The Glade 4.0

My wife is very impressed that I have a direct pipeline to the CDC. But, no pressure.

I came down with what I assume is a flu of some sort - fever/chills, body ache, runny nose, headache, etc. - about three days ago. (I distinguish this from what I think was a "regular" head cold that I had about a two (three?) weeks ago: sore throat, persistent cough, runny nose, but no fever or real body aches.)

My kids (5 and 8) now have it, and my wife seems to be getting it right now - chills, fever, laying down and probably not going to work tomorrow.

Here's the thing. My wife got a standard (not swine) flu vaccination about two weeks ago. So, if she's getting a flu now, is it logical to assume that she wouldn't get the non-swine version, since she was vaccinated? And, therefore, that what we have is swine flu? Or, is there (a) another non-swine flu running around this year, or (b) could she have gotten the version she was vaccinated for, despite the vaccination?

Thanks! Just idly curious, more than anything.

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This cold and dark tormented hell
Is all I`ll ever know
So when you get to heaven
May the devil be the judge

Some people come down with the flu after getting the shot. This much I do know.

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Raell Kromwell

Not Gorse, but I do know a little from reading all the damn vaccine flyers around work lately. Stupid flu precautions are keeping us in short supply for droplet isolation masks and goggles these days. If you come in with a broken toe and have a sniffle and/or a cough, you're on droplet isolation until your viral cultures come back negative.

Keep in mind that selecting the strains of flu that will be protected by the flu vaccine is not an exact science. It's more of a best guess based on available evidence. Sometimes, the vaccine is less or even not effective at providing immunity to an unexpected strain that pops up during the season. It's very possible that you have regular flu that the regular flu shot missed. Gorse might have better data on how effective the regular flu shot is this year.

The only way to be sure of what kind of flu you have to to do a viral culture set--one for regular influenza/DFA, and one specifically for H1N1.

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Women are from Hoboken, men are from Trenton. ~ Jimmy Kimmel

The flu vaccine only protects against whatever was determined to be the most common strain months before when they were manufacturing it.

Your wife could have H1N1, or any other strain of the flu besides the one she was vaccinated for.

Sorry busy weekend and somehow I missed this thread (even with my name on it!).



a). Yes, this year there is another "main" version, typically called seasonal influenza. It starts increasing in presence this time of the year and runs through the March time frame. Every year there are multiple strains (excluding mutating strains, which is a separate and equally challenging issue), but typically one stands out from the previous wave (in the southern hemisphere) and then used to create the vaccine in preparation for the northern hemisphere influenza season (as already mentioned in other responses here).

b). Yes, she could have gotten the same version of influenza that she was vaccinated for. Unfortunately vaccination for influenza is not 100% effective. Invluenza vaccine effectiveness seems to run above 80% (sometimes above 90%). So, even if you get an annual influenza vaccine you could also get influenza. But, this doesn't mean you shouldn't get the vaccine, frequently symptoms are less severe if you have had the vaccine (but again not always).


I hope that helps.

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Gorse

It's not necessarily influenza either. There are other viruses and even bacterial infections which confer similar symptoms. If you're concerned, I would go to the doctor to rule out any bacterial infections (which are usually treatable). Viral infections are rarely treatable with drugs, other than to stymie the symptoms. Other than that, drink lots of fluids, get rest, and I hope you guys feel better.

Also it takes longer than 2 weeks do get the immune response to protect you. So even if it was regular seasonal flu, it would not have time to have protected her.

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Memento Vivere

I have local knowledge.
That sandbar was not there yesterday!

Wow, interesting stuff, folks. Don't worry about missing this, Gorse, I didn't post it until late last night. Which is why I wasn't thinking clearly about the fact that there are many different strains of non-swine flu floating around. Of course. Didn't think about that.

Wow, two weeks, SG? I just looked at "Gorse's" site and confirmed that. I didn't realize that at all. I'm going to have to check and see exactly when she got the shot.

Raell - Honestly, she didn't feel real good when she got the shot.

Colphax - You work in a clean-room type environment, right? I would just stay home until March (but I guess that's not good on the paycheck .

CDC says that this year's flu shot works on three types:

* A/Brisbane/59/2007(H1N1)-like virus;
* A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like virus;
* B/Brisbane 60/2008-like antigens.

I'm sure I'll start something by saying that I never get vaccinated. I'd have to really sit down and think about why, but I have a weird aversion to it. Nothing to do with getting shots, nothing about Thimerasol (we happily pumped our kids with all of the recommended childhood vaccines, etc.). Maybe just hubris, as in "it won't get me, and if it does, it won't kill me."

Funny thing is, my mom (76 this year) says that she has never gotten the flu. And, for all of her health problems, I actually don't remember her ever being laid down by a fever like this. She says she mentioned this to her doctor, and he said something about her most likely having some sort of genetic resistance, due to her ancestors having been exposed and living through it. Interesting thought. Maybe I should blame my father for being of non-Euro stock and making me more susceptible to these things, because I've gotten the flu quite a few times in my life, as far as I can tell.

Oh, and Colphax - I'd love to get tested, but I don't think a doctor has ever offered that as an option. My feeling is that unless you're on death's door or very insistent, they just don't do much beyond tell you to "get lots of rest, drink fluids, come back if it gets worse."

My wife's in bed right now, and I kept the kids home today. They both woke up with a fever, although they're getting more active as the day goes on. I think we've weathered this one.

Oh, and, if anyone's interested where I picked this up, I'm 95% convinced that I got it when I took my son to Urgent Care on Tuesday. He had a slight cold and was complaining of chest pains when he coughed. Of course, three hours later, by the time a doctor got in to see us (had to wait for x-rays, etc.), he felt fine. I just love the irony of going to the hospital and coming out sick (they put a mask on him, but not on me ...).

_________________
This cold and dark tormented hell
Is all I`ll ever know
So when you get to heaven
May the devil be the judge

This has been a problem since hospitals were invented. It's also the source of a lot of the superstitious avoidance of doctors.

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

You have to realise there's a difference between Cold and Flu. What lots of people get through out the year with runny nose, sore throat, etc are actually colds. These are easy to go away and a day or two later most of the symptoms would have gone.

Now flu are a different kettle of fish. It will literally knock you off your feet and keep you down for a couple of days, it is common to be out of commission for up to a week.

The thing with flu is that by the time the vaccination comes out on the market, it has most likely had already transmutated to a slightly different strain. You are protected against some and it is definitely good to update your body virus checkers, but it’s not as good as the general public perceive it to be.

Just remember to provide lots and lots of fluids (especially for the kids) and keep the temperature down using meds.

I recall getting the flu three times in one season even after having gotten the flu shot. I didn't really feel better until late the following summer.

Nah, not a clean room. I work in the telemetry department of a major hospital as a Health Unit Coordinator. Pretty much the only way you're going to be tested for influenza is if you've been admitted to a hospital. Even then, if you're even slightly symptomatic, this year they will start you on tamiflu and put you on Droplet Precautions--Staff and visitors wear masks with eyeshields or goggles when they come into your hospital room, you wear a mask when you go out of the hospital room...and there's lots of handwashing. The idea is to prevent contact of eyes and mucous membranes from tiny droplets containing viruses that infected people expel when they cough.

That's why your son got a mask and you didn't.

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Women are from Hoboken, men are from Trenton. ~ Jimmy Kimmel