To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate…

To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate…

Should you get the flu shot?

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H1N1 and the Health of My Family

By Valerie Wood, ERT – Emergency Response Training

H1N1 and the Health of My FamilyEverywhere I seem to turn, I hear opposing facts and figures related to H1N1 and the risks to my family. With 2 children in my family under the age of 5 years old and myself a woman in my 30’s, 3 out of 6 of us are supposedly High Risk. High Risk for what, however? Severe Illness? Complications? Death?

Our youngest is under 2 years old and the newest Health advisory as of October 29th is to wait for the non-Adjuvant vaccine, because Adjuvant has not been tested on young children. He will have to wait an extra week for the Adjuvant-free vaccine and an extra week, 4 weeks in total, to build immunity once vaccinated.

I am an advocate of vaccines and am so grateful that our society is so healthy because of the vaccines available to us, but yet I simply do not know what to do with regards to the H1N1 vaccine. We as a family have never had the Flu shot and have had many healthy winters with minor colds and flu without complications.
Are we making a mistake by not vaccinating against H1N1?

H1N1 vaccine Clinics began within Toronto on October 29th and earlier outside of T.O; however I have been told that I won’t be eligible until the end of January. Hold on, I thought that I was high risk?

Clinics are in full swing however priority and high risk have not been placed at the front of the line. Now there is talk of a shortage and running out of vaccines by Wednesday of next week…!

Perhaps our decision to vacinate or not will be made for us. If the vacines run out, we won’t be able to vaccinate anyway.

Does Alcohol Based Sanitizer Work?

Many health experts have instructed us to use a liquid or gel hand sanitizer; however others say they do not work against the H1N1 virus.

Despite the contrary opinions, most credible research shows that Alcohol based Hand Sanitizers are tremendously effective in preventing the spread of the seasonal flu, H1N1, colds and other viral and bacterial based diseases.

I prefer the convenience of a hand sanitizer product such as Purell over hand washing. Hand washing does work but it must be performed with warm, soapy water for a minimum of 20 seconds with emphasis under the nails. Hand washing is often not as effective as it should be because most of us do not wash long enough, nor scrub hard enough.

Alcohol based hand sanitizers kill most types of bacteria, viruses and fungi in a few seconds.

  • must contain 60% alcohol to be effective
  • anti-bacterial soap is the worst thing we can use since antibacterial agents kill many but not all bacteria and then linger on the skin to enable the remaining bad bacteria to develop a resistance
  • Many viruses last up to 72 hours outside a host therefore; someone sneezing and subsequenty touching something like a shopping cart can contaminate that shopping cart for 72 hours, unless sanitized properly
  • Lysol wipes are fantastic for killing bacteria on that cart. Take a moment and swipe before you shop!

Can you catch H1N1 twice

The answer is simple – NO. This is why the flu shot cannot protect you against H1N1 and building immunity. Once you have contracted the H1N1 or any virus, your immune system develops antibodies against that virus. Viruses constantly mutate and evolve however; which unfortunately means that there is always another new and stronger virus waiting around the corner…

Why fear the vaccine?

In 1976 the swine flu vaccine resulted in hundreds of people in the United States developing Guillain-Barre syndrome, an auto-immune disorder which causes paralysis. 25 people died from the vaccine and it is still unknown what went wrong with the vaccine.

The vaccine does not take affect for a 2-3 weeks after the vaccine has been administered into the system, therefore you are still at risk after vaccination.

Is there Aluminum and/or Mercury in the H1N1 vaccine? YES, however you consume more Mercury while eating one can of tuna.

Studies have proven that masks and hand sanitizing cut flu symptoms in a community by up to half. Therefore should we as a community simply be sanitizing our hands, avoiding handshakes, staying home if sick, and wearing a N95 mask in high risk public areas?

What about Pregnant women? Adjuvant or Adjuvant free Vaccine?

Pregnant women are high risk for complications from contracting H1N1 due to their compressed lungs during pregnancy. Health officials advise pregnant women under 20 weeks to wait for the Adjuvant-free vaccine while pregnancies over 20 weeks should take the Vaccine as soon as possible which contains Adjuvant.

The fear of the vaccine however, is the additive Adjuvant which extends the vaccine and boosts a person’s immune system however because Adjuvant has not been tested on pregnant women or children under 2, an alternate vaccine, the Aussie H1N1 vaccine will be available in November for pregnant women and young children which is Adjuvant-free.

Priority at risk groups in tier 1 for Vaccine:

  • people with chronic medical conditions under the age of 65
  • pregnant women
  • healthy children 6 months of age to under 5 years of age
  • health-care workers
  • people living in remote areas

Will you Vaccinate?

What Is The H1N1 Virus?

Swine flu refers to a respiratory infection caused by influenza A viruses that ordinarily cause illness in pigs. Humans can catch swine flu from infected pigs, but pig-to-human transmission is unusual. Human-to-human transmission of true swine flu is also possible but infrequent.

The recent outbreak of what is being called swine flu involves a new H1N1 type A influenza strain that’s a genetic combination of swine, avian and human influenza viruses. It’s capable of spreading from human to human.
In June 2009, based on its wide spread to many nations, the World Health Organization declared the swine flu outbreak a global pandemic.

This new swine flu strain is being called by a number of names, including: swine-origin influenza A, swine influenza A (H1N1), influenza A/California/H1N1, swine origin influenza virus, North American flu and influenza A (H1N1).

The best approach you can take is to try to avoid infection. If you do develop symptoms of swine flu, seek prompt medical attention so that you have the best chance of antiviral drugs providing you with successful treatment*

What Are the Symptoms of H1N1?

The symptoms of swine flu in humans are similar to those of infection with other flu strains.

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Sore throat
  • Body aches
  • Headache
  • Chills
  • Fatigue
  • Diarrhea
  • Vomiting

Symptoms develop three to five days after you’re exposed to the virus and continue for about another week. You can pass the virus to other people for about eight days, starting one day before you get sick and continuing until you’ve recovered.

When to see a doctor

See your doctor immediately if you develop flu symptoms, such as fever, cough and body aches, and you have recently traveled to an area where H1N1 swine flu has been reported. Be sure to let your doctor know when and where you traveled.

Also see your doctor if you develop respiratory symptoms after you’ve been in close contact with someone who may have been exposed to H1N1 swine flu*

The H1N1 virus can infect cells deeper in the lungs than those affected by seasonal flu viruses. This can result in severe lung infections.


ERT – Emergency Response Training is an Authorized Red Cross Provider and CPR & First Aid Specialists. ERT offers a Baby / Child CPR & First Aid workshop specially designed for New Parents, Grandparents and Care Givers. We conduct this life saving informative course in the convenience of your home or at one of our convenient locations across the GTA. Workplace, In-home or Public Courses & Workshops Available. www.ert-cpr.com


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