Yet another flu falsehood

Posted by Greg Laden on October 22, 2009
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“I don’t need the Swine Flu vaccine because I already had the Swine Flu when it went around in the 1970s”

Sorry, you do.

While we’re on the subject, a couple more:


“I had the mist vaccine for the seasonal flu, so now I have to wait a month to get the H1N1 vaccine”

No you don’t. You should not have both vaccines as a mist without a waiting period between, but if one is a mist and one is shot, no problem. They can be taken on the same visit, on the same day.

“I can’t afford a Swine flu vaccine.”

Yes you can, it is free from most sources. That have it. Which there hardly are any yet but there will be. Some places may charge a small fee, but the vaccine itself was already bought and paid for by Barack Obama.

(Yes, it is a Socialist Vaccine that Republicans should avoid.)

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Comments

  1. #1 Joel
    October 22, 2009

    I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and she told me that her parents doctor told them they could not have the H1N1 vacine due to their age, something about being exposed to a similar flu in the ’60′s or ’70′s. It didn’t sound right to me…

    Do you have any additional information or links that I could send to this friend about this? I would like to forward the information to my friend. Her parents now think the government, Obama, wants them to die off.

  2. #2 bones
    October 22, 2009

    Maybe they can hire a minister to come in to pray away the flu and deduct his visit on their taxes this year…

    Given the language that is being proposed for health care reform, it JUST might be possible:

    SEC. 3103. PROGRAM DESIGN.

    [...]

    (D) The essential benefits provided for in subparagraph (A) shall include a requirement that there be non-discrimination in health care in a manner that, with respect to an individual who is eligible for medical or surgical care under a qualified health plan offered through a Gateway, prohibits the Administrator of the Gateway, or a qualified health plan offered through the Gateway, from denying such individual benefits for religious or spiritual health care, except that such religious or spiritual health care shall be an expense eligible for deduction as a medical care expense as determined by Internal Revenue Service Rulings interpreting section 213(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as of January 1, 2009.

    from: http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=2196

  3. #3 NewEnglandBob
    October 22, 2009

    I would gladly pay today for a swine flu vaccine Tuesday.
    – Wimpy from Popeye

    I will be the first to get on line but so far there are no local places to line up.

  4. #4 chemicalkitchen
    October 22, 2009

    @Joel-
    They may have been told that they had to wait for the vaccine. According to the CDC guidelines, individuals aged 25 and older (unless they are health care workers, etc) are in the lowest priority group for the vaccine.

  5. #5 Greg Laden
    October 22, 2009

    Joel: From the CDC FAQ:

    Do those that have been previously vaccinated against the 1976 swine influenza need to get vaccinated against the 2009 H1N1 influenza?

    The 1976 swine flu virus and the 2009 H1N1 virus are different enough that its unlikely a person vaccinated in 1976 will have full protection from the 2009 H1N1. People vaccinated in 1976 should still be given the 2009 H1N1 vaccine.

    Added to that, anyone who GOT the swine flue in 1976 is not automatically protected. Almost certainly not.

    Here is the URL for the FAQ:

    http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/public/vaccination_qa_pub.htm

  6. #6 Joel
    October 22, 2009

    Thank you. Should have thought of the CDC.

    I think this must be what the doctor was talking about. Apparently, people over 65 are not as likely to get H1N1 so, they are a lower priority for the first round of vacines.

    http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/vaccination/vaccine_seniors.htm

  7. #7 Greg Laden
    October 22, 2009

    In fact, looking at the data, I think I only partly believe what I say above. People over some age (which is not accurately revealed by the studies I’ve seen because of the way people are grouped in age sets) are way less likley to get this flu than people below that age, and that age is probably such that the 1970s swine flu could be a factor. Or, it could just be having a large collection of antibodies.

  8. #8 george.w
    October 22, 2009

    Much as I enjoy the thought of Republicans at home with the flu, they should still get the shot. They might give it to a vulnerable person who could even die – a fellow Republican, perhaps. Or a child. They’re always saying how much they care about the children…

  9. #9 Monado, FCD
    October 22, 2009

    Swine flu shots are starting either tomorrow or Monday for the most vulnerable groups (not me). I’ll probably have to wait til the first week in November.