h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Himmelherrgottssakrament, as they used to say.

Of course it's chaos. Germans are utterly organised until something unprecedented happens. Then they aren't.

What a hair-raising story. I hope you have no side effects.

No side effects, thank goodness. I guess I should have had them by now, it's been more than a week since the jab.

The amount of websites with conspiracy theories is incredible!
Some are pretty obvious, but others look sincere.

How to know what to believe? It's a very tough decision.

I agree. It's sad when the conspiracy theories start to seem, well, like maybe a good idea...

I think I'll stick with the regular flu shot I had.

Yes, some are very convincing, but then nbody (or hardly anybody) can check the 'facts' they list.

It's too late now for me anyway.

You will be fine - the universe will not have it otherwise. But I'm wondering if a) this 'epidemic' is as bad as they think, and b) whether special flu shots are helpful.

I think, 'Wash your hands, stay away from small children, and don't let people cough in your face.'

Yes, I guess that's some good advice. Just not feasible if you work in a pharmacy. That was the reason why I decided to get the jab (and I deliberately didn't research it before I went).

You are right, of course - pharmacies are full of germy children and coughing adults.

Add to that that most of the casualties had suffered from some or other respiratory problem (which I hadn't actually realised before I started research now), and I had another reason to get the jab. It's certainly not something chronic, but I had TB a few years ago, so who knows?

Oh, definitely then. Respiratory problems are a real concern. My dad had asthma as a child, and gets respiratory problems from allergies, etc, so he is always at extra risk.

I have no idea whether or not it would make a difference, after all, it's healed and was five years ago, but then I'm not keen on finding out.

No, better safe than sorry. Always.

True, true. Then again, they say 'no risk, no fun'.

That's for things that don't land you in hospital.

Yes, but in prison.

True.

If I may intrude here, a recent Daily Mail news story reported that only 30% of doctors and even less nurses intended to have the Swine Flu jab, because the illness itself is now so mild, compared to normal reactions to the vaccine, and because of a small possibility of Guillain-Barre Syndrome - GBS - which is very serious, and the vaccine has been rushed out.

It's not entirely clear which is safe and which is sorry.

More info at http://www.injuryboard.com/national-news/swine-flu-side-effects-to-be-monitored-.aspx?googleid=273776 and others.

You're not intruding, the more the merrier.

Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment. Interesting article, thanks for the link. I had never heard of the Guillain-Barre Syndrome, so I looked it up now. Thanks, I learned something new again.

Yes - you folks are so much better informed than I about these things.

So the consensus would seem to be that the game is not worth the candle, as far as this vaccine is concerned?

I just got a regular flu shot - and that mainly because I was facing outpatient surgery, and figured that hospitals are hotbeds of infection.

Which seemed to work out - I didn't catch anything, and my eye healed up pronto, what with the local antiobiotics and steroids. (My eye was on steroids, and can now lift 50 pounds without breaking a sweat, although I still can't see the print in this reply box very clearly.)