La différence entre la France et les USA c’est le pragmatisme. Ton pédiatre t’envoie un Q/A, par email, avec des + et des -. Et c’est ton libre arbitre qui tranche.

Par définition un vaccin represente un risque. Chaque année des milliers de gens autour de la planète souffrent de complications liées à une vaccination.

Je ne suis pas un hyper fanatique de la vaccination à tout prix.

Pour autant, le vaccin représente un progrès majeur pour l’humanité. Les vaccins ont sauvé et sauvent des centaines de millions de vies par an. Et les pathologies pour lesquelles nous n’avons pas de vaccin, comme le SIDA, sont les plus meutrières.

J’entends les arguments des uns et des autres expliquant que le vaccin n’est pas testé, qu’il contient plein de substances chimiques …

Sur la rapidité : oui les chercheurs ont travaillé d’arrache pied pour isoler et fabriquer les antigènes du H1N1. Oui, ce vaccin a été testé en un temps record. Mais face à une pandémie, qui represente un risque de santé publique majeure avérée par l’OMS, c’était la seule manière de faire.

Sur la présence de substances actives et chimiques. Oui ce vaccin contient probablement des produits issus de l’industrie chimique. Mais l’ensemble des médicaments contient des substances chimiques. La chimiothérapie qui sauvent des millions de gens autour de cette planète n’est pas fait à base d’eucalyptus. Et les progrès de la médecine ont précisement consisté à aller au délà des remèdes de grand-mères pour manipuler des substances dangeureuses qu’elles soient chimiques ou radioactives et à en faire des médicaments.

Je ne suis pas un fanatique de l’hyper vaccination. Il est normal que les individus puissent avoir un libre arbitre sur la vaccination.

Ce qui me choque dans cette histoire c’est que des personnels hospitaliers puissent à 80% refuser la vaccination alors que l’OMS et l’ensemble des organisations de santé publiques sont unanimes sur le risque pandémique et le fait qu’il est impératif de vacciner les personnels de santé et les personnes à risque.

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Should You and Your Kids Get The Flu Shot?

There is no clear-cut yes or no answer, but let me try to give you some elements to help you make the decision.

Currently the only flu active is the H1N1, which is not included in the mix of seasonal flu vaccines. So seasonal flu shots are virtually worthless unless a “seasonal strain” starts circulating later in the season. However, past data show that most flu seasons have a single, prevalent strain, and there is no reason to think that this year will be any different. Concerning H1N1, the consensus is that even if it is new, it is a regular flu virus with no more of the serious but rare complications than a seasonal flu virus has.

No matter what, it is going to be hard for you to decide what to do because of the conflicting information. After a twenty minute discussion on the topic, most parents will ask me, “So, Michel did you give the vaccine to your kids?” The answer is “No.” First, because at least a couple of them caught some bug that was probably this swine flu, and mostly because I am not a big believer in flu shots, based on the arguments below.

Seasonal flu vaccines:

Pros:
You may actually benefit from the flu vaccine if a “seasonal flu strain” emerges
IF there is a “seasonal flu” and IF you get the vaccine and IF it protects you, you could avoid the rare, but serious complications of the flu
There is no side effect of the vaccine itself

Cons:
There is no “seasonal flu strain” currently and there probably won’t be any in this season
Poor efficacy of the vaccine
Getting vaccinated may decrease the ability to fight further flu infections

H1N1 flu vaccine:

Pros:
You may actually benefit from the flu vaccine if/when it finally comes in by not having the flu
IF you get the vaccine and IF it protects you, you could avoid the rare, but serious complications of the flu
There probably won’t be any side effects to the vaccine and it will be probably safe
Because it is targeted to one strain, the H1N1, may be more efficient that the regular, seasonal flu vaccine

Cons:
The vaccine has been somewhat rushed into production, raising the question of safety and efficacy
This flu vaccine will probably have a marginal efficacy like every other flu vaccine
Getting vaccinated may decrease the ability to fight further flu infections
This flu is no more virulent that the regular flu, so if you are on the fence about flu shots this season is no different
Many kids are immune because they have already had the swine flu
By the time the flu vaccine arrives, the epidemic may have waned
IV. Now what if you or someone around you gets the flu?

Here are a few points to help you:

Q: What are the signs and symptoms of the swine flu?

A: In general, kids with the swine flu can have mild cold symptoms, or they can have high fevers (102-104 degrees!) for 3-5 days solid. Motrin/Tylenol help to make them feel better, but don’t often take the fever away completely. They also have a lot of nasal congestion and cough. Older kids will complain of head aches, back aches and other body pain.

Q: My child was exposed to someone who now has the swine flu. What should I do?

A: DON’T PANIC. Most children who get the swine flu will be just fine. Some will get sick for a few days, many will only have minor symptoms. We do not recommend keeping your child out of school, day care or any other activities. The swine flu is widespread and they are just as likely to be exposed in the aisle of Whole Foods as in the playground. Once your child has been exposed there is nothing to do but wait and watch out for the worrisome symptoms (see below).

Q: Someone in my house has flu symptoms. Should I send my child to stay with someone else?

A: There is really no need to quarantine your child or the ill person. Once someone begins to feel the symptoms of the flu, they have already been contagious for 24-48 hours, so your child has really already been exposed. Good handwashing is really the best way to prevent transmission. If you are a breastfeeding mother, the best thing you can do is continue to breastfeed in order to pass your good antibodies to the baby.

Q: How can I prevent my child from getting the swine flu?

A: Handwashing, handwashing, handwashing. If you are interested in the swine flu vaccine, we should hopefully have it in stock in a few weeks.

Q: What about Tamiflu?

A: In general, we are not giving Tamiflu to children who have been exposed to the flu or are starting to have flu symptoms UNLESS they have severe asthma, cancer, or other immune diseases. Tamiflu is not a “cure” for the flu. It has been shown to lessen the duration of flu by about 24 hours in some studies. Additionally, it often causes stomach upset, nausea, and vomiting … so you end up exchanging one set of symptoms for another! If you feel your child has special reason to be on Tamiflu, please make an appointment to be seen by a provider.

Q: What number of temperature is concerning?

A: The reading on the thermometer is not what you should focus on. The flu is notorious for causing extremely high temperatures, like 105. But high temperatures are not detrimental to the brain and do not indicate how sick your child is. Those high temperatures are also resistant to anti-fever medication, which should not be a reason for concern. Instead, pay attention to how your child looks and behaves.

Q: When is it time to come to the doctor?

A: The symptoms of the swine flu are always worrisome to parents and to us as your doctors, but you can usually manage them at home with lots of rest, fluids (pedialyte, juice, broths, ginger ale) and Motrin or Tylenol. There are, however, several more serious signs that you should come see us:
1. A fever (above 100.5) that lasts longer than 5 days or spikes back over 101 after the 5th day.
2. Any difficulty breathing from the lungs. If you are unsure if it is just nasal congestion or in the chest, it often helps to take the shirt off and observe the child’s chest. If the chest is going out and in and the child appears to be working to breathe, there may be a problem in the lungs.

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il est à peine terminé, contient des produits dangereux, ç peut être des effets secondaires,… autant de raison pour qu’ils n’en veulent pas!!!!!!