10/21/2009 1:15:00 AM H1N1 vaccine clinics open for all who want it
"Stop Germs, Stay Healthy!" and its message to stay home when sick is a public education campaign by Public Health - Seattle & King County that encourages and supports healthy behaviors that are effective in limiting the spread of respiratory il
Jefferson County Public Health nurse Marty Johnson immunizes Jonny Rogers, 12, at an H1N1 vaccine clinic Wednesday at the Jefferson County Health Department. Sixty-one people were immunized during the walk-in clinic. Rogersí mother is a nurse and wanted him immunized. Rogers said the shot hurt, but he smiled through it. The next clinic is set for 1 to 4 p.m. today, Friday, Nov. 20 at the county health department in Port Townsend. The H1N1 flu hotline is 379-4471. Photo by Allison Arthur
Call the Flu Hotline
For updates on the flu situation in Jefferson County, call the flu line at 379-4471. The flu line is operated by Jefferson County Public Health, which also offers information online at jeffersoncountypublichealth.org.
By Allison Arthur of the Leader
Want the swine flu vaccine? Come and get it! "All eligibility restrictions are off," said Dr. Tom Locke, public health officer for Clallam and Jefferson counties.
The new everyone-can-get-it policy went into effect on Monday, Dec. 14.
Although supplies of the H1N1 vaccine have been limited, and there have been restrictions on who can get it in the last few months, the supply shot up last week. Locke wants everyone to get vaccinated before a third wave of the pandemic hits.
"We have over 1,000 doses in Jefferson County. We can get more. They've actually doubled, maybe even tripled," Locke said of supplies.
If everyone who wants the H1N1 vaccine and the seasonal flu shot would take advantage of the vaccines this month, "we could have one of the mildest flu seasons ever," Locke predicted.
"We're in the prevention business. What we're trying to do is prevent cases," he said.
In Jefferson County, the pharmacies at Safeway in Port Townsend and QFC in Hadlock have the vaccine, as do private clinics and medical clinics associated with Jefferson Healthcare. People who have insurance are urged to go to their primary care provider to get the free vaccine. Pharmacies might charge a fee to administer the shot.
People who don't have insurance can get the vaccine free at walk-in clinics, which are from 2 to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays at the health department, 615 Sheridan St. in Port Townsend.
The health department also offers appointment-only clinics from 1 to 3 p.m. on Fridays. Call 385-9400 for an appointment. There will not be clinics on the two upcoming holiday Fridays: Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. The clinics resume in January.
Not everyone wants it
People 65 and older who are accustomed to getting annual flu shots have been clamoring for the vaccine but haven't been on a priority list to receive it, while a number of people considered at risk have not been lining up. Locke says the over-65 population is probably the first group that will rush to get vaccinated.
In the meantime, Locke said the latest data for Jefferson County shows that 19.9 percent of the age group of 6 months to 24 years has been immunized, and 10.3 percent of people in the age 24 to 64 group.
"Overall we estimated about 40 percent would fall into one of the five priority groups," Locke said, " So we're less than halfway to getting the priority groups vaccinated. That's not an access issue. We've vaccinated those who are willing to be vaccinated."
And the county's top health official wants almost everyone to take advantage of the new supplies.
"The only ones who will not benefit from the vaccine and who should not get it are people who have had lab-confirmed HINI," he said. "It's perfectly safe for them to get it, but they're already immune."
As for people who have had flu-like symptoms but haven't been tested for H1N1, Locke said about 30 percent likely had swine flu, while 70 percent had other variations of the flu.
"So it would definitely benefit them" to get the vaccine, he said of people who have had flu-like symptoms but haven't been confirmed as having H1N1.
Pandemics typically occur in two or three waves, and Locke said a third wave could hit next year. "H1N1 has shown an ability to spread when we don't normally see flu outbreaks in spring and summer," he said.
Locke estimated that 25 to 30 percent of Americans are immune but 70 percent are "still susceptible," and "that's enough to cause another outbreak.
"If we do a good job of using this very substantial supply that will be available in the next six weeks, that could blunt the outbreak of H1N1," he said. "We could also have a mild seasonal flu."
No one in Jefferson County has died of swine flu, but there have been two fatalities associated with it in Clallam County. A man in his 50s and a woman in her 30s, both from Port Angeles and both with major risk factors, died in early November, Locke said.
HOSPITAL VISITATION RULES
Children 12 years and younger and people who have flu symptoms are being told not to visit patients in Jefferson Healthcare Hospital because of concerns about the spread of H1N1.
"We want our patients to be safe and our staff to be safe," Chief Operations Officer Paula Dowdle said of the policy that asks people to refrain from visiting the hospital if they have any symptoms of illness including, "but not limited to" fever (greater than 100 degrees), cough, sore throat, runny nose or vomiting, diarrhea, eye infection or open skin rash or wound."
The policy also calls for no more than two people visiting a patient at any one time. WHEN TO CALL A DOCTOR?
Look at the Jefferson County Health Department's website, www.jeffersoncountypublichealth.org, for detailed information on when to call a doctor.
For children, parents should seek help if a child's breathing becomes fast or labored, his skin turns bluish, or if he isn't drinking liquids or is so irritable he doesn't want to be touched.
Posted: Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Article comment by:
David King
Anybody who needs to quote both Whale.to and Mercola doesn't deserve to be listened to.
"mercury - the 2nd most toxic substance on the planet after plutonium" - you better hand back any schooling that you have received if you believe this.
"Other substances including ricin, tetrodotoxin, botulinum toxin, and tetanus toxin are fatal in doses of (sometimes far) under one milligram, and others (the nerve agents, the amanita toxin) are in the range of a few milligrams. As such, plutonium is not unusual in terms of toxicity, even by inhalation. In addition, those substances are fatal in hours to days, whereas plutonium (and other cancer-causing radioactives) give an increased chance of illness decades in the future. Considerably larger amounts may cause acute radiation poisoning and death if ingested or inhaled however, so far, no human is known to have immediately died because of inhaling or ingesting plutonium and many people have measurable amounts of plutonium in their bodies." Source(s): 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dioxin 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plutonium 3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botulism
Posted: Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Article comment by:
Sheri Nakken, RN (California), MA
http://www.dump.com/2009/11/03/mortality-over-300-days-h1n1-swine-flu-in-perspective/ Interesting graph - click to enlarge
Vaccine demand plunges as H1N1 pandemic fears fade http://www.fiercevaccines.com/story/vaccine-demand-plunges-h1n1-pandemic-fears-fade/2009-12-09?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss&cmp-id=OTC-RSS-FBRV0
Experts predict flu pandemic could be mildest on record http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/07/AR2009120703162.html?wprss=rss_health
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5B939Z20091210 UK study confirms H1N1 far less lethal than feared
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,637119,00.html 'A Whole Industry Is Waiting For A Pandemic'
http://marketoracle.co.uk/Article15655.html World Health Organisation ‘Mr Swine Flu’ Under Investigation for Gross Conflict of Interest
Posted: Monday, December 14, 2009
Article comment by:
jolly
I wouldn't suggest Vit D instead of a flu shot if you don't want to get the flu. There is a good quality study going on now about Vit D and fish oil supplement but won't be done for a few years yet. So far all vitamin supplements have been found to be useless and in some cases dangerous (they supply food for cancer) though foods high in vitamins always show up in studies to be very good for you. I have been following Vit D for years now in science and I do take it in the winter. I have been taking 1,000 mg a day for years and never got a cold but I purposely shook someone's hand that had a cold and then immediately rubbed my eyes. I got the cold though not bad. So you can still get colds and probably flu even with Vit D.
Posted: Thursday, December 10, 2009
Article comment by:
Sheri Nakken, RN, (California) MA
pretty much mercury is mercury - the 2nd most toxic substance on the planet after plutonium
Challenge seems to be that many adults and children are unable to clear mercury from their systems - non-excretors.
Once they are chelated, amazing - mercury comes up and healing happens, in many cases.
There are many other issues - aluminum in so many vaccines (not this current h1n1 vaccine).
And aluminum in combo with mercury - no one has studied this. No detailed studies of aluminum in vaccines as adjuvants either.
But back to mercury:
http://www.whale.to/vaccines/ethyl_vs_methyl.html
Ethylmercury vs. Methylmercury
We now know that this type of mercury deposits twice as much inorganic mercury in the brains of primates as compared to equal doses of methylmercury (4). Inorganic mercury, following the de-methylation of organic mercury, has been identified as the primary neurotoxic agent in primate studies (5).
Absorption and initial distribution of total mercury proved to be similar for both thimerosal and methylmercury. However, injected thimerosal reacted differently from methylmercury in that it cleared from the infant much more quickly. Also the peak blood mercury concentration in the methylmercury group rose to a level three times higher than the thimerosal infants after the fourth dose. Brain concentrations of total mercury were significantly lower for the thimerosal group compared to the methylmercury group.
These results suggest that ethylmercury is dealkylated much more extensively than methylmercury. While dealkylation is thought to be a detoxification mechanism that helps protect the central nervous system, previous work by Burbacher and his group has shown that inorganic mercury can affect certain types of cells in the brain such as the microglia. Recent reports have indicated abnormal microglia in the brains of children with autism.
According to the researchers, more research is needed to accurately predict how immunization with thimerosal-containing vaccines may affect children. "Knowledge of the biotransformation of thimerosal . . . is urgently needed to afford a meaningful interpretation of the potential developmental effects of immunization with thimerosal-containing vaccines in newborns and infants," the study authors write. "This information is critical if we are to respond to public concerns regarding the safety of childhood immunizations."
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/press/042105.html
Dr. Jim Burkhart, science editor for EHP, says, "This study emphasizes that thimerosal and methylmercury behave differently in the body. Given that we routinely inject thimerosal into millions of infants, the study authors' call for more in-depth research on the subject is the right way to go."
Posted: Sunday, December 06, 2009
Article comment by:
jolly
Anyone who quotes from the quack Mercola is as unskeptical as can be. This guy has been forced to stop some of his claims by the FDA because they were lies. You must not be a real nurse, getting your info from the equivalent of the National Enquirer. I couldn't find any such article by Lancet, I assume you didn't even look for it. Since you don't seem to realize that the mercury is a completely different form than the kind in thermometers, it reinforces my belief that you are not a nurse or anyone that has a background in medicine. Anyone who has actual questions, please go to sites like Quackwatch or Science-based Medicine for real information.
Posted: Saturday, December 05, 2009
Article comment by:
Sheri Nakken, RN (California), MA
Superstar CBS Reporter Blows the Lid Off the Swine Flu Media Hype and Hysteria
Posted: Saturday, December 05, 2009
Article comment by:
Sheri Nakken, RN (California), MA
Jolly - there are huge dangers to that h1n1/swine flu vaccine (as there are all others). Why do you think there are no dangers. There are dangers with every drug and especially vaccine with mercury in it. If mercury is toxic from thermometers and they removed it from contact lens solutions and took merthiolate off the market, how is it safe in vaccines.
There are huge numbers of reports of vaccine injury from H1N1 vaccine and others.
And did you know that the vaccine companies have NO liability for any of the vaccines they produce? No liability. The government (you and me) have taken that all on.
If you want a vaccine and think it protects you (which it doesn't) then you should get the vaccine.
http://snipurl.com/te8mk 70 Heartbreaking Stories From People Who Have Had Their Lives Destroyed By H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine Side Effects
Sheri Nakken, RN, MA vaccinedangers@gmail.com
Posted: Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Article comment by:
jolly
I think it is terrible that someone in healthcare cares so little about patients that they would not get a flu shot. There seems to be no risk to the shot, so why would you even take a chance that you could pass on a disease. I assume a hospital or clinic sees a large number of people with risk of complications if they get the disease. What next? Don't think you should wash your hands? If you can't stand science get out of a science based occupation and work in a church or political committee.
Posted: Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Article comment by:
Sheri Nakken, RN (California), MA
There is much research that has come out lately showing flu vaccines do NOT work.........so why demand it of health care workers. No person should be forced to have medical treatment against their will and then forced to wear a mask which also is not proven to be effective.
If a person wants a flu shot then they should get one, patients included.
This whole thing on swine flu is so much hype. Please inform yourselves
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/21/health/21cnd-bird.html?_r=1 2 Studies Question the Effectiveness of Flu Vaccines
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/11/24/Superstar-CBS-Reporter-Blows-the-Lid-Off-the-Swine-Flu-Media-Hype-and-Hysteria.aspx Superstar CBS Reporter Blows the Lid Off the Swine Flu Media Hype and Hysteria
She gives even more striking examples of the numbers the investigative report revealed. For instance: In Florida, 83 percent of specimens that were presumed to be swine flu were negative for all flu when tested! In California, 86 percent of suspected H1N1 specimens were not swine flu or any flu only 2 percent were confirmed swine flu. In Alaska, 93 percent of suspected swine flu specimens were negative for all flu types only 1 percent was H1N1 flu.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thinktwice-Global-Vaccine-Institute/179833531264 Flu Vaccine Exposed by Neil Z. Miller - slide show/video
http://vran.org/about-vaccines/specific-vaccines/influenza-vaccine-flu-shot/effectiveness-of-flu-shots-wildly-overestimated/ Effectiveness of Flu Shots Wildly Overestimated
http://www.jpands.org/vol11no3/geier.pdf Influenza Vaccine: Review of Effectiveness of the U.S. Immunization Program, and Policy Considerations
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