Swine Flu Parties

I thought this was interesting. I have heard of chicken pox parties. Although, according the the CDC the swine flu is more deadly than the chicken pox. So I guess I shouldn't compare. What do you think about swine flu parties?

FROM NBC: IMAGINE TAKING YOUR FAMILY TO A PARTY WHERE THE SOLE REASON FOR THE GET TOGETHER IS TO SPREAD THE SWINE FLU VIRUS.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT HEALTH EXPERTS SAY IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING, BUT DOCTORS HAVE A WARNING.

AS PARENTS ACROSS AMERICA SCRAMBLE FOR THE H1N1 VACCINE, OTHERS ARE TAKING A DIFFERENT APPROACH.

GATHERING WITHOUT MASKS AND NOT WASHING THEIR HANDS - THEY'RE COMING TOGETHER TO SPREAD THE GERMS.

(SOT: Dr. Mark Sawyer, Infectious Disease Specialist)
"We first heard about parties like this back in the chicken pox era."

DR. MARK SAWYER, AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST AT CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL SAYS THERE IS SIMPLY NO LOGIC BEHIND THE GATHERINGS NOW KNOWN AS SWINE FLU PARTIES.

(Dr. Mark Sawyer, Infectious Disease Specialist)
"To me it's one of the craziest things I've ever heard of actually."

THE REASON FOR THESE PARTIES, DESCRIBED PLAINLY ON THE CDC WEBSITE - IS TO BECOME INFECTED WITH WHAT FOR MANY PEOPLE HAS BEEN A MILD DISEASE, IN THE HOPE OF HAVING NATURAL IMMUNITY TO A VIRUS THAT MIGHT CIRCULATE LATER AND CAUSE MORE SEVERE DISEASE.

(Dr. Mark Sawyer, Infectious Disease Specialist)
"The trouble with influenza is your natural immunity really isn't that good, that's why we continue to immunize people every year because the influenza virus changes over time."

MEANING SOME PEOPLE WHO GETS SWINE FLU THIS YEAR, COULD ALSO GET A RELATED VIRUS NEXT YEAR. SAWYER ALSO SAYS JUST BECAUSE YOUR NEIGHBOR HAS A MILD CASE - DOESN'T MEAN YOU WILL.
(Dr. Mark Sawyer, Infectious Disease Specialist)
The reason one person gets very sick and another doesn't isn't a function of the virus, that's a function of the person's immune system and any underlying conditions they may have."

SAWYER SAYS GOOD HANDWASHING, GETTING THE VACCINE, AND STAYING AWAY FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE SICK IS STILL HIS BEST RECOMMENDATION FOR BATTLING SWINE FLU.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Kid's Swine Flu Vaccine Recalled

FROM NBC: H1N1 vaccine manufacturer Sanofi Pastuer has issued a recall for 800 thousand doses of pediatric vaccine, however they stress it is *not* a safety issue. Sanofi routinely tests its vaccine after it has been distributed to doctors. During one of these tests they found the potency of the vaccine for children six to thirty-five months had dropped below the recommended limit.

Further tests found four lots, or roughly 800 thousand doses, were affected. Most of the vaccine had not been administered. Children who did receive the vaccine do not face any increased health risks -- and are likely still protected from swine flu. A spokesman for Sanofi Pastuer say no action is needed other than returning unused doses. Experts say this should not impact vaccine supply.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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H1N1 Questions answered

I am getting a lot of H1N1 questions right now. Here is the latest. I thought these were some good ones to get answered. I am not sure if every doctor would answer them the same, but this response is from an OSF doctor who is answering a lot of questions on the topic.

Hello there, as a concerned mother of four, will your child still need the H1N1 vaccine if they come down with it this season? Also, will there be a need to vaccine the children next year or will H1N1 become less of a threat as the years go on like the 1976 episode?

"We would still recommend vaccinating people with H1N1 unless they have had testing confirmed H1N1 (which we are only testing inpatients at the present time)"

"Next year the H1N1 likely will be incorporated into the seasonal flu vaccine."

Brian S Curtis, MD
Medical Director, Adult Hospitalist Service
OSF Saint Francis Medical Center

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Swine Flu

Okay if you are really worried about getting this flu and you are taking it extremely seriously, don't read this post. I understand the threat and don't mean to downplay it in any way. I just have to tell you about my morning!

My two-year-old has a respiratory cough and a high fever. I feel so bad for him. He is miserable. I was worried he might be getting pneumonia because his cough was getting pretty wet. So I tried to get him in to the pediatrician-no appointments! I instead take him to prompt care. There are these big signs outside the awaiting room about HINI Flu. If you have these symptoms (the first two being cough and fever) then you must wear a mask. I thought, okay, it's good to take precautions. However, we haven't been around anyone who is sick or anyone who has been to Mexico recently. So, the chances of my two-year-old having it are slim.

You should have seen this waiting room! I mean people everywhere were wearing these blue masks. I about turned around and left. I eventually got to check in. Of course, my son refused to put on the mask so I took him outside. We waited, and waited and waited. Finally, we get called back and then wait for another 1/2 an hour inside those tiny rooms. My son is about to go nuts at this point. The doctor walks in, checks his throat, chest and ears and sends us home empty handed.

Now I hate the swine flu. I hate it because it's hurting people. I hate it because it makes people freak out about a little cold! I hate it because I am sick of hearing about it. I hate it because it makes waiting to see a doctor ridiculously long.

In conclusion, I spent 2 hours, 36 minutes and 5 seconds at the doctor's office today with a 2 year old. Can anyone relate?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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