Swine Flu in Ireland

Jumbo2018 · 04-01-2019 10:55PM

Sardonicat wrote: »

For sure. It really does depend. My nephew was in his early teens and he honestly had worse colds before and since. A friend of mine in her twenties ended up in intensive care. It's not worth taking any chances. Also, if you get a 'mild' dose and don't realise you've got H1N1 you could actually be putting vulnerable people at risk. Just get the vaccine, people!

If it is such a crucial public health issue then why has the flu vaccine not become mandatory for everyone in the country.

retro:electro · 04-01-2019 10:57PM

I had it when it first arrived here a few years ago. Genuinely never felt as ill in my entire life. I couldn’t even speak. I felt all but dead and I was young fit and healthy. Scary to think how someone with already compromised health would fight it off and return to normalcy. It took me ages to feel better again.

Wibbs · 04-01-2019 11:17PM

pc7 wrote: »

I was young and fit,

This bit in the cases of some flus and especially the real killers actually makes you more vulnerable if you're young.

OK a sample of two...

Sardonicat wrote: »

For sure. It really does depend. My nephew was in his early teens and he honestly had worse colds before and since. A friend of mine in her twenties ended up in intensive care.

Cat below explains why:

Deleted User wrote: »

It’s the body’s own immune system that actually does the damage as the cytokines sent out to respond to the virus fill up the lungs.

So because the very young and the very old tend to have weaker immune systems this part at least doesn't tend to happen*. On the other hand if you're a as healthy as a butcher's dog 22 year old that's more likely to kick off and seriously impact you. In the Spanish Flu epidemic there were small towns cut off from the rest of the world by geography or latitude and many caught it(still a bit of a mystery how). When people went into check on them many months even a year later, what they found was most of the people who greeted them were little kids and grandparents.

I had the Swine flu back in (14/15?) and it felled me alright. Luckily I tend to shift off flu pretty quickly, under a week anyway, but that one was up there as worst dose of anything I've ever had. And I've had malaria(TBH I have felt sicker with doses of the flu than with that. It was a different kinda rough).

*the very old have built up more general immunity too. Plus back then with little vaccination of any kind, no antibiotics etc, those that made it to ten were lucky, those who made it to 20 were lucky too. Most families lost 40% of their kids born. So the Spanish Flu killed millions of adult people who were already pretty strong. Today is unbelievably better as far as folks not losing children to common bugs and conditions, but overall we may be a little weaker because of it.

Sardonicat · 04-01-2019 11:52PM

Jumbo2018 wrote: »

Sardonicat wrote: »

For sure. It really does depend. My nephew was in his early teens and he honestly had worse colds before and since. A friend of mine in her twenties ended up in intensive care. It's not worth taking any chances. Also, if you get a 'mild' dose and don't realise you've got H1N1 you could actually be putting vulnerable people at risk. Just get the vaccine, people!

If it is such a crucial public health issue then why has the flu vaccine not become mandatory for everyone in the country.

Why are vaccinations in general not mandatory?

Sardonicat · 04-01-2019 11:59PM

Wibbs wrote: »

pc7 wrote: »

I was young and fit,

This bit in the cases of some flus and especially the real killers actually makes you more vulnerable if you're young.

OK a sample of two...

Sardonicat wrote: »

For sure. It really does depend. My nephew was in his early teens and he honestly had worse colds before and since. A friend of mine in her twenties ended up in intensive care.

Cat below explains why:

Deleted User wrote: »

It’s the body’s own immune system that actually does the damage as the cytokines sent out to respond to the virus fill up the lungs.

So because the very young and the very old tend to have weaker immune systems this part at least doesn't tend to happen*. On the other hand if you're a as healthy as a butcher's dog 22 year old that's more likely to kick off and seriously impact you. In the Spanish Flu epidemic there were small towns cut off from the rest of the world by geography or latitude and many caught it(still a bit of a mystery how). When people went into check on them many months even a year later, what they found was most of the people who greeted them were little kids and grandparents.

I had the Swine flu back in (14/15?) and it felled me alright. Luckily I tend to shift off flu pretty quickly, under a week anyway, but that one was up there as worst dose of anything I've ever had. And I've had malaria(TBH I have felt sicker with doses of the flu than with that. It was a different kinda rough).

*the very old have built up more general immunity too. Plus back then with little vaccination of any kind, no antibiotics etc, those that made it to ten were lucky, those who made it to 20 were lucky too. Most families lost 40% of their kids born. So the Spanish Flu killed millions of adult people who were already pretty strong. Today is unbelievably better as far as folks not losing children to common bugs and conditions, but overall we may be a little weaker because of it.

Actually Wibbs, my early 20s friend was immuno compromised, which is why she ended up in intensive care. But I get your point.

Spanish Eyes · 05-01-2019 12:06AM

Will the vaccine still work if taken up next week?

I dunno. I am a great believer in washing hands when you get home. The received wisdom is apparently two rounds of Happy Birthday To You to get the right amount of timing under the tap with soap etc.

But my neighbours are now worried about me having a birthday in my house a few times a day but what the heck!

Sardonicat · 05-01-2019 12:13AM

Always good to practice hand hygiene and that will help but this baby is airborne too. And realistically, can you wash your hands after you touch every public surface? Shop door handle, change, the button for the bell on the bus, etc. Will be getting me a bottle of hand sanitiser also. But vaccines will protect others, not just yourself.

Spanish Eyes · 05-01-2019 12:26AM

Gloves might work lol and a face mask. Seems normal to Japanese anyway. So why should we worry?

05-01-2019 12:30AM

Sardonicat wrote: »

Why are vaccinations in general not mandatory?

I see your point, but as someone who visits my doctor at least every six months for long term medication, I was recommended to get a tetanus vaccine when my doctor realised I work outdoors and with animals, yet I have never been recommended to get a flu vaccine? I do wonder why it isn't being recommended more.

RebelButtMunch · 05-01-2019 12:31AM

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Gloves might work lol and a face mask. Seems normal to Japanese anyway. So why should we worry?

Usually the people in Asia with the face masks are the ones that are sick. They wear it to stop spreading illness.

0cp71eyxkb94qf · 05-01-2019 12:53AM

Thanks for the heads up op. Going straight to a gp for the jab.

AllForIt · 05-01-2019 12:59AM

I went to my chemist today to pick up my Asthma medication and I was offered the flu jab there and then, which I though was rather cool. I have been sick since the 25th Decemeber and not fully recovered yet. I had pains in the top of both my eye-balls which was weird and a very deep chesty cough. I wonder what that was - some virus? Anyway didn't go to doc almost gone now.

Billy86 · 05-01-2019 01:02AM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Scare mongering.

Pretty much. My sister got either this or bird flu (which was also supposed to wipe out all of humanity) when it went around last. A week off secondary school in bed, good bit of medicine, and she was grand.

It is dangerous to young kids and the elderly if they're frail, but then again so are tonnes of things that don't pose anything like that threat to the rest of us.

Beasty · 05-01-2019 01:02AM

Had the jab a couple of months ago. The wife (who didn't) has gone down with something today. I had a rough night last night but have been fine during the day

Atlantic Dawn · 05-01-2019 01:04AM

Another scare tactic to load your body with unknown rubbish.

0cp71eyxkb94qf · 05-01-2019 01:06AM

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Another scare tactic to load your body with unknown rubbish.

It's not unknown though. A quick Google will tell you the contents of the jab.

Beasty · 05-01-2019 01:09AM

Billy86 wrote: »

Pretty much. My sister got either this or bird flu (which was also supposed to wipe out all of humanity) when it went around last. A week off secondary school in bed, good bit of medicine, and she was grand.

It is dangerous to young kids and the elderly if they're frail, but then again so are tonnes of things that don't pose anything like that threat to the rest of us.

I think there's enough anecdotal evidence in this thread already suggesting it's not only the young and frail that can suffer long-term effects of something like this

I've never had flu in my 58+ years but have started having the vaccine anyway, as the horror stories I keep hearing are such that I don't see the point of increasing the risk by not having it. I barely felt the injection and there were no real side effects of having it. It's a pretty good price for some basic health "insurance"

Ariadne · 05-01-2019 01:18AM

I have Cystic Fibrosis and I got Influenza A a few years ago. Really never felt so awful in my entire life. I spent six weeks in hospital trying to recover. The first week with the flu itself wasn't nice but I could manage but when it hit my lungs I was just fcuked, could barely walk to the toilet I was so out of breath, and I had tamiflu and started IV antibiotics immediately so I don't know what state I would have been in if I hadn't gotten then right off. I haven't forgotten my flu vaccine since then. I will ask at the CF clinic next week if the vaccine I got covers swine flu. To be honest I see no harm in healthy people getting the flu jab too, why risk getting the flu when you can increase your chances of avoiding it.

Golfwidow · 05-01-2019 01:24AM

What about young kids? I’m not sure that they can get the flu jab here whereas in UK it is offered to kids for free as a type of nasal spray in each nostril. Surely it’s very important to young kids who populate crèches and schools to have the vaccine?

05-01-2019 01:28AM

I do think people without underlying conditions owe it to those who are compromised to get the vaccine, it's cheap, or even free to those with medical cards. I will be doing this personally. Although I spend so little time with actual people and in public buildings I'm probably pretty low risk to spread infection!

I've never had the flu. My mother got H1N1 last time it came around and was absolutely floored. Didn't need hospitalisation but she says she wouldn't wish it on anyone. She was lying on the couch and my father, always the "comedian" told her the house was on fire and she said she didn't care! She wouldn't have minded at that point.

Atlantic Dawn · 05-01-2019 01:31AM

Garrett Wet Cerebellum wrote: »

It's not unknown though. A quick Google will tell you the contents of the jab.

Unlikely it's a single content jab across the country, where was swine flu in 1985 where it could have wiped out most of the earth but seemingly didn't for the craic?

Atlantic Dawn · 05-01-2019 01:35AM

20 people died of Swine Flu in 2009 in Ireland

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_flu_pandemic_in_Europe

Meanwhile 23.5k deaths a year are linked to diesel cars in the UK, which would equate to about 2,000 people a year killed in Ireland as a result and there's literally zero done here about it, joke of a country...
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jun/06/impossible-to-cheat-emissions-tests-show-almost-all-new-diesels-still-dirty

Always Tired · 05-01-2019 01:45AM

Seems to be a lot of different opinions as to how serious this could end up being. I know nothing about swine flu. Are there any people who can tell us
Who is it recommended(age-wise etc.) To get the vaccine?

Is it covered under the medical card for everyone? What's the cost otherwise?

How long does the vacccine cover you for?

Any drawbacks?

Atlantic Dawn · 05-01-2019 01:53AM

Always Tired wrote: »

Seems to be a lot of different opinions as to how serious this could end up being. I know nothing about swine flu. Are there any people who can tell us
Who is it recommended(age-wise etc.) To get the vaccine?

Is it covered under the medical card for everyone? What's the cost otherwise?

How long does the vacccine cover you for?

Any drawbacks?

How many people a year in Ireland die of swine flu or are we allowed ask that question?

gctest50 · 05-01-2019 02:05AM

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

How many people a year in Ireland die of swine flu or are we allowed ask that question?

10 ? 20 maybe ? dunno

Might be hard enough to find a total cost in Euros of all the vaccinations

05-01-2019 02:07AM

Always Tired wrote: »

Seems to be a lot of different opinions as to how serious this could end up being. I know nothing about swine flu. Are there any people who can tell us
Who is it recommended(age-wise etc.) To get the vaccine?

Is it covered under the medical card for everyone? What's the cost otherwise?

How long does the vacccine cover you for?

Any drawbacks?

From what I hear it's free on medical card and 20 euro otherwise.

Can't answer the others.

Atlantic Dawn · 05-01-2019 02:10AM

Careful when actual stats come in to things like how many people a year die on the roads not wearing a seat belt because they are specialists in failure or those AIDS stats where actual facts are not allowed to be disclosed.

05-01-2019 02:13AM

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Careful when actual stats come in to things like how many people a year die on the roads not wearing a seat belt because they are specialists in failure or those AIDS stats where actual facts are not allowed to be disclosed.

What?

Does anyone in Ireland still not wear a seatbelt?!

Also, what?

Atlantic Dawn · 05-01-2019 02:15AM

Deleted User wrote: »

What?

Does anyone in Ireland still not wear a seatbelt?!

Also, what?

42% killed don't, pure dead idiots.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/road-safety-authority-says-42-of-those-killed-in-vehicles-not-wearing-seat-belts-1.2052342

gctest50 · 05-01-2019 02:27AM

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

42% killed don't, pure dead idiots.

That doesn't mean they would have survived if they were wearing a belt though

Swine Flu in Ireland

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