Have questions about the H1N1 flu or vaccine?

soundoff (10 Responses)

1. Californian
   

   Hi Betty. I am a 27 Years old HIV positive male. The vaccine is not available
   yet in my area. Should I be worried? I did get my regular flu shot. Are HIV positive adults in the priority group to get the vaccine? Thank you and Happy Halloween to everyone in your studio

   October 31, 2009 at 6:18 am |
2. Rick Fernandez
   

   Some of us Americans are taking a proactive approach in the prevention of the H1N1. Myself I am taking taking an average of 2,000 mg. of vitamin C and I have taken mega doses (4,000 to 8,000 mg.) of viatamin C at the first symptoms of cold like symptoms.

   MY QUESTION:
   I am interested in knowing the impact of taking any type of natural immune boosting over the counter supplements before and after the inoculation for the H1N1. Is it recommended for someone to not take any supplements before the shot to prevent an immune system to be to strong? or is it better for the immune system to be at it's peak before the shot to help fight the virus?

   October 31, 2009 at 6:22 am |
3. Steve
   

   How can the H1N1 virus be contracted and how long can it live in surfaces that come in contact with carriers?

   October 31, 2009 at 6:55 am |
4. Jack Bradley
   

   Madame Secretary: The insurance industry is spending millions of dollars on lobbyists and on TV advertising to kill the healthcare reform legislation. How can we Americans, who realize the need for reform, get our voices heard?

   October 31, 2009 at 7:01 am |
5. Louise
   

   I just had a flu all week, 3 days of which I could not move from bed. No fever. My 15 year old was sick with the same. I had planned on BOTH innoculations, H1N1 & Seasonal. I would like to know what course of action to take now? Which flu did we have? Can we still get tested for which strain before innoculations? We are in Western NY.

   October 31, 2009 at 7:30 am |
6. Landon
   

   I just did my pediatrics rotation for nursing school and worked in clinics and health departments in my area for 5 weeks. I was exposed over and over to both seasonal flu and swine flu, but I did not catch it. No, I have not been vaccinated BUT I use common sense. I wash my hands and eat healthy and exercise and I also take Vitamin C on top of a Multi-vitamin daily. I agree with the secretary and the CDC that if you are at high risk (e.g. diabetic, prone to respiratory infections because of asthma or COPD, children, elderly, immuno-compromised, etc.) that you should definitely get the vaccine, but I do not agree with it EVER being mandatory. Everyone should not just run out and get the vaccine because they are scared to catch a case of the sniffles...the symptoms are the exact same, if not less severe, as seasonal flu. Why take a chance at having a reaction to a live virus just because you don't want to catch the flu? And you acquire a much stronger immunity and cell memory from catching the actual virus than the attenuated form. The CDC is pushing this vaccine out ridiculously fast over all this hype and fear. Its kind of dumb but be my guest. I am in no hurry to get the vaccine and doubt I even do. And if I catch it I'll stay hydrated, watch my temp, rest; and unless something goes very wrong I am not wasting money on a trip to the ER or doctor. Mrs. Sebelius my question has nothing to do with H1N1. I want to ask you about health information technology and the money you are allocating to the states to begin implementing new programs and practices centering on patient safety, efficiency, etc. Will you be providing scholarships or tuition payments to students who wish to become primary care physicians? Will you do the same and provide incentives for nursing degrees as well? Will you also provide incentives to RN's to further their degrees and become nursing instructors? Will you increase their pay so they will actually decide to teach because nursing instructors take a severe cut in pay? And being an instructor requires a masters and they make much less than an RN working at the hospital with only an Associates or BSN degree. Will you focus your efforts on the needy states like mine here in Mississippi? We have some of the sickest patients, the lowest paid nurses, and the highest rate chronic illness resulting from preventable disease such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and obesity. We have a shortage of primary care physicians, nurses, and assisted personnel. We pay the most for prescription drugs and over 20 % are uninsured. Our ERs are inundated with non-emergent patients because of our lack of insurance coverage, cheap or free clinics, community based health programs,and prevention strategies and screenings. And as far as health IT goes...paper records, charting, etc is causing even more problems. I know the richer states complain about paper charting but most of them have a much more advanced computer record system and just an over-all more advanced technology system than the poorer states like mine. We have some very interesting ideas floating around our hospitals and with a younger generation preparing to enter the health care work force, I think that you should go full steam and put more money into developing a stable computerized charting and medical record system. And make it similar to a social network like facebook or a browser like Firefox, where apps can be added and it can constantly be updated and changed, accessed with mobile internet, and interconnect hospitals around the world. So will you focus your efforts on states like Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Louisana, etc. Will you put more money into developing Health Information Technology? It will save so many lives, so much money, and eliminate so much waste. We will no longer waist time trying to decide who this patient is, have the been to this hospital before, what are they ALLERGIC to? Thank you for your efforts so far.

   October 31, 2009 at 8:02 am |
7. Landon
   

   Yes! If you get very sick don't be an idiot...go to the doctor because dehydration and electrolyte imbalances from the vomiting will kill you...but this Nasal Vaccine....that seems very strange. How can you inhale a live virus and it not spread through droplet contact when you breath on someone? Well they are way smarter than me so I guess they have some way to prevent that.

   October 31, 2009 at 8:12 am |
8. Ervin
   

   Why are Americans and the media acting surprised that individuals could watch a gang rape? This insensitivity evolved from public lynchings of Black men and their genitals savagely removed during the lynching. It also evolved from the public brutal beatings administered by Police on minorities. Although not publicized history documents apathetic ignoring of these events by many Americans and agenda driven media. We are what we are!!

   October 31, 2009 at 1:10 pm |
9. A. Smith
   

   My question is,

   Where is the independent group of international scientists that have carefully looked at the H1N1 virus with electron microscopes and determined that virus was not manufactured by someone using recombinent DNA practices?

   Besides the CDC laboratory frozen samples of the 1976 Swine Flu virus, where is the historical evidence proving the 1976 Swine Flu virus still existed somewhere in the world after 1980?

   A. Smith
   Oregon

   October 31, 2009 at 5:07 pm |
10. Tricia Earle
    

    I am 66 with COPD. I cannot get the H1N1 vacine because I am above 65. I don't believe in the "death panels", but this sure feels like one. Put out to pasture. Let the Old people go after the others have been taken care of. I am a signle grandmother raising a 10 year old girl. I have to get her up to at least college age. What will happen to her if I die?

    November 7, 2009 at 9:26 am |