Just an update, my four school aged kids (K through 10th grade)  All got the H1N1 shot a couple of weeks ago, through our school district.  I also had it through my employer (along with several hundred other people) and none have had any side effects yet.

I have never gotten the flu shot and absolutely refuse to get the H1N1 vaccine.  I think it is not necessary to force employees to receive these vaccinations for the safety of others.  Proper hand-washing and vitamin C and vitamin D have been scientifically proven to ward off the flu virus; including the H1N1.  This new vaccine was shuffled through the FDA based on a waiver, and has NOT been FDA approved.  The vaccine contains adjuvants (things that speed efficacy of the vaccine) which contain thimerisol - which contains toxic amounts of mercury. This over time has been shown to cause auto-immune disorders later in life such as Guillan-Barre Syndrome, leading to paralyzation. 

We as a society are being fearmongered and led to believe that a vaccine will save us from the perils of the flu and the swine flu, when as health care professionals we know already that the flu is a VIRUS and not antibiotics or anything else can cure a virus.  Please read about this vaccine in depth and educate yourselves before you rush out to get it, thinking you are doing what's best for you and your patients.

What causes GBS?
Guillain-Barre Syndrome is the most frequent acquired (as opposed to inherited) neuropathy. Nobody knows why or how GBS infects certain individuals and not others. It's cause is as yet unknown, but it is triggered by a viral or bacterial infection in most patients that somehow causes an autoimmune reaction, i.e. your own immune system attacks your body.

As it is generally seen after an infection, it is called a 'post infectious autoimmune disease'.

About 70% of GBS cases are associated with preceding infection. GBS occurs typically 2-3 weeks after a preceding lung or intestinal infection, usually caused by Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) or Cytomegalovirus (CMV). The preceding infection is even more likely to be C. jejuni, in Chinese and Japanese patients. Other agents have also been implicated, such as Epstein-Barre virus and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. The infection generally disappears before the symptoms og GBS are observed.

C. jejuni appears to trigger the axonal type of GBS (see 'Damage Inflicted'), which is linked to severe pure motor symptoms, axonal damage, lower CSF protein, need for ventilation and a less-optimistic prognosis. This type occurs more frequently in Japan, whereas the demyelinating type AIDP is more common in USA and western Europe.

GBS following CMV typically shows sensory nerve involvement and a more severe course.

Guillain-Barré syndrome is also rarely associated with vaccinations, surgery, and childbirth.

It may occur upto 6 weeks after surgery. It may also occur after vaccinations. Mass vaccination programs in the USA and other countries have later been connected to a slight increase in the number of GBS incidents among the millions vaccinated. There is as yet no direct proof of any connection, and the issue of whether or not vaccinations are linked to an increased risk of getting GBS is under intense debate. Check 'Recovery' and 'Links' for further information.

LOL we had to line up in the school gym to get our sugar cubes!