The Flu and the H1N1 Flu Mist - What are the risks?

[Beth35]

Well the flu is running through my home.  Both kids have it.  I am not sure what type they have as they don't test for that now as the treatment is the same either way.  My daughter had the H1N1 flu mist a few days ago and I was not made aware she should not have had that type as it is the LIVE virus and it could spread to me.  So they put me on Relenza to prevent me from getting it and told me to try and stay away from my daughter. Ha! 

So now I am about to go back to work after being out with my son and now I am hearing that the children in my school district are all getting the H1N1 flu mist this week.  That means that I will be around 20 little six year olds who have all have the live virus in their nose.  Is this safe for me?  Should I wear a mask?

Besides this and my gas boiler dying, this past week has been miserable.  Now I am afriad I will catch the H1N1 and land myself in the hospital or even die from this.

Any advice?

[lizabee]

I was told at dialysis that dialysis patients should not get the mist, that only the shot is cleared for us.  I have been wearing a mask at treatment because the lady next to me is sick...I am pretty much quarentined to the house now for fear of getting sick, since I should be getting my transplant within a month

[Beth35]

Yeah, I won't be getting the mist myself.  I'll just be around 20 snotty little kids who just got the mist.  I'm a little worried.

[RichardMEL]

comment: a mask is pretty useless in terms of stopping you GETTING a disease that is airborne.. a mask will only really prevent you spreading an infection (via sneezing etc) that much. You'll still breathe in stuff even with the mask on.

Anyway I am getting the H1N1 shot today before dialysis, so that should be fun

[Bill Peckham]

Well the flu is running through my home.  Both kids have it.  I am not sure what type they have as they don't test for that now as the treatment is the same either way.  My daughter had the H1N1 flu mist a few days ago and I was not made aware she should not have had that type as it is the LIVE virus and it could spread to me.  So they put me on Relenza to prevent me from getting it and told me to try and stay away from my daughter. Ha! 

So now I am about to go back to work after being out with my son and now I am hearing that the children in my school district are all getting the H1N1 flu mist this week.  That means that I will be around 20 little six year olds who have all have the live virus in their nose.  Is this safe for me?  Should I wear a mask?

Besides this and my gas boiler dying, this past week has been miserable.  Now I am afriad I will catch the H1N1 and land myself in the hospital or even die from this.

Any advice?

I seem to remember reading that it was for a day or two that you had to avoid people who received the mist

off to the google machine

[Bill Peckham]

Well that's why I don't trust my memory

""The risk is largely theoretical," Hayney said. "There is no evidence of definitive harm among adults. To be honest, there's no evidence of definitive harm among anyone."
Still, her advice to health care providers about the inadvertent exposure of patients to the attenuated virus is to "be cautious until we do know more" about the safety of FluMist.
An element of caution is apparent in the product's labeling, which recommends that FluMist recipients avoid close contact with immunocompromised people for at least three weeks after receiving the vaccine."

How's that for ambiguity? Here is the full article Pharmacists Mull Transmission Risks of FluMist

[Beth35]

Thanks for the information.  I figured I had to go back to work.  I can't stay home for work for two to three weeks after each kid gets the flu mist.  Of course I am washing my hands a lot and I leave the classroom window open a bit.  I am so paranoid though as my students are coughing and sneezing and wiping their noses on their hands, it's really GROSS!