Comments on: Salmon Bay School possibly hit by swine flu

By: Danny

Danny — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:26:03 +0000

I'm not an epidemiologist, but I've read that it's theorized that the reason the Spanish Flu was more apt to kill relatively young people, like the ones in marijuana rehab was that older people were more apt to have been exposed to variants of the virus in their longer lives and were therefore more likely to have acquired a certain level of immunity.

By: Ian

Ian — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:35:02 +0000

You're right west_ed, this isn't the average flu – it's FAR less serious.

By: Mondoman

Mondoman — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 11:17:15 +0000

Yes, in that it will most likely prevent or reduce severity of catching it (or similar) in the fall.
No, if you get complications or a serious case of this version.
We still don't have lots of info on this one's virulence.

However, assuming the government got its act together and ordered enough doses for the population, this would be an excellent fall to get the flu vaccine, even if you haven't in past years.

By: west_ed

west_ed — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 07:35:20 +0000

People should be keeping kids home when they are sick…this isn't the average flu. It's a pandemic of a new type of influenza and spreading widely. It's very serious. And it is causing the most severe illness in school age kids.

Although getting H1N1 now may give you some measure of immunity, it is far from certain. Influenza viruses change constantly and there is likely to be some measure of “drift” in the virus –meaning H1N1 in the fall may be just enough different for you to get it again, or your immune system for a lot of reasons could mean you get it.

http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthServices/health...

http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health...

By: eric

eric — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 07:03:46 +0000

um, why not keep your children home if they are sick?

By: Silver

Silver — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:56:53 +0000

I haven't seen anyone answer this question yet:

If H1N1 does, indeed, come back next season in a more virulent form, wouldn't getting this year's relatively mild version convey some amount of immunity against the nastier version still to come?

Mightn't getting it this time around turn out to be a lucky break?

By: Tutu

Tutu — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 01:52:22 +0000

Bigger bummer to miss the first days of summer vacation!