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H1N1:
It's not too late to get vaccinated |
December 11, 2009
As of this week, mass vaccinations for the H1N1 Virus have been terminated in Canada. Health Canada and the regional health authorities are recommending that those not yet vaccinated can receive their shots from their Public Health Nurse or through their physician. Although the pandemic appears to winding down there is still concern a ‘third’ wave may occur in January or February so vaccination should still be a priority for those who haven’t taken the shot.
Canada has been fortunate in that the H1N1 pandemic has not been as severe as anticipated, although the jury is still out until flu season has passed. Already finger pointing and blame is being assigned for needlessly alarming the public and the cost to the system. However, one must keep in mind the pandemic could have easily swung to the other side of the spectrum where considerable death and injury would have laid waste to the population. Our health system is not designed to react immediately to massive numbers of seriously ill patients, therefore we must act in the best interests of the nation by assuming the worst and preparing for the same. This time luck was with us, but it could and probably will turn against us at some time in the future. It is not a matter of if, but a matter of when, a truly devastating pandemic will strike.
Which brings me to my greatest concern. A significant portion of the population neglected to get the vaccination. This includes a number of children whose parents made the decision not to vaccinate due to largely unsubstantiated information received from rumors and the internet. No, the government isn’t trying to kill you by injecting mercury, formaldehyde, fungus, bacteria, live virus or mind altering drugs. No one has gone blind, mad, autistic, or had their arm fall off. No grotesque growths, no unusual growth patterns ... nothing. The world did not end because of the vaccine ... or fortunately because of H1N1. Instead we have taught the next generation that it is okay to ignore public health warnings and bypass vaccinations. We have taught them to mistrust public health officials, that government and the health system is seriously trying to do them harm. Never mind that we are the government and that we created the government and the health system to protect us from the very pandemic scenario we so blithely ignored.
Have we created a monster for the future? Will children and grandchildren start to refuse vaccinations because mom or grandma planted in their minds that vaccines are horrible things that can’t be trusted because the health system is out to deprive us of the ‘right’ information to which we are entitled? Surely all those fellows on the internet are wiser than the combined heads of Health Canada, the World Health Organization and all the world’s governments? Grandma thought so! If vaccinations become a thing to fear, will we see a resurgence of tuberculosis, measles, smallpox, polio, etc in the future? Can we put this monster back in the can?
We are stewards of the future and our rationalizations for the decision not to vaccinate our children may have severe repercussions long past our lifetimes. The opportunity to vaccinate is available at your local health clinic. Please avail yourself of the best our health system can offer ... prevention.
Gordon Stueck
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H1N1 Influenza: Why you should get the Vaccine |
October 24, 2009
Over the last few months there has been a lot of conflicting information about the upcoming ‘pandemic’ and Canada’s confusing response to the creation and distribution of a vaccine. I hope to cut through all the b.s. to clear up the misconceptions out there in the general public.
What is a pandemic?
A pandemic is caused by a virus that is particularly wide spread and especially virulent - with sometimes lethal results. There have been two stages to the H1N1 pandemic. The first stage occurred last spring demonstrating the virulence of H1N1. Contact meant infection and wide spread, rapid spread through the population. The H1N1 virus demonstrated the abnormal characteristic of being lethal to healthy young adults besides the normal high risk groups. The first stage disappeared at the onset of summer and the virus went underground. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the H1N1 a pandemic in anticipation of the resurgence the virus in the traditional winter flu season. The WHO was right. The virus has returned and is starting to spread with a vengeance. As of last week, 17 of the 23 major communities in the NWT has been laid low with H1N1 - and these communities are widespread throughout the NWT. The rapid spread to remote areas demonstrates its virulence - the population has no immunity and it spreads like wildfire. As of this week, nearly all influenza detected in Canada is of the H1N1 virus. We are on the edge of a pandemic not seen since 1918. It has the potential of becoming a world wide killer.
What is a vaccine?
A vaccine is comprised of killed virus. The killed virus stimulated the bodies immune system to develop antibodies to the virus over several weeks. When the vaccinated individual is exposed to the live virus, the body’s immune system renders relatively harmless. You cannot get the flu from the vaccine - it is made of killed virus. An adjuvant may be added to the vaccine to assist in the body in developing antibodies to the virus.
Why was Canada so slow to respond with a vaccine?
Once WHO had declared the H1N1 a pandemic, the Canadian Government contract with GlaxoSmithKline to manufacture all of Canada’s vaccine - some 50 million doses - as a single source supplier. Other countries used the same approach with their vaccine manufacturers. Glaxo has extensive experience developing injectable vaccines while other companies have experience with nasal insufflation vaccines. Glaxo followed the normal protocol used when developing the traditional seasonal flu vaccine. The virus had to be grown in sufficient quantities then killed and formulated into an acceptable vaccine format. Such large volumes required most of the summer to prepare and testing commenced earlier this fall.
Did all the testing prove the vaccine safe?
In a nutshell - yes, very safe. ‘Testing’ a vaccine is a multi-pronged endeavor. Firstly, is it safe? Did the vaccine cause any unusual side effects or deaths? The side-effects were no more than that seen with the traditional seasonal flu shot - soreness and redness at the injection site, very mild flu-like symptoms in a few patients - overall, few patients showed any side-effects at all. Those with allergies to egg products were not given the vaccine because the H1N1 virus is grown in eggs. Secondly, testing had to take place to ensure enough vaccine would be given to stimulate an individual’s immune system to create antibodies. Canada chose to add an adjuvant to help boost the immune system response. This adjuvant has been used in many other vaccines and is proven safe for human use. Pregnant women will be given a vaccine without the adjuvant because no studies have been done on the safety of the adjuvant in pregnancy.
I never take the seasonal flu vaccine so why should I bother getting vaccinated for H1N1? Can’t I just take Tamiflu if I get sick?
Because the H1N1 virus is so virulent, it will spread rapidly through a population - we are talking a matter of a few days, not a few weeks. You may not be at high risk of serious effects, but your neighbor or relative might very well be running the risk of a premature death. There are a significant number of young people being treated with the newer anti-arthritis medications that suppress the immune system, thus placing them at a dangerously high level of risk should they become infected. An infected person may be symptomless for up to 24 hours before symptoms start to show, but highly contagious in the meantime. Pandemic vaccination is at its basic, prevention - prevention and limiting the spread of a flu virus that has the potential to kill. H1N1 is unlike the seasonal flu. H1N1 spreads rapidly, far and wide and has shown a predilection of causing death in healthy young adults and high risk individuals. Seasonal flu affects high risk individuals such as the elderly, frail, very young and those with compromised immune systems.
Health workers such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists, home care workers, and other care givers should be vaccinated to ensure they do not unwittingly spread the virus to those in their care. An unvaccinated nurse or pharmacist could initially be symptom free but highly contagious, infecting their patients as they care for them. A health worker’s motto is always “Do no harm”. A health care worker not being vaccinated certainly places their patient directly in harms way. Do not be afraid to ask your care giver if they have been vaccinated.
Tamiflu is an effective treatment for the flu, however prescribing and dispensing will be tightly controlled. There have been incidences of H1N1 becoming resistant to Tamiflu - which means the virus has mutated. Mutations may render the current H1N1 vaccine and antivirals useless, and turn the virus into a killer, as occurred during the 1918 flu when 80-100 million people worldwide died.
So, what now?
Modern medicine can only do so much, it also requires the participation of an active, knowledgeable population. Governments, health organizations and scientists have done their part. It is now time for us to do our part. Heed the warning and participate in the pandemic plans. Get the vaccine. It may save your life.
Gordon Stueck, BSP
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