Point taken.

With the recent report of a lab-confirmed case of H1N1 in an Iowa cat which probably got it from its owners, maybe the next question is, "Will you give your pet H1N1 vaccine?" Well, I'm being tongue-in-cheek here. But considering how Americans have increasingly turned pets into quasi-children now, I can imagine many pet owners who previously shrugged off getting a shot for themselves suddenly feeling very desperate to get one for their little precious.

On a different note, anybody else notice this outbreak in Ukraine? Sounds frightening, assuming the reports are accurate. Depending on which source you read, up to 600,000 reported cases in two weeks? Almost 150,000 in 24 hours? Slovakia shut its border crossings. That's a lot of new cases for a country that size.

The samples are still being studied, but one scary possibility is what health authorities have been afraid of--that the relatively stable H1N1 virus has finally mutated. Or it could be another flu strain has stormed onto the world stage, ready to shove H1N1 to the side.

Well, it's just all speculation at this point. There is also talk that with January elections coming up in Ukraine, it's also a politically motivated situation. Kind of a Wag The Dog kind of thing, I guess.

This is unlikely to occur, as there is no approved H1N1 veterinary vaccine currently on the market and by the time one might be developed and approved, I suspect the wave will behind us.

On an interesting note, we use a mini-tipped swab/culturett to collect oral samples from mice (it is normally used to collect nasal specimens from infants). We have been told they are on extended backorder. No reason was given, but we have never had backorders on this product previously.

Pete

Yes, I realize there is no H1N1 vaccine for our pets. It was more a commentary on our often contradictory perceptions of risk. A person might perceive little risk from coming down with H1N1 or see a lot of risk from the vaccine based on Internet postings, and say "No thank you" to the vaccine for themselves. But if their pet is suddenly perceived to be at risk, I could see many of these very same people suddenly turn around and clamor for development, as fast as possible, of a vaccine to protect their pets.

Dealing with this pandemic is such a lose-lose situation on many fronts. One of the more recent controversies is over intravenous peramivir, which wasn't yet approved for use in the US. It was recently given an emergency use authorization. Before that, I would see meetings on TV where people go to the mike almost tearfully asking why the FDA wasn't making peramivir more readily available during a crisis situation like a pandemic. But after the EUA, I see posts on various websites slamming (the same ones that slam H1N1 vaccine) the approval of "untested" peramivir and how it's just another case of Big Pharma sneaking one more money-making product on the market without proper testing, yada-yada. You just can't please everyone.

I will probably take it when the line-ups and hysteria calm down a bit. I have to schedule it around my blood donation schedule. My next donation is early Dec. so either I get the shot at least 3 days prior to the donation or sometime after that and still before Christmas.

Its provided free of charge. While I'm not in a high risk group, if I get vaccinated and I am one less person to get H1N1 then I figure its for the good of society in general and for the good of my family and co-workers. Just one less person to spread the virus may mean 100 people with less exposure to it. Guess what, in times like this, it's not always about ME or about whether it is a danger to myself if I get sick! I can either get the vaccine shot at a employment sponsored clinic, University clinic or at a general population clinic whatever will be the most flexible.

We've have so much alcohol cleaner around at work that a person can't walk 25' before encountering another dispenser! And a couple of N95 masks if I feel threatened. Purell and other companies must be making a fortune! Our company policy promotes workers going home at the first signs of H1N1 sickness as part of its pandemic planning to minimize the exposure to other people.

That little SWINE!!!

I wonder how many other species are susceptible to H1N1? Pet birds, cats, dogs, gerbils???

Would that be before the Calgary Flames get shot or after???
(The nerve of that team, and Toronto Maple Leafs as well for que jumping before the high risk people! That just boils my blood!)

This must be the first news report I have seen this season for a flu clinic that had too FEW people. And FREE vaccine, to boot! Leave it to cynical New Yorkers to be the one to buck the trend. Or maybe it was just really poorly advertised to the public.

Well, I'm sure that NYC isn't the only place with low interest in the vaccine, but considering the population size, it's noteworthy how few people showed up.

"New York clinics see few crowds for free vaccine"

Maintaining the queue is tricky stuff - around Seattle some of the King County Jail guards are upset that certain inmates in high risk groups (based on age, susceptibility to sickness and other factors) are getting vaccine ahead of the guard population itself. I can understand their argument, but if the quantity of vaccine available doesn't reach a legitimate population like jail guards I think they have to wait for more vaccine. I feel a little bit the same, I work Red Cross shelters and will undoubtedly run into folks with H1N1, but there's no priority for shelter workers. Jail guards have it a little worse, they have this day to day and I only run into it if/when we open a shelter. In the end though, does a jail guard have any different interaction with potentially affected populations than, say, a Starbucks barista? Neither is maintaining enough distance to prevent infection.

My friends in the UK maintain Americans have no concept of a proper queue, go figure...