Thalassemia Patients and Friends
Discussion Forums => Miscellaneous Questions => Topic started by: Sharmin on June 22, 2009, 10:16:35 PM
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There is a confirmed case of H1N1 at my daughter's school. We do not know about the severity. I did not know this - so Lil A volunteered at her school all day today. Should I be concerned? I had both of the kids wash their hands when they came home - the entire school is being disinfected today and this is the most exciting week of their school year for them - should I continue to sent them to school? What should I be cautious of other than having them wash their hands?
Thank you so much,
Sharmin
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Most cases have been very mild. Much milder than the regular flu, in fact. Most people who have had it are not even aware that they did. Those who have succumbed to this flu already had compromised lung function. What I have read is that if your lung function is already greatly reduced, it can cause serious problems. As long as the kids are not already sick, they should be in no danger from this flu. According to my doctor, the real danger is that this flu will mutate into a more serious form and this is why there is so much concern about it in the long term. Meanwhile, far fewer people have died from this than what is normally seen during flu outbreaks.
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Sharmin,
My doctor too agrees to what Andy said and even said that birds flu is more serious than the H1N1. The doctor insists so much on washing the hands as much as possible and i find a lot of mothers suggesting singing the childs favorite song while washing the hands to ensure a quiet suffient time for washing the hands.
Also a very important tip is the usage of Anise. Try to make the kids, even all the family drink a cup or two of warm Anise (prefered with some drops of lemon..) this drink is a strong anti-viral. By the way Anise extract are one of the components of the tami-flu
Aniseed is effective to help with
colds
influenza
cough
bronchitis
sinusitis
relieving flatulence
promoting digestion
colic
relieving tension and irritation
restoring mental equilibrium
stimulate lactation *see warning
brighten the eyes
sweeten and freshen the breath
But again Sharmin and in spite of what i mentioned, I would suggest not sending the children for a while to school until things are more clear because sometimes our kids just forget all the advices we tell them and forget about all the precautions. This is what i fear of.
Personally i tell my son million of times not to touch the bar of the stairs cause many people had their hands on and he just forget what i say and loves to put both his hands on the bar in spite of all my explaination.. he gets me crazy, actually i am the one who walks behind him all the time reminding him of washing his hands :gaah :gaah
I know Little A is much older than my son, so i believe he would be more cautious, but still i would suggest waiting for a while, you never know
manal
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Thank you Manal and Andy :hugfriend
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Our local school policy regarding this flu is that if your child is even mildly sick, they should not be sent to school. However, if your kids are healthy, they should go to school. They don't feel there is reason to disrupt the education of the whole student body if one child falls ill with the flu.
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We spoke with our pediatrician this morning and he said basically what Andy suggested. This is a fun week at school - my daughter went bowling and lil A went swimming - and the would have both been devastated if they missed these events. Our pediatrician, although he felt that he was not in a position to tell us what to do felt that since lil A has missed so many of the fun days at school - could we be doing more damage by keeping him at home since the exposure would have happened in weeks past. Although I was apprehensive, both of the kids are at school today and I am hoping for the best...
Sharmin
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Shamin,
May God Bless your children with super fun week and they will b safe to this ... Good Luck Sis for you & Family ... Tell your Children to stay safe at school ... :goodluck
Best Regards
Take Care
Umair
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Thank you my friend,
So far so good - thanks for your wishes. I hope that the child who is sick is doing well. We have not been given any updates on that student.
Best wishes to you all - stay healthy,
Sharmin
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I took lil A to emergency at the children's hospital during the night because he had a high fever and flu symptoms. His white blood cell count is 17. Although swine flu has not been confirmed we are starting him on Tamiflu immediately. I hope that he will be okay. We will find out soon if it is the swine flu.
Sharmin
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Sharmin,
I hope it is not swine flu. But even if it is, everything will be under control now that he started Tamiflu at once. I wish him the best and a speedy recovery.
Lena.
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Sharmin,
How high was his fever? Did they test to see if it is H1N1?
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Hi Andy,
At 2am he woke up in a panic, he was very warm to the touch and extremely uncomfortable. His temperature was 39 degrees celcius 2am till 11am this morning. He has nausea, dizziness, nasal congestion, and throat pain. He received his first Tamiflu dose this morning. A test for H1N1 and a test for strep were done - but the results will not be available for some time yet.
His fever seems to have gone away, he is actually up and walking around. There aren't too many signs of cold or congestion right now. I am giving him Tylenol every four hours.
I am concerned about the elevation in white blood cells. Is it true that with H1N1 (if that is what he has) the patient gets better and then it hits them again really hard?
I am hoping for the best, quite nervous,
Thanks everyone for your support,
Sharmin
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Actually, it is turning out so far that most patients with H1N1 have a mild flu for about 5 days and then it's over. A few get it really bad and those with respiratory problems seem to be at higher risk for complications, but most people are getting a fairly mild flu.
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That is good to hear Andy. Would the treatment with rituximab make lil A more vulnerable to this flu? Do you think that the Tamiflu is warranted?
Sharmin
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Sharmin,
Unless little A's immune system was currently weak, he wouldn't be anymore susceptible to the flu than anyone else, but this flu is prevalent and with school back in session it will be spreading more. To be honest, some of the side effects of Tamiflu concern me more than the flu itself. I think any drug connected to hallucinations should cause concern. If he shows no side effects from Tamiflu, he should be OK though.
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Thanks Andy,
When Lil A is sick, he is usually very sick for 5 or 6 hours - during this time he usually has a fever and he sleeps through it. After this time he usually recovers completely. So far, it seems like that has happened again. His temperature has been normal since 11am and since then he has been eating and playing normally. He has had one dose of Tamiflu, but I am not certain if I want to give him more. Maybe I will watch him over the next few hours.
Sharmin
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Fever is back :( He is laying down feeling miserable again. Good thing he has fallen asleep. I hope that he recovers soon.
Sharmin
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I hope Little Mr. A feels better...... Please keep us posted, I am checking thalpal for the updates.
Thanks.
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Thanks Canadian Family,
Doctor told us to keep giving Tamiflu until the results of the H1N1 test come back, sometime tomorrow. If the test results are negative then we can stop, if they are positive then we continue for 5 days.
He is very miserable, his temperature remains high. I am quite worried:( His hemoglobin yesterday was 109 - he is due to tx on Sept 23rd. I hope that he does not drop too rapidly because of this illness.
Thanks again for your support, I will continue to update,
Sharmin
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Sharmin
I really hope that it is not H1N1. But it is good to take all the necessary precautions. Give him lots of fluids to drink and watch out for mucus. For the fever, apart from his medicines, you can help him by doing tepid sponging quite regularly, taking more time with the forehead and neck.
hope our champion gets back on feet soon. Wish him a quick recovery.
Jade
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Dear Sharmin
I am so sorry to hear all this, my heart feels for you my friend, please try to be calm as much as you can and even if it is the H1N1, things will be under control as you started treatment early. Please don't forget the fluids especially Anise which is known of being antiveral in addition of its ability to clear congestion, you are in my prayers :hugfriend
manal
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Thank you Jade and Manal,
His fever is down again - what a cycle! He is more comfortable now. I gave him his second dose of Tamiflu. Hopefully we will stay away from trouble.
Sharmin
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Sharmin,
i hope that things r turning normal with Lil-A and He is fine now ... wishing him all the best of health and lluck to not get prob with health again ... He is a brave son of brave , i hope he will b get well soon ..
Lots of Best Wishes
& Best Regards
Take Care
Umair
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Hey Sharmin....
Hope that Lil A is better now...hope Tamiflu is helping him cope with the fever as you await the test results...
Lots of love to your family...
Madhavi
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Thank you Umair and Madhavi, :hugfriend :hugfriend
So far things are better this morning. I am giving him Tamiflu this morning and waiting for the call to determine if I should continue.
Hope you all are doing well!
Sharmin
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Sharmin, :hugfriend
I am so sorry i missed these posts ,but i was so damn busy didn't have time to log in :( i really hope Little A would not have fever again,and i hope its not H1N1,September 23rd isn't far away ,so i hope his hb will sustain.
Sending lots of love and prayers :hugfriend
Zaini.
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Coming to this site after a long time.....Sharmin, I am sure Little A will recover soon. He is a fighter.
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Any news Sharmin??? Hope all this well
manal
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Thank you Zaini, Bostonian and Manal,
He hasn't had fever all day so far and he seems to be doing much better. We are waiting for the call from his doctor to determine what it is. I think he is on the mend :pray
Thanks everyone,
Sharmin
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Hi friends,
The results of the H1N1 tests were negative. He was also tested for all other serious viruses in the community right now - they all tested negative. Strep test was negative too. He is much, much better - he has been playing all day. We have stopped the Tamiflu. Doc told us to hold on to it and use it if he is significantly exposed at some time this fall or winter.
Thanks for your support everyone,
Sharmin
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Thanks Sharmin for the update, i am so happy it is not anything serious. It must be one of those viruses. Keep monitering. It is a good sign that he is playing. Wsh you a speedy recovery sweet little A :hugfriend
manal
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Thanks for the update Sharmin. Great relief to hear that Little Mr. A is doing fine and it is not serious at all. Take care.
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Glad to hear that :yes
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That sure is a relief!
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Thanks everyone :)
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Little A is feeling a lot of stomach pain. His dad took him to the medicentre for evaluation. I am quite concerned. When I think about it, his fever was not really related to congestion, cough etc and he tested negative for all such viruses. I wonder if it is related to his stomach - or if the tamiflu he took for a few days is hurting his stomach.
Sharmin
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a blood test was done to see where the white blood cells are now, 3 x rays were taken - 1 chest, 2 abdomen. I am nervous.
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Possibly stomach flu or Tamiflu side effects.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jul/31/tamiflu-side-effects-children
Half of children taking Tamiflu have side-effects
Nausea, insomnia and nightmares reported after taking antiviral drug for swine flu, study finds
Of the 248 pupils involved in the study, 51% reported side-effects, including nearly a third (31.2%) who felt sick, nearly a quarter (24.3%) who suffered headaches and more than a fifth (21.1%) who had stomach ache.
The researchers said "likely side-effects were common" and the "burden of side-effects needs to be considered" when deciding whether to give Tamiflu to children as a preventative measure.
The researchers concluded that a "high proportion of school children may experience side-effects of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) medication".
Another study, also published by Eurosurveillance, found that more than half of 85 children in three London schools had side-effects when given the drug as a preventative measure after a classmate was diagnosed.
Of the 45 children who suffered side-effects, 40% reported gastrointestinal problems including nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain and cramps, while 18% reported a "neuropsychiatric side-effect" such as poor concentration, inability to think clearly, problems sleeping, feeling dazed or confused, bad dreams or nightmares and "behaving strangely".
Hopefully, this will soon pass.
I do have concerns about using Tamiflu with kids, but with the hysteria that has been created with H1N1, it has become almost impossible for anyone to make sound decisions about when to use Tamiflu. If the medical profession and the media had been honest all along, we would know that the death rate from H1N1 is actually much lower than with the common flu we see every year. But many billions of dollars are being made by drug companies, so the hysteria does have its benefits and one can see that hysteria has been used for the intention of making large profits. And I will admit that as a parent, I too have no idea how we should proceed. As an adviser in this group, I also don't know what to say about this flu, other than wash your hands and eat well. Get plenty of fluids and rest and don't let yourself get run down where you are more susceptible to illnesses.
Sharmin, keep us posted. I wouldn't put too much concern into x-rays being taken, as it is the weekend and the medical staff will not be highly experienced and will run every test.
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Praying for you Sharmin :hugfriend
manal
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Andy and Manal,
Thank you :hugfriend :hugfriend
It has been such a crazy week. Earlier in the week my daughter was bitten by a spider, her leg was swollen and the bite mark was strangely blue. When she finally recovered, Lil A came down with this fever. Thank god his x-ray results and blood tests were normal. His hg has fallen from 109 to 98 in 2 days, probably because he has been so sick for a couple of days. His bilirubin is elevated too. His WBC count has returned to 6.
Likely, as Andy said - his stomach issues were related to the Tamiflu - which I was very happy to discontinue. The hype surrounding this flu is causing a lot of grief and stress for everyone.
I hope that everyone is doing well - thank you again for the support and prayers. :hugfriend :hugfriend
Sharmin
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Thanks God. Wish things will be back to normal soon :empathy
manal
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Thanks Manal - it's just soooo great to have you back!!
:yes :yes
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Hi Sharmin
this goes to Little A :bighug
I send you this :angel2 :angel2 :angel2 to watch over you
Kathy
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I hope he feels better soon. We make a little trip now.
I receive yearly the flu shot (I guess like many of you..?)
This year I have been told to also take the special H1N1 shot. You must take this one twice with a break of a week. Do you think it's really necessary to take that one, and is it safe to do so?
Dore
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Sharmin, :hugfriend
I hope he is feeling better already,you are in my thoughts and Prayers,please keep updating.
Zaini.
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I missed this thread when I posted about H1N1.
My sons were confirmed to have this flu. One of them took the Tamiflu and had severe reactions.
He was dizzy and actually had hallucinations. He is not a Thal patient.
His brother who is also non-Thal got the virus and was treated like it was a regular flu.
He actually had the flu for a shorter time period than my son who got (only 2 doses) of the Tamiflu.
I caution parents about this medicine.
So far, the girls (both Thal major) show no signs of the flu! :biggrin
I worry about them much more due to their compromised immune systems....
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Dore
Personally i don't feel it is safe taking a vaccine that was not studied enough (long term studies). They have just come up with this vaccine a couple of months ago. It seems like a race cause i just read in the newspaper that a third chinese vaccine is now available in the market. Alsomy pediterician advised me not to tae this vaccine.
Concerning other vaccines like the seasonal flu shot, i became now more cautious about them unless i am sure that they don't contain thimerosal (mercury). Our member Bigg has really done an excellent job by pointing out the horrible effect of mercury on our bodies. So make sure that any vaccine you use does not have thimerosal.
Emommy
Happy to hear thatthe boys are fine now and thank you for sharing your expierence
manal
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Concerning other vaccines like the seasonal flu shot, i became now more cautious about them unless i am sure that they don't contain thimerosal (mercury). Our member Bigg has really done an excellent job by pointing out the horrible effect of mercury on our bodies. So make sure that any vaccine you use does not have thimerosal.
For What It's Worth....
http://www.cdc.gov/FLU/ABOUT/QA/thimerosal.htm
Does the influenza vaccine contain thimerosal?
Yes, the majority of influenza vaccines distributed in the United States currently contain thimerosal as a preservative. However, some contain only trace amounts of thimerosal and are considered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be preservative-free. Manufacturers of preservative-free flu vaccine use thimerosal early in the manufacturing process. The thimerosal gets diluted as the vaccine goes through the steps in processing. By the end of the manufacturing process there is not enough thimerosal left in the vaccine to act as a preservative and the vaccine is labeled "preservative-free".
So many things to consider even for prevention. I usually don't take flu shots, neither do my kids get it - but this year due to the H1N1 - I was thinking to get the shots. Not sure, what I will be doing now.
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Narendra,
There are a lot of mixed feelings about the vaccine. I am not sure what I will decide either at this time.
Andy,
Little A has been going back to school since yesterday. However, he is extremely fatigued and his legs ache when he goes up or down the stairs. Do you think that this is because of the fever and illness that he had last week? He will be having his transfusion on Friday.
Sharmin
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Hi Sharmin and others,
My sons ( one thal intermedia and other asthmatic) had H1N1 in early August. I was unaware of the side effects of tamiflu and really didnt have a choice as my sons were hospitalised being in high risk categories . Luckily they didnt suffer any serious side effects from tamiflu and the flu also didnt last very long. The older one had asthma for a few days after recovering but he does after all viral infections and the younger one had a pretransfusion Hb of 8.3 instead of the usual around 9.5. They are both doing well now with doctors suggesting it is good they got it early on and developed some immunity before it mutates to a more dangerous form.
I hope its so.
Zahra
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Hi Zahra,
I am glad that your sons have recovered:)
My son didn't have the H1N1, but he is still exhausted from the virus he had a week ago. His pretx hg today is 94, but he feels drained. His legs ache so much that he is in pain while walking and he is just wiped out. This is unusual for him because he plays soccer and ice hockey usually.
I am hoping that all of our kids stay safe.
Take good care,
Sharmin
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Well, I had contacted CAF regarding this topic and they gave me a reply from an MD. It is fairly common sense and nothing new, but I thought I would post it anyhow. ,
On a positive note, my girls were spared the flu even though their brothers had it! Antibacterial hand sanitizer and thorough hand washing does work!
Take care all,
Still nothing specific.
1. Everybody should be vaccinated. Children under age 24 and pregnant women first, but everyone. Everyone should get the seasonal flu vaccine too.
2. It is still true that H1N1 may not be worse than regular seasonal flu, but is likely to come this fall (seasonal flu is a winter disease in North America).
3. For the affected kids, if they need to go in for transfusion before a week is up (the usual “please stay home” time), they should call ahead, and wear masks to help protect others.
4. In our state and others, the TEST for H1N1 is hard to get, and so if a patient has flu symptoms, he or she may still need to be seen for fever in the context of splenectomy. It would not be safe to presume that a fever this fall is “just flu” in a patient with no spleen.
Ellis J. Neufeld MD, PhD
Professor of Pediatrics
300 Longwood Ave. Karp 08210
Boston, MA 02115
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EMommy,
Thank you for posting this it is very helpful,
Sharmin
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Hello,
I receive this week or next week my vaccine. I can't wait to get mine! I have a few teachers who told us they had it (although they rarely test people on it) so how sooner I get the vaciine how less chance I have to be in the next dance! (kind of Dutch proverb)
I believe the vaccine is safe. It's made exactly the same way as the yearly ones.
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Sharmin,
did you give the h1n1 flu shot to Little A. My wife has a concern with giving it to Little E. Just wondering what you guys are doing about it?
To other forum members - did any of you take the H1N1 flu shot?
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Hello,
Returning back after sometime. We all had our H1N1 flu shot on Saturday as advised by Little Miss A's doctor. The shot is nothing but H1N1 dead virus to boost the immunity in the body. As for the mercury use, it is most common in many vaccines used today. The mercury is used to activate the immune system to a greater extent so the vaccine works faster.
Thanks
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Bostonian,
We all had our vaccination last Monday. Lil A and I had fever & shakes the next
Day but it resoved quickly. All of the thals in our city have been vaccinated - Oakland also
Urged us to get our shots. However, you should consult your own health care provider with
Regard to your daughter. Children under 3 are getting the adjuvant free vaccine where a available.
Let us know how it goes.
Canadian Family, great to hear from you! It's been a while hope Lil Miss A is
Doing great!
Sharmin
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Hi Sharmin,
Little Miss A is doing fine. Hope Little Mr. A is doing fine, the hockey season is on, so that must be exciting for him.
How was the conference in New York, we would have come but we don't have any place where we can leave the kids. Anyways, hope you can update us soon.
Thanks
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Sharmin, Canadian Family,
Thanks for your replies. Now I feel better about the H1N1 vaccine.
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I would like to remind everyone not to give children any asprin or other drugs that have asprin during the infection with a virus (any virus).
The sixth case (9 year old boy) here that died due to swine flu (H1N1) has died due to very severe complications as a result of taking pain killers that contained asprin. The main complication was severe brain hemorrhage. So it wasn't the swine flu that killled him but the misusage of pain killers (that had asprin) during a viral infection
manal
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Thank you Manal,
That is very important information.
Sharmin
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To everyone who has done the H1N1 vaccination,
did you do it on transfusion date or did you allow for some time to pass after your transfusion and then did it (some 10 days after, that is)?
Lena.
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Here is an update from CDC on H1N1
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/ChildrenH1N1/
Medical conditions that are associated with higher risk for flu complications include:
- Asthma
- Blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease)
- Chronic lung disease (such as cystic fibrosis)
- Heart disease (such as congenital heart disease and congestive heart failure)
- Endocrine disorders (such as diabetes mellitus)
- Kidney disorders
- Liver disorders
- Metabolic disorders (such as inherited metabolic disorders and mitochondrial disorders)
- Weakened immune system due to disease or medication (such as people with HIV or AIDS, cancer, or those on chronic steroids)
- Receiving long-term aspirin therapy for chronic disorders
- Pregnancy
There are also a lot of pdf documents if you check the CDC link above related to H1N1 what to do and guidelines for high risk medical conditions and H1N1
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Thanks Narendra for sharing
manal
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H1N1 is not anymore a slightly epedimy (sp?) here. It's less than that. I am happy with it. I had only 1 injection of the vaccine.
I hope we wont get it ever.