Your H1N1 vaccine experience

[Robb]

Just curious, and there are a lot of DUers out there. Please chime in, or just vote, to say how your experience getting the H1N1 vax went -- or hasn't, as the case may be.

FWIW I got a call from the clinic Thursday saying it was available, Mrs. Robb and I are both in risk groups so we headed over. Zero wait.

In other news, the DU spellchecker knows "H1N1" but not FWIW. :D

[TCJ70]

1. I don't plan on getting one.

I've never gotten a flu shot...

[Fearless]

2. There's a shortage, I'm healthy...

Let someone else have it.

[prole_for_peace]

5. Same here. n/t

[LeftyMom]

3. Already had the disease.

Well, more than likely. Wasn't tested but the health department here says it's common enough here that if one has the flu to just assume it's H1N1. :shrug:

[NightWatcher]

4. Other: Survived the Swine Flu, now rockin and rollin

[endless october]

6. shortage.

will get one ASAP.

[kestrel91316]

7. I wish to hell I could get it, since I can pass it on to my patients, lol.

And on that note, I reported a case to LA County Health Dept of a possible H1N1 kitty, everybody in the home has probable H1N1 over the past month or so, and now the cat has an atypical upper respiratory infection. So we shall see if LA wants to test it.

[Liberation Angel]

12. I believe my old Australian Cattle Dog died from it (we all had it)

She was quite old (13 years old) and after we got what seemed to be the H1N1 pretty bad (I am pretty sure that is what it was as we had all the symptoms and it lingered and a coworker of my daughter's had it) she started hacking a lot with upper respiratory problems (but it was not unusual for her to cough and hack now and then).

She began to have difficulty breathing and was gone in less than a day or two after the cough first mahifested. She was not that bad then suddenly she could not get up and it was over very quickly.

She was trying hard to breathe but could not get any air into her lungs which i presume were filled with fluid. It was traumatic and sad.

I believe me and my kids had it and are probably immune to it now and feel the risk is too high to get it--- but I would not probably trust this vaccine anyway. Never had a flu shot...But my kids did get all the required shots when they were kids recommended by a doctor we loved and trusted and who supported alternative stuff too.

My Old girl's name as Trixie Blue and she looked like the mad max dog.

I miss her. She really was special and crazy.

[DeschutesRiver]

20. I am so sorry your dog is gone

and that was a very neat name for her. I lost the best dog of my life when she was 13, and I know how much it hurts when they leave.

The special dogs are unforgettable and they are the ones we will always miss the most forever. Peace to you and your family.

[Liberation Angel]

25. Thank You!

She was an old girl and was having dificulty, so it was mercifully quick.

Your thoughts are appreciated. She was a real character. I still have two of her pups and a grandpup (a little girl) though who is precious.

So she lives on in her progeny.

[DeschutesRiver]

26. Mine too had some rough patches yet was crazy active

right until the week before she got sick and passed away here at home. You are so fortunate to have pups of her line in your family! My girl's brother is still here at 14.5 years old and just as much a character as his sister was (large dog who can still outrun us on our walks:) We found out that this litter had mild seizure issues, so breeding them was not possible, otherwise I'd give my eye teeth to have had offspring from these wonderful GSPs.

We'd always had GSP puppies here, but I ended up adopting an older English Pointer, who is a kind hearted extreme cuddler who has given me back my joy, and that is a good thing.

Hugs to your furkids and grandpup!

[kestrel91316]

29. There is only one known influenza that infects dogs, it's H3N-something.

H1N1 is not known to infect dogs, so it is highly unlikely that your dog had it. If a new flulike disease were killing dogs (as opposed to causing an uptick in common mild upper respiratory disease in cats) we veterinarians would be noticing. We are all on the alert for this sort of thing.

Did your veterinarian suspect H1N1 in your dog? If so, why was it not reported to the authorities and tested??? A deadly disease dogs could catch from humans would be BIG BIG BIG news.

[DJ13]

8. Here in our small Central Ca town my wife's doctor asked us yesterday

If we wanted the H1N1 shot, and we said no.

He said they "have plenty of it".

[Burma Jones]

9. H1N1 cycled through the family two weeks ago

Got a call yesterday saying the kids' pediatrician had some in stock.........but, we've had it.

[bigwillq]

10. Not planning on getting one (nt)

[Blue_In_AK]

11. We are not being vaccinated.

We're out of the "danger zone" apparently and I believe the vaccines should be saved for those who need them the most.

Here's an interesting piece in today's Anchorage Daily News about getting flu vaccine to Little Diomede Island. (They CAN see Russia from their houses.)

http://www.adn.com/swineflu/story/1003193.html

A doctor and nurse flown by helicopter to one of the state's most hard-to-reach villages gave swine flu shots until 2 a.m. Friday as health officials scrambled to inoculate an entire Alaska community for the first time since the flu scare started.

About 130 people live in Diomede, 2.5 miles across the Bering Strait from Russia. The Alaska Army National Guard this week airlifted three patients with flu-like symptoms from the village to the hospital in Nome, with one testing positive for the virus. Back on the island, vaccines were given to virtually everyone living there on Thursday and Friday.

"They're going house to house, to the places where any family member is too sick to go to the clinic," Jamie Ahkinga, a Diomede city clerk, said Friday.

Public health agencies took the unusual step of sending a medical team to the village because of its extreme isolation. This time of year you can only get there by helicopter and, sometimes, by boat.

<SNIP>

[CraftyGal]

13. I wanted to vote not been vaccinated yet, not in the right high risk category.

Ended up voting not getting vaccinated...arg. It had a debacle here in Canada for the most part. Alberta's clinics were closed for a week after the first week being 3-6 hr line ups. I was turned away after waiting 3 1/2 hrs on a Thursday, was told to come back the following week. Found out on the Sunday that all clinics were closed until further notice. I have heard from a very reliable source ( news anchor for one of our news shows) that I can get the shot on Tuesday, November 10th. Here's hoping. I am in a high risk group plus I am in contact with people that are in high risk groups.

Craftygal

[Posteritatis]

15. Similar sort of thing in Nova Scotia

I loved hearing that we're exporting some of our vaccine out of country too, believe me. ;P

[BeatleBoot]

14. Woke up at 5:30 am

I have Asthma, so I was in the high risk group.

Got there at 6:30 am - Cars were lined up on the shoulder of the road until about 8 am.

Stood in line for another hour.

I was out of there by 9:30 am.

Line wrapped around the complex for quite a ways when I looked back as i was leaving.

Nurse told me it takes 2 weeks before I am immune.

[stray cat]

16. Vaccinated by natural route live virus- and miserable for two weeks

[Chemisse]

17. I either already had it or

I will get it within a week. Half my school seems to be infected. And those students - good little soldiers that they are - just keep coming to school with their sneezes and coughs and head-on-the-desk attitudes.

[customerserviceguy]

18. Got the H1N1, and the seasonal flu shot

I'm marginally in a targeted group, but I let my doctor know I wanted it. She made sure I got a call when they had some in, I guess I'm glad that the nervous nellies in the highly targeted group didn't crowd me out.

My prediction: Hundreds of thousands of people have swine flu, or have been (or will be) sufficiently exposed to get it. They will spread it completely through the population with the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, and a fairly large percentage of Americans will get it.

It could be President Obama's Katrina.

[rainbow4321]

19. The hospital I work for offered the vaccine

So I just waited in line for 10 minutes and got it.

Our patients, on the other hand, not so lucky. We still don't have it to offer them. And I work with immunosupressed patients.

The hospital has gotten doses for SOME patients, but it's for other high risk groups (infants, kids, etc...).

But believe me, the patients in our clinic repeatedly ask when WE will have it to give to them. Two months ago we were told to tell them "the end of October". Well that has come and gone, so now we are told to tell them we have no idea when we will have it for them. We also have run out of the regular flu shot.

[Robb]

21. Interesting.

Do you mind if I ask what state?

[rainbow4321]

23. Texas...

Apparently, our clinic didn't get much notice that our staff was going to get the injections...it was a last minute (day before) kind of phone call "we're coming tomorrow" from the employee health department.

Sad thing is, with it being a county hospital and most of our patients being indigent, it's not like they have the resource$ to go elsewhere and get the vaccine (like a private doctor's office, etc..). So we are the only place for them to turn. And we don't have answers for them.

[Swamp Rat]

22. Other: I had Swine Flu

I felt really bad for a few days, then I got better. :)

[Robb]

24. Kick. nt

[TZ]

27. I got it no wait

However I am not representative as a work for a company that manufacturers the vaccine ( however I have underlying health conditions so it's important I get it)

[Pool Hall Ace]

28. I haven't seen it available in my area yet.

I'd like to get the yearly flu shot first, when I can get some money to pay for it (hopefully this week). If the H1N1 shot is available, I will probably get it (if I don't get the flu first).