Are we ready for the swine flu vaccine?

[NW Admin]

When Gardisil (AKA the HPV vaccine) came out on the market, many people were skeptical of the safety and short trial periods of the medication. There was a lot of controversy over whether or not enough time was spent actually testing it on humans and if it should be given to young people. Among the questions were whether or not younger people should be required to take the vaccine just as other childhood vaccinations are required. Many people thought it was a necessesity and others thought it was absolutely unacceptable. This issue was in the headlines for quite some time. People were concerned that there could be potentially unknown long term side effects.

The US government has officially invested $1 billion for the research, discovery, and creation of a new swine flu vaccine. This is very serious business. The threat of a pandemic means we have to act now. However, with the threat on top of us, you can be sure that leaves little time for actual testing on humans prior to release.

This leaves me wondering how society is going to feel if/when a new vaccine is created for the swine flu outbreaks? Will we be ready to start taking this vaccine and accept that we could be causing more health problems by doing so? Will we take it blindly... accepting it as it is based on the testimony and research of the labs? Or will many of us refuse, just as we saw with the release of Gardisil?

[Just A Girl]

I would like to know how the H1N1 virus effects pregnant women and their babies? Can the swine flu cause a miscarriage? Can it cause any negative side effects for the baby if the mom contracts it? And if they do come up with a vaccine, will it be safe for these expectant mothers and the baby?

[jason75]

Pandemic: Vical hits goals in pandemic vaccine development - CNBC http://ow.ly/eNYF

Courtesy of:
Julie Drake (pandemicfeed) on Twitter

[NW Admin]

I heard on the news today that there is some concern that the new H1N1 swine flu vaccine contains an ingredient that is said to cause or increase the risk of autism in babies of pregnant women. That is really concerning especially considering the fact that pregnant women are priority number one for the vaccine.

This is just one of the many concerns for possible side effects of this vaccine. I personally would be scared to take it if I were pregnant. With so many past historical lawsuits stemming from new medications, it's hard to be sure what is worse... the possible side effects of the H1N1 vaccine... or the possible miscarriage or death from the virus itself.