SECONDARY PNEUMONIA FROM SEVERE FLU

Why only 2 in a lifetime and what is her guess about the time SHE  thinks you really need it ?

Just to make this clear, we are talking about pneumo vax 23 and NOT the seasonal flu vaccination, right?

If so, I agree (see my earlier post) about going to walk in clinics and saying you want teh pneumo vax 23 vaccination. Don't call first.

If that does't work, I know relatives who have had luck calling places like WalGreen, Safeway, Costco, (etc. big name groceries with drugs and drug stores) to see when they are having the next pneumoia shot clinic.

Good luck. Rocky

Albert wrote: This could be a potential problem that I saw developing last winter.   A lot places are selling out of the vaccinations because the word is starting to get out.  I would suggest finding a clinic that has them available.   They are out there,  but you have to keep looking.

    

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My opinions are just that and nothing to infer, suggest nor in any way give medical advice! I will only tell you my "educated" opinion from years of expierence, training, observation, intense education and current medical reading. Consult your own physician before making any decision. Vaccines and vaccination have a place in prophylaxsis and general medical therapy. That being said vaccines are not without very SIGNIFICANT risks. Passenger proteins, viruses, RNA,DNA fragments are often present. This is true even with recombinant formulations, unfortunately. I know personally of medical staff who received pooled plasma Hepatitis C vaccine and only later found out it wasn't recombinant. Some were HIV positive. Smallpox vaccine is still a problem and is given only under strict guidlines. Look at the history of BCG vaccine for TB where the patients were no longer capable of being diagnosed and treated with certainty due to the positive skin test caused by BCG. Yearly Seasonal Influenza vaccinations do not afford the protection people think each year. Look at the mortality rates, age adjusted, for those who receive the vaccination and those that don't.The vaccine every year becomes more polyvalent because the strains and codes are ever more varied. Rememeber the "problems" recently with the seasonal influenza vaccine from the European manufacturer. Vaccine for HPAI(Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza) will come along probley late and less precise than the companies would like. They are doing their best I believe but the magnitude of this is unfathonable. To take a vaccine  for "something" else in the hope it will help fight off HPAI or a secondary is  sheer lunacy in my opinion. The time may come when the governents will mandate vaccination even if the certaincy is not of sufficient risk ratio. That is because they MUST take action with respect to "SUPER-SPREADERS." It is not an enviable position to be in for such officials and authorities, but they may be forced to act. I believe this will be a 3 year process of waves of disease with diminishing numbers of cases. There is much more I would like to say but for now let me leave you with the following. There are various BioSafety Levels (BSL). you know of 1 thru 4 or 5 probably. In fact you will not find it on the Internet or elsewhere but there is BSL 7 which is Extraterestrial-now before you think I am nuts- remember when the men returned from the Apollo Moon missions they had to be Quarantined for just such a scenario. The reality of this is Common Sense Precautions, Hygeine, Minimal outside contact and life function/survival preparation. The Psychiatrist Carl Jung said "people cannot stand too much reality." Thomas Hardy(1840-1928) "If a way to the better there be, it lies in taking a full look at the worst." Mark Twain-"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.' i.e. vaccinations based on nothing more than anecdotal data for other diseases that "might" work for HPAI or secondary probabilities. Thank You...  

after albert posted that for me i called the mea and minor med care and asked if they had any and how much they both said no, not till oct. and only if you are young, old, or preg. i am none of those but i am disabled but with bi-polar and arthritus. i was gonna try a baptist clinic on mon. and tell them i was told i had copd like my husband has but what if they ask what meds. i'm on and i say comvent. will i be able to get it. i also take care of my mother and uncle ( uncle in last stages of copd) not doing good at all. he had his shot last year not sure the name of it just said phe. we got it at kroger.

pf, I unblocked your email awhile ago.  

where do you get the pneumonia shot and how much does it cost. i asked at my doctor office last month the nurse sais the flu and pn. shot wasn't out yet and only going to the young old and preg.

With over 10,000 views, we have gotten many people to get the pneumonia vaccination.  We have a good size wheel in motion with regard to getting the word out. 

Why is it that I can find no one who will give my 16-21 y.o. children and my husband this vaccine. Every doctor and clinic states the same thing "without a preexisting condition this vaccine is not warranted". 

pf, when are you going to leave my pneumonia vax thread alone?    

Sorry for all the typographical errors!  I was always fortunate to have a typist at my office.  My wife was laughing when she came home and saw all my errors. I really dislike typing. Thank You All.....

While secondary pneumonia is always a risk in pulmonary illness the fluid that is a reaction to the disease (HPAI) i.e. mucous,blood cellular debris dilutes the surfactant that allowa the alveoli (terminal structures in the lung) to expand. Surfactant is simply the lung agent that allows the alveoli to expand by reducing the surface tension. Thiis is much like soap in water when blowing bubbles. If the alveoli cannot expand the oxygen cannot interface with the micro-blood vessels and enter the bloob stream, nor can carbon dioxide be removed(exhaled). Carbon Dioxide crosses this barrier 20:1 faster than Oxygen. I do not want to demean the possible need for antibiotics in the rare cases that I believe a secondary infection would get a chance to develope. Volume delivery ventlators(respirators-Bennt) will be needed en mass if hospital treatment were to work, not Pressure delivery(bird) type. Also PEEP- Positive End Expiratory Pressure capibility would be essenstial. This merely is a maintained pressure and the endof the respirato cycle to foce the alveoli(lungs ) to stay inflated, to oxygen and carbon dioxide has a chance to cross into the blood. There are so few Volume Respirators available nationwide to handle the expected onslaught of cases. PEEP presure has to bo increased with severity and measured oxyge and carbon dioxide saturation by blood gas analysis(needle drawn-iced and analyzed) in yhe hospital lab. This is all easy for anyone to understand. There are not enough hospital ICU/Resp. beds in this country I love to do this. You folks on this site seem very common sense oriented and I wish more people viwed the site and took heed. The key is to preparre(prep) and self quarantine yourself and family. I believe the USA will be the best prepared nation for reasons that are in place and developing. I am a Board Certified General Surgeo and als Board Certified Plastic and Reconsruction Surgeon. I ran a Burn Center and Trauma trained career. I retired 5 years ago and am 59 now. I have seen so much and had the finest of teachers. It will be the simple things that will protect you and your loved ones and OUR COUNTRY! Thank YOU 

hey, I just want to thank everyone on this thread who gave detailed and precise information about getting a pneumonia shot. My DH  was totally against getting one, very supportive of prepping, feels BF will happen and totally on board, except for this one thing. Even set up an appointment at doctors office and he cancelled at the last minute.  I asked him to set down and read this thread from the beginning and he was about half way done when he stated lets all go get one Monday (today) . So this am, all three of us, including the 11 year old got our pneumonia shot. At first the nurse did not want to give the 11 year old one, but I reminded her that he had pneumonia when he was 6 years old. Thank ya'll again, if not for your detailed information, I NEVER would have been able to talk him into this very important  preventative measure.

pf, Good information.

Concerned Dad, the vaccines they get as infants/toddlers is not the same vaccine, they need the other one also. We got them for DD who is 10 and grandaughter who is 7, they didn't want to at first, but when I talked to them about H5N1, they went ahead and did it. Told us that when they reach adulthood (18) to get it done again.

Thanks Kr105,
I found a place, A local doc said he would be happy to give it to my kids, wife and I.
I do have one question though, if my kids were already given the PPV shot when they were under 2 years old, is it necessary to do it again now that there 5 and 8? Is there any danger in repeating? Also, I am reading conflicting data on how long its good for, is it 5 or 10 years? If the ladder, both my kids are good.
Thanks

I apologize if this has been posted before.  If you are having trouble getting the vaccine from your Doctor's office or a clinic, check the local pharmacies.  Laws vary from state to state, but many allow either a pharmacist with speacial training to give vaccines, and many pharmacies will have a nurse show up on certain days to give vaccinations.  This usually occurs just as school starts in the fall.  If you can't get the shot in your state, try the closest state to you.

ConcernedDad:

    I called my children's pediatrician today and he does not give this shot to children over 2 years of age. He recommended I go to our local health clinic if I insist on getting it for my kids.

(no chicken hearted Anharra has not been brave enough to get the shot, yet)

We got the shot for Great Grandmother who is 91 and lives with us.  I'm planning to use her as the reason to get the shots for the children ... so they won't bring home the germs to GG.  Hopefully at 47 I won't have a problem getting it.

Thanks Wendy.  I will take a look. 

thanks ,