Should I get vaccinated against H1N1?

[JonathanM]

Do you think it's a good idea to get vaccinated against H1N1 before I leave? I've had all my other shots that is recommended, but not sure getting the H1N1 vaccine is really necessary. I haven't been following the news lately in China on how serious it is or was..

[Randy W]

I don't see any down side to getting the vaccination if you want, but it doesn't seem to be an issue anywhere.

[Randy W]

BEIJING, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Infectious diseases claimed 1,530 lives on the Chinese mainland last month, and nearly one third of the deaths were caused by A/H1N1 influenza, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH).

[Cerberus]

 

I don't see any down side to getting the vaccination if you want, but it doesn't seem to be an issue anywhere.

 

Same same. What is the difference if you contract the disease in China or the US?

 

IMHO, I took the vaccine not to not miss work, and saved money in the long run regard to sick leave in the US. Besides; it was free, and I had no strange aftereffects.

 

In China you lose time with the "better-half!"

 

The end results are the same. The only difference is the amount of money/time you waste in the long run. Just MHO.

 

Just take the shot , and in the long run it pays off no matter what country you are in. BTW, in San Diego where I live, several military family members have contracted Swine Flu, and I assure you of this; It ain't 't no walk through the garden. It SUCKS!

 

However, it is a free country! Your choice.

 

Dave

 

Just wanted to add that my wife is a teacher in China (Chengdu)! Yes! It Swine Flu can and does happen, and the Chinese consider every bit as serious, and more so today after the SARS epidemic. In her school: 7 children out of 40, if symptoms are seen and/or excessive temperatures are detected, and the teachers are fairly very well indoctrinated of what to look for.....they close the school down, and swab the place down for the children.

 

 

Edted to add additional pertinent information.

Edited March 4, 2010 by Cerberus (see edit history)

[weiaijiayou]

It seems similar in severity and spread to regular flu.

 

I usually don't get the vaccine for ordinary flu, and I didn't get the one for H1N1. Then, this year my wife and I both came down with seasonal flu. As we were in bed -- laid up for almost an entire week -- we promised ourselves that next year we'd get vaccinated. It was the first time I had the flu in a very long time, and I guess I'd forgotten how unpleasant the experience really can be -- no energy whatsoever, drenching the bed in sweat, etc. My wife claims that this was the first time she ever had the flu, and she just couldn't believe how bad it felt. It seemed like every few hours she would ask, "Do you think we might have swine flu?"

 

But as a whole, in China I'd be more worried about sinuses and throat. When I get sick there, it almost always involves these membranes getting inflamed, probably in part because of the pollution and prevalence of smoking.

[Guest Pommey]

You would be amazed at how so many middle class arty farties in this country are against vaccinations, just they feel happier if their kid gets polio, mumps, spinabifada etc.