A refreshing take on H1N1 flu

Want to read something refreshing?

As you’re probably aware, U.S. health officials are recommending that students should be among the first to receive the H1N1 vaccine for two reasons: 1) Young people may tend to pick up this flu easier than adults, and 2) The flu is easily spread when people are in close contact in confined spaces.

The obvious drawback: Giving this relatively untested vaccine to an entire generation of school kids and college students is a daunting risk. And apparently some doctors agree.

My friend Felicia has a son, Rob, who’s a high school sophomore. She recently took him to his pediatrician for a yearly, pre-school check up, and she was a bit surprised about the conversation she had with the doctor. Keep in mind, this is a mainstream doctor – not in any way an alternative medicine practitioner.

Felicia: “I asked him about the flu vaccine, both seasonal and H1N1. He asked if Rob had ever gotten a flu shot and I said no. He said if he hasn’t gotten a shot in the past and hasn’t gotten the flu (which he hasn’t) then he would not recommend a seasonal flu shot now. In his opinion, Rob’s already built up his immunity if he hasn’t had the shot on a yearly basis.

“Then he came right out and said that in his opinion the swine flu is complete hype. He thinks the vaccine is potentially dangerous, so should be avoided unless you’ve got some underlying health issue, asthma or something like that. He says it’s a mild flu and it’s being blown way out of proportion. He told Rob to wash his hands on a regular basis, several times a day, and to try and avoid touching his face during the day, especially at school. That was it.”

And that’s pretty refreshing if you ask me.