question about H1N1 vaccine

Monique · 11-02-2009, 11:56 AM

Hi,
I have a question about the H1N1 vaccine. My mother passed away this March of ALS, I am confused to whether or not I and my children should be vaccine against this H1N1. After doing some research about the vaccine I came upon an artical by Dr Russell Blaylock MD, board certified neurosurgeon. It was saying that we should NOT be vaccine against the H1N1. Its one of the most dangerous vaccine ever devised. It contains adjuvant called squalene (MF-59). Which has been shown to cause servere autoimmune disorders such as ALS.

My family dr is advising me to get the shot. But my gut is telling me no...

Does anyone have any thoughts about this. I am curious to see what other family with ALS are thinking.

Thanks alot for taking the time to read this.
Monique

joelc · 11-02-2009, 12:31 PM

I am not comfortable with it either and have no plans to get it.
My wife just told me she was reading in the newspaper that 50% of the people in B.C. are refusing to get it.

laurel · 11-02-2009, 01:05 PM

Hi Monique,
I have done extensive reading on the H1N1 vaccine, and like Joel we will not get the vaccine. For two reasons, the testing has been rushed and the Canadian vaccine has the adjuvants. Non-adjuvanted vaccine is only available in Canada to pregnant women and young children. The FDA is the States has not approved the GSK vaccine (the one manufactured in Quebec) due to the adjuvant. Yes they may buy some adjuvanted vaccine to keep as an emergency supply, but obviously the FDA has concerns as well. The best we can do is follow good handwashing procedures, avoid crowds, and have a Tamiflu presription on hand. But this is a personal decision for all.
Laurel

halfin · 11-02-2009, 01:17 PM

Yes you can find a few doctors on the net saying it's dangerous, but you can find hundreds of thousands of doctors telling their patients it is a good idea.

John1 · 11-02-2009, 04:20 PM

The adjuvant in the vaccine has been used for many, many years in vaccines with excellent safety records. It boosts the effectiveness of the vaccine.

The mortality rate of persons contracting H1N1 in the US is about 0.05; that's thousands of times higher than the rate for winning the lottery. I'd rather get in line-up for the vaccine than for lottery tickets.

GlenBrittle · 11-02-2009, 06:58 PM

Well , I rationalized it this way.

When I got a cold , its like a bad flu to me.

When I got the flu , I knocked the crap out of me for a week , and it took a long time to recover.

H1N1 is all around , and I don't know if I could survive that. My doctor makes house calls because the hospital where her office is, is swamped with people with the flu - some of which have the H1N1 virus.

I got the shot. I plan to stick around for many more years, and will make these judgements by myself. If it was a mistake , so be it , it was mine to make.

Glen

Monique · 11-02-2009, 07:16 PM

Thanks for your replies...I guess my main worry is how the vaccine will effect my kids and my health in the long run. Where my mom, her cousin and her two children all passed away from ALS. Its scary thinking this vaccine has "squalene" in it and its been linked to ALS....Maybe I am overthinking the whole thing. I almost feel like I am damned if I do and damned if I don't.

lisavautour · 11-02-2009, 07:20 PM

Thanks Nicki, i already had my mind completely made up, no 2nd thoughts, no hesitation, then you mention ALS, and i am DONE......

I am monique's sister and any mention of als, and i just freak out

chefdeborah · 11-02-2009, 07:33 PM

I read the articles about the H1N1 causing ALS too. But, I already have it and I guess that if I got the flu, it would affect me harder since I have Progressive Bulbar Palsy. I have problems breathing as it is, don't need anything causing more problems. My neuro suggested that I and my husband get the vaccine. We are supposed to get it on Friday or Monday. Will let you know how we fare.

chefdeborah

shelleynshaggy · 11-02-2009, 07:35 PM

I completely made up my mind after my cousin's 2 kids got confirmed H1N1 about 2 weeks ago. They kids were real, real sick for over a week. She is an RN and had a H1N1 shot about a week before - she got a slight sore throat and a cough - stopped there. They are all healthy. All four of us are "high risk" - I am a medical care worker, my kids are at risk d/t age & school and of course Jim. I would hate to have the "what if" - the H1N1 virus is all over here - the hospital has a floor & an ER "dedicated" to it. That tells me something - these are people with positive lab results. Yes there are risks in the vaccine - but I think the risk is higher for not getting it.

laurel · 11-02-2009, 08:33 PM

I don't think I would hesitate if I could get the non adjuvanted, but I do have big questions about the adjuvant. Many Canadians are crossing the border to the States to get the vaccine without adjuvant. I think I have fears that are larger than normal because of hubby having CIDP and many CIDP patients had Guillain-Barre Syndrome first and then CIDP. And many GBS patients report their onset following flu vaccine. After attending GBS/CIDP conferences and chatting with those that relate their onset to flu vaccine (and in Canada most of our vaccines have adjuvant as it is far cheaper), a person gets a little gun shy. I keep listening to radio and TV programs which talk about the pro's and con's and the more I listen to, the more uncertain I am. But reading some of the stories of the rapid onset and deaths is very scary. The adjuvant does boost the immune system, and both hubby and I have faulty over active immune systems--so I don't really know what to think. I'm on the fence but I'm still reading.
Laurel

BarryG · 11-03-2009, 01:04 PM

I had both the seasonal and H1N1 shot the very first day that they were offered here, no lineups, no waiting. I had and still have no qualms about getting the shots and I have no worries about others getting it also. The vaccine did not give me ALS and I really doubt whether it will affect anyone else in giving them any disease either.