admit that thought did cross my mind too Hecate. The news report I read suggested it would still work if the flu mutates. I'm no scientist so I'm happy to be lead by those who understand these things.

Exactly hecate. It may mutate and the vaccine may then be useless, it may not mutate, its mutation may not be severe. Who the heck knows?

This isn't actually my reason for not wanting it btw. Was just wondering out loud about the amount of money they would have to invest in this when money isn't being invested in other desperately needed health services.

Everyone in our house healthy btw - would maybe make a different decision if the kids were asthmatic.

Hecates: it may have mutated, but a vaccine would still be likely to offer some protection. They make a "best guess" on the strains for the normal flu vaccination every year and don't always get it spot on, but it still offers protection for similar strains.

The vaccine should still be effective - as the parts of the virus they make the vaccine too are more genetically stable than other parts....the vaccine should also be polygenic too which means that multiple parst would all have mutate to make it ineffective.

yes? I am supposed to get the normal flu jab every year because I am asthmatic but I rarely do

All this is good info to have. I bet many people (like me) don't really have a lot of details.

I probably will, despite some misgivings, because I work in a hospital (albeit clerical role) but occasionally briefly go up to wards and clinics to get files.

No -but I wouldn't have a 'normal' 'flu jab either-even when I get to be elderly. I will go for natural immunity.

It will still work if it mutates according to my consultant.

Nope. especially not after watching Torchwood

Kayteee

I'd encourage my teenaged DD to have it as she has asthma - the rest of us though, no.