Concerns raised about H1N1 flu vaccine
Published Thursday October 22nd, 2009
SAINT JOHN - School children in New Brunswick will begin receiving the H1N1 vaccine by the middle of next week and plans are being made to roll it out to everyone else, according to public health nurses at a community meeting Wednesday night.
Because H1N1 is a new flu, there is the potential for a lot of people to be sick at the same time, so the New Brunswick Department of Health is recommending a mass vaccination, said Lucie Audet, a public health nurse.
About 30 people showed up at Centre Communautaire Samuel de Champlain Wednesday night for an information session in French.
English sessions will be held tonight at Kennebecasis Valley High School and Sussex High School at 7 p.m. On Friday there will be a session in St. Stephen at the Royal Canadian Legion on Milltown Boulevard at 6:30 p.m.
"We are trying to prevent a lot of people from getting sick," Audet said. "There is also the possibility of people getting very sick, needing to go to the hospital and even dying."
Since H1N1 arrived in Canada last spring a total of 1,541 people were hospitalized with this form of the flu, including 299 (19.4 per cent) who were admitted to intensive care and 158 (10.3 per cent) who required ventilation, according to figures gathered by the Department of Health.
So far 83 deaths have been attributed to this flu and 61 per cent of those were female.
Questions were raised at the meeting Wednesday about the safety of the vaccine, which was just approved for use by Health Canada on Wednesday. The vaccine is preserved in thimerosal, which does have a small amount of mercury in it, said Joanne Coates, a public health nurse.
The preservative prevents the growth of bacteria in the vials containing the vaccine, and is considered safe, she said.
"The amount of mercury in the vaccine is about one-tenth of what you would find in a small can of tuna," she said.
According to the Department of Health the only people who should not receive the vaccine are those who have had a severe allergic reaction to the seasonal flu vaccine, have a severe allergy to eggs, or who are younger that six months of age.
The vaccine is made of dead H1N1 viruses and can't give anyone the flu but many people will experience some localized discomfort around the injection site for up to two days. Other possible side effects include a slight fever, fatigue and muscle aches for the same period of time.
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I keep reading and hearing about all these people refusing it since they saw once viral video about an American Cheerleader who says that ten days after her REGULAR flu shot years ago - can only talk while walking backwards or some such thing - yup, she appears to have a neurological condition called dystonia - other than that - no evidence at all that any vaccine caused her condition and no evidence any flu shot especially H1N1 flu shot has ever caused dystonia - BUT PEOPLE PREFER DRAMA OVER TRUTH - so may I please have one of those drama-loving people's shot and could they please shut up about it so my 82 year old father with COPD and CHF and diabetes would cooperate with the doctor's advisement to get his shot - please?? Oh - and if it's ok - could he not have to stand in line for hours outdoors as they did at the Armories for children to attempt to get theirs? SHEEESH!