Quietttttt............

It's so quiet on this forum that we could open a Library..................

Are we all bears? Have we all hibernated for the winter? Where is everyone?

So many questions. So few answers!

Enquiring minds need to know.............

Predis, OUT !!!

It's because everyone is busy standing in line waiting for their injection of H1N1!!

What are you doing here? Why aren't you in line? I hope you're not one of them queue-jumpers that we've been hearing about?

Seriously, I think the media has gotten everyone going just a little overboard over this. Sure it's very contagious (because most have not yet been exposed to this strain) and lots of people will get sick, but statistically speaking, you're no more likely to die from this flu than you are from one of the more common "seasonal" ones.. They're now saying that the death rate is even lower than the "seasonal" rates! So really, you'd be better off running for the seasonal vaccine as opposed to the H1N1 version. Sigh.

And I think there's much work to be done on their "priority" lists. I've been saying from the beginning that kids in daycares and elementary schools should be the first to be vaccinated because that's where it will SPREAD the quickest. How many parents dread the start of (primary) school-season because that's when the kids bring home all sorts of these "presents". But the priority group for the shots (ie:"the most vulnerable") are also the most isolated group, and so they would have a far less chance of catching the flu to begin with... In many cases it's the younger kids that would be spreading it by bringing it into the house - so vaccinate them first!

Seems the ones in charge have finally managed to figure this out... but instead of bringing the vaccine to the schools (duh), and vaccinating the kids one class at a time (like they do with other vaccines)... They decided it'd be best to take the school nurses out of the schools and send them to a vaccination point. Then transport all the students to the vaccination point by bus... so their school nurses could inject them... and then bus them all back to school. I wonder whose brainwave it was that figured that system out. (Whoever it is, I bet you they're paid a lot of taxpayer $$$ to figure these things out for us!).

Ok, so that's my rant. I'm done. There, something to talk about now.



dbco

All I said was, "Boy, it's quiet here" !

I agree that the government has really dropped the ball on this whole issue and it could have been thought out alot better. The rules and procedures seem to change every day. The media is having a field day with every case that comes up. To hear them talk, it's almost at the panic level or close to it.
Ever see the movie "Outbreak"? In the movie someone is infected by a contaminated monkey. Could the public be that someone? Then who would that make the monkey that is doing the contaminating? The government? The media? THE DRUG COMPANIES? If the manufacturers are so sure that we are heading for a pandemic, then would it not be in their better interest as philanthropists to do the right thing and sell this vaccine to the government at cost? They would be hailed as heros and the whole project would cost million$ less! But nooooo! Instead, they are getting richer and richer with every injection and on our money! We get the shot for free but it will be back to bite us in the wallet sooner or later in some form of "extra" tax or loss of tax deduction. Nothing is free when the government is involved. (Ahhhh! Fond memories of executive pay outs!)

BTW. I have had the vaccine. Not because I jumped the line, but because my daughter lives with me and she has a newborn baby. Everyone who lives in the house had to have it! We had it 10 days ago and so far, no ill side effects. I have not grown hair on my teeth or started to walk backwards or anything of that nature. (Touch wood)

So. That's my contribution. Maybe someone else will join in and we will once again have interesting reading on the HFP Forum.

Predis. OUT !!

Just to clarify, the shot may be "free" but it isn't really "free", since it's being paid for with our tax $'s.

Canada's estimated cost of the vaccination program is now said to be $2 Billion (and surely will grow)... So this "free" vaccine is really costing us over $60/person...so far... And that's assuming that EVERY Canadian actually gets the shot... Since many will not it's probably safe to put the cost at over $100 per person vaccinated. Surely some people/corporations are making a LOT of money off of this... (consider, it takes less than 1 egg to produce a dose of the vaccine!)

(Not saying that it is, or is not worth the money. It will surely save countless lives, medical expenses and otherwise lost-productivity... Just saying that it's not realy "free"... Never mind the fact that, since we're already posting deficits, the $2B cost will be with borrowed money, taking years to pay back with an additional cost of $100 million/year (or more) in interest until they finally do!).

dbco

So I got the H1N1 shot yesterday... (Figured may as well, since I'm already paying so much for it ).

I was eligible under the clause "Children 6 months to 5 years old and their families". (My son is 5).

First off came an argument that I'm not eligible because my son is 5. I tried explaining that it doesn't say "6 months to under 5")... They said, nope, 5 means "5 years old minus 1 day". Are these people nuts? If the rules were "4-5 year olds" then it would mean it's only open to 4 year olds? If so, then wouldn't they just say "people 4 years old" (but then again under their logic that would include no one, right?). Anyhow, I finally convinced them that I was indeed eligible... (I did need to prove my son's age using his ID too mind you).

So that was all at 1PM and I was vaccinated by 1:20PM. NO LINE UPS. Most of the nurses were just sitting there twiddling their thumbs. Many people (especially seniors) were being turned away because they are "not eligible at this time". I'd say that more people were being turned away than those let in. (And you must bring PROOF that you are eligilble otherwise they don't believe you and won't allow you in. (I wonder if pregnant women also needed to bring proof cuz looking at their bellies wasn't enough... Surprised they didn't have ultrasound machines there (maybe they do?)).

So here in Montreal we have super centers setup with hundreds of health care workers being paid with hardly anything to do... People who are probably eligible are being turned away in droves for lack of proof...

I walked by there again today and there was a grand total of 0 people in line (and again, people were being turned away).

I heard in Ontario they've opened it up to everyone now... Hopefully Quebec will have the brains to follow suit. At the very least, create a separate line that's for "anyone"... If they have no people in the "priority" line, then let people in the "anyone" line through...

dbco

Do you realize that we are now picturing how our super famous "free" health care system is managed ? Poor americans...they soon will have to decide if they want to support Obama's proposition on a free health care program. I want to say to them that our vaccine program is not the best, but in general, the whole system is better then that. Of course, there are lacks, but there are +++ either.

I do agree that the vaccination program in Quebec is showing numerous lacks. It took weeks before some responsible people realized it, admited it and did something to improve it. Does that mean that it's perfect and that they can sit on it ? ABSOLUTELY NOT !!!

Improvement is a neverending concept. I wish they keep on thinking and take more actions ASAP. This weekend, there was only 1 million people vaccinated on a total of more than 6. It took what ? 3 weeks to do so ? At that rate, we will be vaccined in 15 weeks...(5 remaining millions times 3 weeks/million). Okay, I feel loose, I'll substract 3 weeks because they've improved the rate. It still make a total of 12 weeks Scary

One day they say that there are going to be enough vaccines for everyone and the next day, they are running out of stock. We were all supposed to be vaccined by Xmas; now today, they were saying that it might be after too (maybe a consultant was paid mucho pesos to figure out the same math equation I just did...). They have plenty of vaccines without the additive (for pregnant woman) - (I have to remind you that they were saying that the additive maximizes the effect of the vaccine )- and now that they have too many of those, they are saying that it works just as good as the other one with additive. Did I miss something here ? Am I the only wondering why the additive is required then ? Or do they think that we cannot figure out that they were lying somewhere ?

To be honest, I am really fed up of the way the program is handled and the way they twist the information to make us swallow everything they say. You know, the little bump in between our shoulders is not only a decoration; it's made also to analyse.

Can someone please answer these questions: if we have to get the regular influenza vaccine each year to be protected...will we have to go through the same mayhem next year to be protected from AHINI? How long is it good for ?

I wonder how the vaccination program is doing in the USA

Can anyone from USA tell us a bit more please ?

The H1N1 vaccine will protect you for the rest of your life... from this strain. That's why people over 65 have to wait so long - apparently a strain of the flu which went around many moons ago was quite similar to this H1N1, and so those who were exposed to that strain have shown immunity to this one. It's why seniors are less likely to contract H1N1.

So far there hasn't been much (if any?) mutation of H1N1, but that is very likely to change. The strain of H1N1 that goes around next flu season will probably be a little different... And thus, you may not be protected...

The good news is that next year's seasonal flu shot will almost certainly incorporate protection against H1N1 since it will more than likely be a dominant flu strain for years to come.

Mutants ???? You mean were all gonna look like Ninja Turtles?

Shazzzaaammmm !!!!

I wanne be the rat !!!!!!

"You know, the little bump in between our shoulders is not only a decoration; it's made also to analyse. "
But Paradisa. Yours is sooooo cute !!!!

I use mine for other stuff, like wearing a tuque and getting sunburned or I bang the front of it alot when I make mistakes but I never use it to look at bums. Isn't that what ANAL eyes means?

Okay, okay! I'll be serious.
I still have not had any side effects from the shot.
No pooping through my ear or anything weird like that.
There I go again. Stop it!! Behave!!!

Okay, okay> I'll be serious again.

Predis, OUT !!

Predis wrote:

"You know, the little bump in between our shoulders is not only a decoration; it's made also to analyse. "
But Paradisa. Yours is sooooo cute !!!!

Okay, okay> I'll be serious again.

Predis, OUT !!

Don't be too serious pleeeeeeeeeeeeease
Hey, Predis, by any chance, would you happen to have a son my age ?
I so knew you were gonna reply something to my-wide-open-door !!!...I was counting the minutes before you'd say something funny !!!

Thanks DCBO for the info about the vaccine

Someone going at camp this weekend ? It is supposed to be really nice and I'll be there !

Paradisa, my wife's been at camp since Wednesday! (Shop shop shop). Said it's been gorgeous, especially yesterday. If you go be sure to get a turkey at price chopper, they're on sale for something like 39c/lb!!

Predis, no we are not going to look like Ninja Turtles! Sheesh! It's not US that will mutate, it's the H1N1 virus! Currently H1N1 looks like a HeN if viewed under a microscope, thus the similarities in the name (I'm not sure what the 1's mean for but probably to make it look scientific). Anyway, that's why the vaccine needs to be grown inside HeN eggs. But you are correct, in that H1N1 may mutate into a form of turtle by next year, in which case the vaccine will be grown inside turtle eggs. The big worry right now is that it may mutate into a form of kangaroo.

dbco

Boy-Boy!
Then we'll really be "hopping" mad...................

Predis, OUT!!