A little confused -- this flu thing???

Weren't people in high risk groups supposed to have gotten them several
months ago? Then the leftovers would have been for the lower-risk people.
In non-severe flu years, those lower-risk people would have been okay with
no shot, but they say this is a bad year. SO............shots for all!



Am I missing something? (Don't answer that...)
Every year we have the flu. Right? And every year people are told to get
flu shots if they are at high risk. And most of the rest of us, by and
large, don't bother.
So WHY... this year, is EVERYONE being told to get flu shots, with the
result that people who ARE at high risk, can't get them?

I'd been a bit lax about getting Shaina in for hers (just kept forgetting
to call, and time got away from me.) She has always gotten one, due to her
asthma.
So, I finally call Monday, and am told that, due to high demand, they are
competely out of the vaccine. (the few doses they had left were already
spoken for by people who had already called -- while I'd spent all morning
trying to get through on the phone -- I feel sorry for any parent who had
an actual medical emergency that morning.) I point out that, due to her
asthma, she
really needs the vaccine, and the doctor wants her to have it. Too bad. I
should call back later in the week, in the hopes that they will have more
vaccine in by then.

So... what am I missing? WHY have the parents of 1500 local children
suddenly decided, in the past two weeks that THEIR healthy kids need flu
shots? (In past years I've never had the slightest difficulty, and I've
usually, IIRC, done it in late November or early December -- often as part
of her annual check-up.)





Naomi
CAPPA Certified Lactation Educator

(either remove spamblock or change address to to
e-mail reply.)

How is the influenza virus making bacterial staph infections fatal? I had
not heard this.






Denise wrote:


because this year this strand of flu is making normal staph infections
fatal, in otherwise healthy children.




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Am I missing something? (Don't answer that...)
Every year we have the flu. Right? And every year people are told to get flu
shots if they are at high risk. And most of the rest of us, by and large, don't
bother.
So WHY... this year, is EVERYONE being told to get flu shots, with the result
that people who ARE at high risk, can't get them?

I'd been a bit lax about getting Shaina in for hers (just kept forgetting to
call, and time got away from me.) She has always gotten one, due to her asthma.
So, I finally call Monday, and am told that, due to high demand, they are
competely out of the vaccine. (the few doses they had left were already spoken
for by people who had already called -- while I'd spent all morning trying to
get through on the phone -- I feel sorry for any parent who had an actual
medical emergency that morning.) I point out that, due to her asthma, she
really needs the vaccine, and the doctor wants her to have it. Too bad. I
should call back later in the week, in the hopes that they will have more
vaccine in by then.

So... what am I missing? WHY have the parents of 1500 local children suddenly
decided, in the past two weeks that THEIR healthy kids need flu shots?
(In past years I've never had the slightest difficulty, and I've usually, IIRC,
done it in late November or early December -- often as part of her annual
check-up.)





Naomi
CAPPA Certified Lactation Educator

(either remove spamblock or change address to to e-mail
reply.)

Naomi Pardue wrote:
Am I missing something? (Don't answer that...)
Every year we have the flu. Right? And every year people are told to get flu
shots if they are at high risk. And most of the rest of us, by and large, don't
bother.
So WHY... this year, is EVERYONE being told to get flu shots, with the result
that people who ARE at high risk, can't get them?

I'd been a bit lax about getting Shaina in for hers (just kept forgetting to
call, and time got away from me.) She has always gotten one, due to her asthma.
So, I finally call Monday, and am told that, due to high demand, they are
competely out of the vaccine. (the few doses they had left were already spoken
for by people who had already called -- while I'd spent all morning trying to
get through on the phone -- I feel sorry for any parent who had an actual
medical emergency that morning.) I point out that, due to her asthma, she
really needs the vaccine, and the doctor wants her to have it. Too bad. I
should call back later in the week, in the hopes that they will have more
vaccine in by then.

So... what am I missing? WHY have the parents of 1500 local children suddenly
decided, in the past two weeks that THEIR healthy kids need flu shots?
(In past years I've never had the slightest difficulty, and I've usually, IIRC,
done it in late November or early December -- often as part of her annual
check-up.)

Because this year is supposed to be particularly bad. Several
children have already died. It's been all over the news.

"Naomi Pardue" wrote in message
...
Am I missing something? (Don't answer that...)
Every year we have the flu. Right? And every year people are told to get
flu
shots if they are at high risk. And most of the rest of us, by and large,
don't
bother.
So WHY... this year, is EVERYONE being told to get flu shots, with the
result
that people who ARE at high risk, can't get them?

I'd been a bit lax about getting Shaina in for hers (just kept forgetting
to
call, and time got away from me.) She has always gotten one, due to her
asthma.
So, I finally call Monday, and am told that, due to high demand, they are
competely out of the vaccine. (the few doses they had left were already
spoken
for by people who had already called -- while I'd spent all morning trying
to
get through on the phone -- I feel sorry for any parent who had an actual
medical emergency that morning.) I point out that, due to her asthma, she
really needs the vaccine, and the doctor wants her to have it. Too bad. I
should call back later in the week, in the hopes that they will have more
vaccine in by then.

So... what am I missing? WHY have the parents of 1500 local children
suddenly
decided, in the past two weeks that THEIR healthy kids need flu shots?
(In past years I've never had the slightest difficulty, and I've usually,
IIRC,
done it in late November or early December -- often as part of her annual
check-up.)





Naomi
CAPPA Certified Lactation Educator



because this year this strand of flu is making normal staph infections
fatal, in otherwise healthy children.




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Alison wrote:

Naomi Pardue wrote:
Am I missing something? (Don't answer that...)
Every year we have the flu. Right? And every year people are told to get flu
shots if they are at high risk. And most of the rest of us, by and large, don't
bother.
So WHY... this year, is EVERYONE being told to get flu shots, with the result
that people who ARE at high risk, can't get them?


Because this year is supposed to be particularly bad. Several
children have already died. It's been all over the news.

I think mainly because it has been hyped up in the media. Not that children dying
isn't worth the hype, but from what I've read most of the deaths have been children
with pre-existing complications that warrant getting first dibs on the flu shot (like
asthma) in the first place. It seems a little skewed to me, as well, since 'at risk'
individuals die of the flu in surprisingly large numbers every year. I'm not sure
this year is terribly different, except for more media coverage and thus more
paranoia. The drug company that makes the vaccine certainly has a lot to gain from
inciting the masses. I think it would be interesting to see scientific documentation
on the severity of this year's flu, number of deaths, etc versus previous years,
rather than relying on news media's interpretation of such data.

cara

because this year this strand of flu is making normal staph infections
fatal, in otherwise healthy children.

So... therefore... surely even more dangerous for at risk kids. Making me
wonder why they do not have enough vaccine available so at-risk people can get
it.

(Though, in truth, I'm not aware of any cases around here. Shaina says no-one
at her school has been sick. A few kids have been out at the preschool, but
it's the usual ear infections and colds -- and one kid was out today with,
apparently, a mild reaction to HIS flu shot....)



Naomi
CAPPA Certified Lactation Educator

(either remove spamblock or change address to to e-mail
reply.)

"Naomi Pardue" wrote in message
...
because this year this strand of flu is making normal staph infections
fatal, in otherwise healthy children.

So... therefore... surely even more dangerous for at risk kids. Making me
wonder why they do not have enough vaccine available so at-risk people can
get
it.

(Though, in truth, I'm not aware of any cases around here. Shaina says
no-one
at her school has been sick. A few kids have been out at the preschool,
but
it's the usual ear infections and colds -- and one kid was out today with,
apparently, a mild reaction to HIS flu shot....)





Well yeah The flu shot companies made less of the vaccine this year
because in the past they've had to throw so much away and it takes a year to
make the vaccine and blah di blah.. I couldn't get my 2 asthmatics in at the
Navy hospital BEFORE the shortage.




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"Naomi Pardue" wrote in message
...
Am I missing something? (Don't answer that...)
Every year we have the flu. Right? And every year people are told to get
flu
shots if they are at high risk. And most of the rest of us, by and large,
don't
bother.
So WHY... this year, is EVERYONE being told to get flu shots, with the
result
that people who ARE at high risk, can't get them?

The people who are at high risk should have gone to get their shots before
this rush ever began. DS and I got our shots as soon as they were available
and there was no shortage at that time.

"toypup" wrote in message
news:P8SBb.17464$8y1.85718@attbi_s52...

"Naomi Pardue" wrote in message
...
Am I missing something? (Don't answer that...)
Every year we have the flu. Right? And every year people are told to
get
flu
shots if they are at high risk. And most of the rest of us, by and
large,
don't
bother.
So WHY... this year, is EVERYONE being told to get flu shots, with the
result
that people who ARE at high risk, can't get them?

The people who are at high risk should have gone to get their shots before
this rush ever began. DS and I got our shots as soon as they were
available
and there was no shortage at that time.


That's why I was confused by the first post. The flu starts hitting it's
height over Christmas season. If you get your kid a shot today they aren't
fully immune until after the Christmas vacation, and presumably the season's
travel, has started. Why
would a high risk person not have their shots by now? I know around here
they advertise them for high risk only in October, and don't start offering
to the general public until November. So why would you wait this late if
you really need one? Isn't the flu
shot usually hard to get by now?