Hey all,

With the current H1N1 crisis the Canadian government has recently began offering vaccinations to people at highest risk of contracting the virus with an eye towards vaccinating the entire population over the next few months.

I have two questions:

1. Will you be getting the H1N1 vaccination? If not, why?

2. I will be leaving in February 2010 for my RTW journey and want some opinions on whether or not the H1N1 vaccination will be mandatory for entering countries not yet affected?

Pardon my ignorance if this is incorrect but I believe this virus originated in Mexico and is now spreading throughout the US and Canada but has not yet made its way to other parts of the world. This being the case I would imagine that countries throughout the world would be doing everything possible to prevent the spread of the virus through travellers from affected regions.

Pardon my ignorance if this is incorrect but I believe this virus originated in Mexico and is now spreading throughout the US and Canada but has not yet made its way to other parts of the world. This being the case I would imagine that countries throughout the world would be doing everything possible to prevent the spread of the virus through travellers from affected regions.

H1N1 was declared pandemic in June - meaning it is a global issue. In an Oct 11 news release, the WHO stated that it has been recorded in 74 countries. While Mexico made the news due to the unusually high fatality rate there, the current belief is that the virus originated in Asia.

I may get the vaccine, if it's convenient. I've never gone out of my way to get a flu shot, but have normally got them when I visit the immunization clinic for other things. Right now it's decidedly not convenient since there's only a few clinics offering it, and there's long lineups. Due to its widespread nature, it's not likely to be a requirement of entering any countries.

I'm going to try to get it and most importantly, paper work to prove that I've had it. I don't have any rtw travel planned, but I am going to go to Mexico and I don't want to have any problems at the border.

I had a friend quarantined in Costa Rica because he was showing flu like symptoms at the border. That isn't how I want to spend my limited vacation time!

Just because the US pharmasuticai companies had a lot of Tamiflu serum about to expire & created the so called pandemic that WHO stupidly made a level 5 doesn't mean there really is a problem with this man made flu virus.

NO I will not be sucked in to the false scare tactics & get a shot of poisin.

We will probably get the H1N1 vaccine before setting off on our trip. I normally don't get flu shots, but the chance of avoiding any flu (including H1N1) while on our trip, for us, outweighs the potential side effects of the vaccine. This is, of course, a personal decision.

It's not really an issue of cathcing a virus while on your trip surely? You're as likely to catch swine flu at home as you are in the big bad world. Of course spoiling your trip is worse than causing you to have a week off work though!

Here are some facts:

Most of the people hit hard by the virus are either born after 1965 or so, or born before 1940 or so.
It seems that there was a virus going around between those dates that was much like H1N1, so the immunity was given by those round of shots, or perhaps they had it and recovered.

I was born in the lucky period. I'm not going to get it. Those who werent, kids now or old people(over 55-60) would be wise to take it.

I got it (the virus, not the shot). Not fun at all. It was actually sort of a relief though: I'm going to Kilimanjaro in January, so I'm glad I got it over with and won't have to worry about coming down with it two days before my flight...

gojonesgo wrote:won't have to worry about coming down with it two days before my flight...

This is completely my biggest concern about getting the flu. If I got it right now, I'd be okay - paid sick days and all - but in another week, I probably won't recover in time for my flight, and that would be no good at all.

I'll be getting the vaccine, not because I'm personally worried about picking up the virus abroad, but I could be a carrier of the virus and not show any symptoms at all. I'll be spending time at an orphanage where some of the kids have weakened immune systems, and I'd never want to bring H1N1 into a situation like that. For me the shot is more about not spreading the flu to areas you'll be traveling through. Of course, it's a personal decision.

Lovely people!

Please please, I ask you to inform yourselves before going to get the 'swine flu' 'vaccine'! I have had several friends who have 'had it' and they just went to bed for a few days and recovered just fine. If your immune system is strong you have NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT!

I've been around people who've had it and I'm totally fine, just stay healthy, let nature heal, don't fear. Remember, someone is making HUGE money out of your fear of something which is, in reality, harmless.

Swine flu is just another flu, there's nothing worrying about it AT ALL, unless you are very unhealthy already, in which case travelling to new lands is not a good idea anyway;).

Read before you make any choices, at least. http://www.naturalnews.com/027055_swine ... ccine.html.

inJOY
Nathan

Unfortunately I will probably have to get the jab as a health professional.
I think it has been blown up out of all proportion, thousands of people get winter flu every year and a lot more die from this than we realise. Swine flu doesnt/cant even compare.
I have never contracted the much more prevalent winter flu or even had that jab, or though it is offered. I think it extremely unlikely that i would contract swine flu, so am very reluctant to have a jab for the very slim chance of catching something that is reportedly milder in severity.

I figure if you're in a high-risk bracket in particular then yeah, look into a jab, particularly if you're Canadian and it doesn't cost you any. Pretty sure the virus has shown up virtually everywhere, or at least that's what my impression was traveling last summer, but most borders will give you an additional glance if you have flu-like symptoms.

Specifically to answer the question I hardly ever get sick and would rather my dose of vaccine goes towards someone who really needs it (at my university they're free). Yes it's an overblown thing but my understanding is swine flu is dangerous because it hits hardest the young adult age bracket (ie under 25) whereas the traditional flu hurts more the elderly and young children.

That said, you guys remember Avian Flu? And how we're all going to die of West Nile Virus?

I will more than likely get the flu vaccine when it becomes avaliable for me. I work in the hotel industry in a large hotel and thus, have contact with people from all over North America and the world. For me, this puts me at a slightly higher risk of coming in contact with it. While it's true that for most people this is completely mild, for others it can be downright deadly. Case in point, my friend, a healthy 22 year old basketball player at the university here. Had to be put on a ventilator. But, as the doctors have said, a very rare case.

As one previous poster said, it's not so much that I'm worried I'll get sick and die(though with my luck, I'd probably get the serious flu complications), it's moreso that I'm worried I could pass it onto someone who will get sick and die.

It's a personal choice, but one that should be made with reason and logic and research(YouTube and conspiracy websites are not research . . . if you would lose marks on a University paper for citing those sites, they are not reputible). The WHO and your local Health Organizations have wonderful information websites set up.

Chances of me getting it are slim. . . but when you travel, you can't really afford to take certain chances(like with Malaria, Yellow Fever, and the like). Just got to do your own cost-benefit analysis and risk assessment.

I did have an H1N1 vaccination because it was offered to me for free when I got my Yellow Fever vaccination. It was fine. I have had about 7 different vaccinations in the last 2 months and the worst reaction I have had was from the adhesive on a cheap bandaid. If you can get it for a reasonable price, I think it is worth the piece of mind.