Comments on: Are you worried about Swine Flu in your child’s school?

By: catlady

catlady — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 21:08:01 +0000

Bonnie: it was the usual, with one exception, I think. I am stll annoyed that teachers are not included on that list, as we come into contact with hundreds of kids and their illnesses, ambient or critical, each day.

By: Bonnie

Bonnie — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 23:10:42 +0000

I am trying to find the list of people that will be elgible for the H1N1 Virus? It was on Channel Fox 5 a couple of nights ago & haven’t found it sense? Thanks

By: ferhat cemil sevim

ferhat cemil sevim — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:41:58 +0000

6.8 billion people are waiting the vaccine, shot on earth.Here is my question ; how long will it take to produce such amount of shots,vaccines?Is there a producing capability in a short time?

By: concerned

concerned — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 02:23:57 +0000

I just read the earlier comments on hand sanitizers, alcohol versus non-alcohol based. What you want to look for in a non-alcoholic sanitizer is the active ingredient Benzalkonium Chloride (BC). Products with this ingredient are widely used in the pharmaceutical and medical fields and have been for years. There are numerous brands available online, just google “alcohol free hand sanitizer”. I use one called Dephyze. Contrary to common belief, BC is better at killing bugs than alcohol is. Most alcohol sanitizers claim a 3-log kill (99.9%), whereas BC achieves a 5-log kill (99.999%). Those 2 extra nines make a lot of difference in the biocide world. The company I work for makes a military grade decontaminant (developed by DOE) that has a 7-log kill (99.99999) which is considered complete (”undetectable”). This is good for killing weaponized anthrax, but would obviously be overkill on your hands. Interesting fact is, that its active ingredient is also a form of quaternary ammonium, just as the BC.
The disadvantages of alcohol-based sanitizer are:
1. alcohol is flammable. the little bottle can become a hazard;
2. some forms of alcohol can be deadly for little kids;
3. alcohol of any kind may form a temptation to some teenage kids;
4. frequent use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer dissolves the naturally ocurring oily film on human hands that actually deters microorganisms;
5. Alcohol dries out the skin and can cause irritation;
6. Too frequent use can cause the skin to “crack”, enabling uninhibited access of microorganisms into the body.
Due to where I work, I have always been very concious of what I touch with my hands and I have a bottles of sanitizer in different strategic places (car, desk, at home, etc.) Call me a germophobe if you want! I don’t go to the gym without it either. Which brings me to my final point: besides clean hands and staying home when you feel sick, the best remedy against getting infected is staying away from crowds. That will be especially hard for me this October, being an avid baseball fan, but maybe I’ll watch this post season from the comfort of my own couch ;)

By: DB

DB — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:53:34 +0000

Pamela: Hope your little one feels better, soon!

By: DB

DB — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:50:24 +0000

Iwa: I don’t know about JJ, but my daughter, too, received the HPV vaccination. While there is always some concern regarding anything “new”, I think that, in this case, the pros definitely outweigh the nebulous “cons”.

My daughter was one of the first kids in Atlanta that received the varicella vaccine when it first came out — CNN was at our doctor’s office, getting video footage of kids getting it (it just happened to coincide with her yearly well-check). No chicken pox? Sounds like a plan, to me. And there was the same “oh, no, a vaccine? think of all the awful things that can happen!” No cervical cancer? Ditto. I grew up just before the vaccine evolutions — as a result, I actually had German measles (rubella), red measles (measles), diptheria (whooping cough), chicken pox, and mumps — most before I was 6, and I certainly didn’t grow up in an immigrant slum! I was lucky and escaped serious aftereffects, except some vision damage after the measles. There is nothing “character building” about suffering from a disease, if there’s an excellent chance of avoiding it.

By: motherjanegoose

motherjanegoose — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:37:59 +0000

While I am all for fun topics,sometimes adults can share information on this blog that might be resourceful in the near future. Each blogger here has expertise in a different realm and when our ideas are shared we ALL learn.

I appreciate insightful topics mixed in with fun. The posts today have made me think ( a good thing since my brain has been on vacation and I head out for a meeting tomorrow).

I am disappointed when anyone criticizes the topic presented on Momania, as it does take some thinking to come up with a plan and write blog topics week after week.

There are times when I am not interested in the topic but I try to let it go.

The important thing ( I think and I may be the only one) to take into consideration is:

not all bloggers have kids who are heading to college in August

not all bloggers go to the beach for vacation

not all bloggers have big dogs

not all bloggers are single parents

not all bloggers are educators

not all bloggers are involved in the medical profession

not all bloggers travel for business

not all bloggers live ITP (lol)

not all bloggers are philosophical or even intelligent sounding….although some try to be ….hahaha

not all bloggers visit MOMANIA for fun everyday…even though we do have some crazy topics and enjoy the chit chat

BALANCE is important in journalism…isn’t it? Thanks to everyone who shared thoughts today.

By: nurse&mother

nurse&mother — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:14:27 +0000

Certainly not to scare anyone, but it’s doctors’ and nurses’ job to keep people calm (not to say that your dr. is in panic mode).

Concerned- hygiene is not as improved as you would like to think. Like MJG (I think it was she) said, just observe those folks in the bathroom NOT washing their hands (or at least barely wetting them and calling it handwashing).

Excellent points photius! The healthcare system would definitely be overwhelmed and healthcare professionals would be forced to triage and prioritize patients.

Catlady also has some valid points regarding sick children at school. I can’t tell you how often sick children are sent to school because parents don’t have a babysitter. (that really hacked me off when I was a school nurse)

By: Pamela

Pamela — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:08:25 +0000

Thought I’d add my comment – my 4 and a half year old son was diagnosed with swine flue yesterday. We are all home as a precaution – including my 13 month old. My older son will be fin – he seems to be just about done with it – and we are extremely hopeful our youngest does not get it. His school and the parents are freaking out, as I would have had I received the notice at school (daycare). It is a strain of the flu, he will be fine. I will be more at ease once we are all free and clear of it, but for now we are just doing our best to ensure no one else gets it. Our doctor, with 28 years experience, has told me not to be concerned, but has also given our youngest a prescription of tamiflu as a proactive measure, only because he has some history of wheezing. Anyway, wish us luck, try not to freak out too much, and keep washing those hands.

By: lwa

lwa — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:17:53 +0000

@JJ Aren’t you worried about you daughter getting the vaccination for HPV Virus? I don’t think enough research has been done on this vaccine.