BellaOnline Forums Health and Fitness Allergies & Colds boy nearly dies after getting H1N1 shot (swine flu

I have twice tried to get flu shots and came down with a bad case of the flu thereafter. So I do not get these shots anymore and refuse to get the h1N1 shot myself:
boy nearly dies after getting swine flu shot

Are you getting the shot? Who is and isn't?

The Tamiflu pill is my choice for battling this scare. April Hunter (a wrestler/fitness model) on her website warns of the shots not being fully tested on people before they were released. Due to the high profile media scares that this virus might wipe out millions if not treated. I'm thinking her advice sounds logical. She's no doctor, but I know wrestlers and models do care what is put in their bodies as that is where their livelihood comes into play.

I am going to give my girls the H1N1 shot. They both had seasonal shots this year without any problems as did I and my husband. My husband & I also plan to get the shot as well. We are trying to get pregnant and the possibility of death of my and/or my baby is too great to not get the shot.

There is always someone who reacts badly to vaccines, etc. This is the first case I've heard of. I've had tons of vaccines because of my Peace Corps stint and never had any problems with any of the shots - even the Typhoid shot that does make most people feel ill for a day or so...

I guess it is a matter of choice. These shots have not worked for me...but then I catch everything. My only real safety lies in careful attention to things I touch, washing my hands, using hand gel, cloroxing my home and staying away from people in general.

If I had kids, not sure what I would do. I'd probably research the heck out of the situation and then give them the shots to see how they fare with it. I am probably the exception and not the rule.

In general I feel our society always focuses on the outrageous risks (dying from bird flu, dying from H1N1) and rarely on the more realistic risks (dying from smoking, dying from obesity, dying from car crashes where no seatbelt was worn). We worry about really unlikely but wildly exciting dangers, and don't take precautions about things which are boring. We all know people who have really poor nutrition or who drink too much, so they are very likely to damage their health by doing that - but then they worry greatly about a risk which is very unlikely to affect them.

So with that all being said, I think the most important things to do for *any* flu risk are the core ones. Eat very healthy every day, exercise daily, engage in stress-relief activities. Have your immune system be as strong as it possibly can be. Take daily vitamins.

Take normal precautions when interacting with potentially sick people. Keep your personal space clear. If they are coughing ask them to cough into their elbow (not their hands). Wash your hands regularly.

I realize that perfectly healthy people do sometimes get sick and die, but to me that falls into the lightning-striking frequency category.

Apparently sixty **million** people have gotten the flu vaccine. If a sole person gets dangerously sick from that, out of 60 million, that seems fairly low risk. On the other hand, only 1,000 people have died from this flu in the US, out of a population of 304 million. So that is an equally tiny number.

Over 42,000 people die in car crashes every year. That's a much bigger number, but we're not all wearing helmets and flack jackets when we drive. To me that would be a better investment.

I found a site which says out of those fatal crashes that 13,627 of the cars were "running a traffic sign" crashes. So we're not talking gigantic highway flips - just a simple traffic sign blow-through. A helmet and body armor would probably do the job of saving you quite nicely!

My dad died 14 yrs. ago on Christmas day after being sick for less than a week. He was 79 and healthy as the proverbial horse. And, he died from viral pneumonia after being given the shot for it just 6 weeks earlier. Yeah. It's scary.

I'm not saying that no one should ever get a shot to prevent illness. I am saying that nature finds a way. When we eliminate one kind of virus Mother Nature creates another, and nowadays they are known as Superbugs.

I am very concerned about so many thousands of people getting vaccinated every month or even every week.

My prayers go out to them because I am thinking that this may actually create problems.

Health and peace to everyone,

Nancy Welker
BellaOnline Yoga Editor

LIsa, keep in mind some people attract lightning. This is factual. And I seem to attract the flu. So you bet I will be paranoid about it for me. My goal is to not get ANY flu this year.

Desiree Jennings Rx to Flu Shot

So sad...

I am not getting the Flu shot and neither are my 15 and 11 year old children. I am a health care worker and believe hand washing and disinfecting phones and keyboards and doorknobs is the way for me...

New vaccines make me leery.
Every time I have gotten a seasonal flu shot in the past I have ended up sicker than any year I did not get the flu shot.

Hand washing is the number one way to prevent illness. Proper hand washing. Turning off the faucet after washing hands with a dry paper towel. Opening the door to exit with a dry paper towel. using hand sanitizer ONLY if hand washing is not an option.

Sanitizing cell phones, office/work phones, key boards, door knobs, toilet handle, light switches and steering wheels.

Never touch the elevator buttons use your key or elbow or another item like a tissue and dispose of it after.

Seriously, how many people wipe off their cell phones and key boards on a regular basis?

Not many! and NOT often enough...

Hand washing properly. Sing happy birthday to yourself as you lather... warm water... do not touch paper towel dispenser handles/before washing pull the handle for your paper towel...after hand washing use your paper towel to get more if needed.

Turn off the water faucet using a dry paper towel.

Simple enough.

I have a weakened immune system and get sick very often requiring I.V. antibiotics. I get the seasonal flu shot with no problems and plan to get the H1N1 shot because I don't want to get H1N1. More than likely, it would land me in the hospital if I got the virus. So, I'm opting to get the shot. However, I will not get the nasal mist.

I am like Jill. I react to all kinds of shots, especially flu, but that's because I am allergic to eggs. I am opting to stick with immune boosters like healthy eating, exercise, sugar avoidance and lots of rest. Regular handwashing and nasal irrigation are two of my tried and true flu defenses.