New H1N1 thread -- updates in your area

[bubbaray]

THought I'd start a new thread for updates on what is happening in your area.

Another child has died here. Sigh. So sad. Only 20% of the population has been vaxed. Supplies are dwindling and they are saying that it will be very hard to even find the vax soon.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/11/10/bc-swine-flu-update.html

[EllasMum]

Here, in Calgary, they are adding in new high-risk groups about once a week. The day I went (last Friday), there were no lineups at all and maybe a quarter of the nurses sitting idle for lack of patients! I have heard that most of the clinics are the same way. I appreciate that the government is wanting to take things slowly to make sure all the high risk groups are covered first, but I guess I am wondering if maybe more groups should be added at a time, or perhaps more frequently? I don't really know what the solution is, but I'm thinking that at this rate, it's going to be frigging Christmas before it is thrown open to the general public. Sigh. At least DD has had her shot.

[MontrealMum]

This is the website we're all supposed to be checking here in Quebec: http://www.pandemiequebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/index.aspx@sujet=143.html It has the latest info on who can be vaxed, where and when and also info about the opening of "flu clinics", which are places you're supposed to go if you have flu symptoms. They don't want you going to the doc or the hospital. DH did hear on the radio that QC has vaxed 800,000 people, which ON has only vaxed 300,000. So, I guess that means that things are more organized here, but we're still running out.

When we had DS vaxed this weekend, they assured us that he won't need a second shot. I know people have been talking about the WHO rec on this, but it doesn't make me feel too comfortable that kids in his age range have always needed 2 regular flu shots, but with this one they've "suddenly" found that they can do with one. You know it's related to the shortage.

[EllasMum]

kids in his age range have always needed 2 regular flu shots, but with this one they've "suddenly" found that they can do with one.

Here in Alberta, we have been told that for the regular, seasonal flu, the very first flu shot a child receives DOES need a booster, but each year after that, the child only needs one shot. Maybe there is someone here (Chinook?) who has more info on this, but I guess I don't really understand why the second H1N1 shot is needed (unless it IS the first flu shot a child has ever received). So, I guess what I'm wondering about, is this - do kids in Quebec typically get 2 flu shots each time? Or just the first ever? Just curious!

[wendibird22]

In Western NY it is peaking. There have been 3 deaths locally...one child and two adults, no known underlying conditions in any of them, so that's scary. My county has some vax but not enough for clinics, just appointments for pregnant women and household contacts of newborns. The next county over has scheduled its first vax clinics for next week but only has 20K doses for an estimated 400K highest risk population...um yeah, guess how long those lines are going to be!

DH works at a local elementary school and they had their peak of absences about a week ago. I work at a local college and last week and this week we were hit pretty hard. Our campus had a very small vax clinic Monday for our emergency responders, but that's it. They are waiting to receive the full amount of vax they ordered.

My OBGYN still hasn't gotten any of the vax yet. My ped only has the mist now (they had the shot about a month ago) and can only give it to children still needing their 1st dose. DD is due for her 2nd dose this week and therefore can't get it. I'm hoping my county health dept can come through with her 2nd dose.

[MontrealMum]

Here in Alberta, we have been told that for the regular, seasonal flu, the very first flu shot a child receives DOES need a booster, but each year after that, the child only needs one shot. Maybe there is someone here (Chinook?) who has more info on this, but I guess I don't really understand why the second H1N1 shot is needed (unless it IS the first flu shot a child has ever received). So, I guess what I'm wondering about, is this - do kids in Quebec typically get 2 flu shots each time? Or just the first ever? Just curious!

Well, this is the first flu shot DS has ever received, since he would only have been eligible for the first time the previous year. Flu vax begins on our schedule at age 1. I *think* that kids get 2 the 1st time and 1 the 2nd, but the flu shot is especially unpopular for kids here and until the recent outbreak, not pushed/advertised for that age range much, so many kids under 5/6 or so have never had one. And they are outright saying that ANY kid only needs one, whether they've never had one before or not. So that is of concern to me.

[chinook]

Yes, they're adding high risk groups here, not sure of the particular start dates, but it's not just once a week, it's every day onward from the day that group is added. So, if high risk elderly people get added on Thursday they can go starting Thursday and whatever day they wish to after that (again, I'm not sure of who is added when, specifically).

Seasonal flu shots are always unadjuvanted, so the second shot is required the first time a child gets it to ensure high rates of immunity. I'm not certain why the recommendation is for two shots of the H1N1 vaccine regardless of flu vaccine history. Maybe they weren't absolutely certain that they'd get sufficient immunity with one (perhaps because adjuvanted flu shots are well known in Europe but not so much here) so they wanted to err on the side of caution? If they said one was OK and THEN said whoops, they need two, people would freak!

All I know is I REALLY hope they change the recommendation because DD is still bad-mouthing the nurse that poked her, "I don't want to see that nurse EVER again!!!" It seems to have left a big impression :) If they DO need the booster it really sounds like a job for DH to me.....

I haven't bothered to go back and work another clinic. It was boring and it was as if people wanted to show up and then have me talk them into getting the shot, "Is this safe? Should I have my child immunized? Will she get sick from the mercury?!" For crap's sake, do you think I'm sitting here because it's dangerous and terrible?!?!

[NewfieNat]

Here's a new article re the booster for children. It doesn't say much other than the sample size saying no booster is fine was only 51 children! At the end it mentions several risk factoros for possibly needing a second dose - DD falls into 2 and DS may also fall into a couple. He was born premature and had a brief history of low immunity, but that was 5.5 and 4 years ago. It's all so confusing....
http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091111/local_vaccine_kids_091111/20091111/?hub=CalgaryHome

[bubbaray]

The whole booster issue is melting my brain.

For the seasonal flu vax, here the recommendation is for the child to get 2 doses (4w apart) ONLY the very first season they get the flu vax. DD#1, for example, had her first seasonal flu vax at age 6m, then the booster at age 7m. DD#2 only had 1 shot at age 10m, then no booster b/c at 11.5m, she had her anaphylaxis and they stopped all shots until we had her allergy testing finalized. Then she was allergic to egg and .... This year she was cleared to have the seasonal flu vax b/c she is no longer considered severely allergic to egg as she can eat hidden egg.

The H1N1 vax is supposedly, thanks to the adjuvant, more immunogenic. Now, I'm not sure I really believe this. I think that is a lot of hype from the manufacturer who wants to use this adjuvant in all their vax's. Call me cynical.

Long story short, if the adjuvanted H1N1 shot is truly more immunogenic, then in theory children shouldn't need 2 shots.

I DUNNO. Seriously. I dunno. I want my kids to be as protected as possible from H1N1, throughout all the pandemic waves. They are calling for a 3rd wave here some time after Christmas. Fun times.

[chinook]

I was at work today but it was super busy, so tomorrow I'll ask the infectious diseases MD I'm working with what he thinks about the booster. I'll report back :)

[bubbaray]

Thanks. I read (CBC (http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/11/12/health-h1n1-kids.html)) that as of today, they were saying that healthy (not high risk) children ages 3 and up d/n need a booster. Under age 3 and high risk ages 3-9 need a booster.

DH is freaking out. Says DD#2 will NOT get a booster (she'll be 3 in January). DD#1 needs one too buddy.

It would be bad for me to take them without him, right? :innocent:

[chinook]

I think here the recs are 3 and under need a booster, 4 and up not, any kid with a chronic health condition needs a booster.

Had a quick chat with our MD today. He said they recommended two H1N1 shots, even in kids with previous seasonal shots, because adjuvanted flu shots are new here and there just wasn't enough data to know if one would be enough. He says the decision to change the recs were based on a large (~1100 kid) study done in China. Because kid's immune systems are not as "reactive" as ours, it was felt two would more than likely be needed. The other part of the initial decision was not knowing what vaccination rates would actually be and would we be able to benefit from any herd immunity.

He said that many of the decisions made around vaccine recs have to come down to what's practical and likely. Ideally, adults would get TWO shots a year, one in October and one in February, because flu season lasts longer than the antibodies the shots produce. But, he said, that would be a nightmare, it's hard enough to get people to come out for one, so traditionally we only have one per year.

Long and short? We'll be getting the boosters.

And it will be ALL daddy's job. Yep. FOR SURE.