It's worth considering that the formulation, and approvals, are different in each country. So it's tough to compare apples and apples.

I intend to get the shot (the Canadian non-live-virus formulation). The Alberta government is making it available to anyone who wants it. It should be available shortly.

In some ways, not a moment to soon. There's already a bloom locally, with some area schools missing 10-15-25% of students. The cause of these numbers is, of course, complex, and subject to thoughtful revision. But H1N1 is a known factor in this, based on testing, and it's too early for the seasonal flu ritual.

I'm not enormously concerned about this influenza, provided I get the usual version. (Who do I pay to ensure that it's non-life-threatening?)

It's the risk of going from 'flu to intensive care that is the first concern. This happens in about 24 hours in a small but significant percentage of cases. Or spreading it to someone I care about who may be more susceptible. That's not what I'm about.

It's also the possibility of some protection against a mutated, nastier strain down the road. This is more speculative country, of course. But herd immunity is nothing to sneeze at, and has got me this far; there's excellent reason to believe that my odds of typing this note would be a lot slimmer without it. No doubt the building of that herd immunity, through generations, carries a microscopic degree of risk. I guess I have a sense that there is a civic duty involved.

That's my perspective. YMMV.

Discussion on vaccine safety that hits most of the points:

http://urban-science.blogspot.com/2009/10/over-next-few-posts-ill-discuss.html

http://urban-science.blogspot.com/2009/10/h1n1-vaccination-hysteria-part-2-should.html

I plan on getting it due to having g6pd.

Lee

I got a doctor, and I pay him good money to keep up on medical happenings in general and what's on the ground locally.

I'd be disappointed if he wasn't better informed than me on this.

I'm having him make the call.

As soon as I can get it, I will get it. In Belgium, the number of infected persons doubles every week at this moment.

No, but I have a specific medical reason.

My history of egg allergy causes my Dr. to think the risk of injecting egg proteins is higher than of getting the flu, this despite my being a diabetic.

Like most areas of the US my county is out of h1n1 vaccine, with promises of delivery in 3 weeks sufficient to vaccinate most requestors. I'll get it then. Meantime I got my first ever flu shot last week.

I'll get it when the at-risk groups (of which I am not a member) have had theirs and the supply is sufficient.

Which is entirely sensable!! Listen to your MD, particularly if you go regularly (Most diabetics see their MD multiple times/year - sometimes as often as weekly if things aren't in control)

My daughter had a case of H1N1 (confirmed) - she was in one of the NYC schools that closed because of it. Was not too bad in her case, a few days sick, and away we go. A teacher at another local school died.

I basically live in what was the heart of the NY outbreak. The worst hit school (St Francis Prep) is about 1/2, maybe 2/3rds of a mile from here, and my daughter's school (which at one point had something like 200 kids down with 'flu/flu like symptoms" (they stopped testing after a while) is all of 1/4 mile

It actually, on the average, seems to be slightly milder than the normal flu, but if you get it bad, you get it bad

The seasonal flu vaccines protect against three strains of flu. The H1N1 strain has been included many times as one of the projected problems for the season.