By Dr. Samantha Ristimaki, BSc, ND of Balance Wellness Center

The H1N1 flu vaccine is a hot topic these days.  Both the US and Canada have followed the World Health Organization’s recommendation to vaccinate the public against this strain of virus.

Before you line up at the H1N1 clinic, you may want to educate yourself on what the virus is, what you can do to prevent yourself from getting it and what are the pros and cons to getting vaccinated. 

H1N1 is basically a different strain of the flu that has similar symptoms.  Like the flu, people generally suffer from symptoms including fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, disorientation, chills and fatigue for about a week.  It is typically that individuals with weakened immune systems are at risk of suffering from a more severe illness.  If you have difficulty breathing, sudden dizziness,confusion, severe or persistent nausea immediate medical attention is required. 

Who has a greater risk?

Patients with specific conditions: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, HIV, cardio pulmonary disease, immuno-suppression therapy, anemia or morbid obesity.

Children under the age of 5 are at some risk, under the age of 2 are at greater risk

Children under 18 who are on long term acetylsalicylic acid treatment (ASA)

Pregnant women: 2^nd trimester to 4 weeks postpartum

Persons living in remote areas with limited access to medical care

Elderly people with chronic health conditions

 What if I’m not at risk?

Take charge of your own health and get educated.  Learn what the pros and cons of the H1N1 vaccine and flu shot are and make an informed decision. 

We know that the flu is transmitted through the respiratory system and through little droplets that are released into the air or transmitted to surfaces that sick people touch.  Practice prevention.  

Practice Prevention

Wash your hands, avoid touching your face, exercise, eat well, and keep your stress levels in check.  If you get sick, stay home.  Your body needs rest to allow your immune system to fight off the infection.

I strive to teach my patients that regardless of their choices, boosting and supporting immune function is an essential part of staying healthy this flu season.   Check out this article on immune boosting foods.

By Wendy Litner

The notion of survival of the fittest terrifies me.  My fear isn’t of the theological kind, borne out of any deeply held belief in the dogmas of creationism, but rather it is because I am just not very fit.  When learning about the Bubonic plague and other historical human disasters, I have always been certain that I would have been one of the first to go.   In fact, my picture likely would have made it into the textbooks as figure 1.1,  an ‘extreme case.’   It’s as if I was made with cheap, foreign parts in the eighties that have since been ubiquitously banned by international health authorities in the new millennium.  As a result of my sub-par constitution I generally have the immune system of a gnat, even suffering from seasonal allergies, in every single season.  According to my allergist, I am allergic to trees.  As a species. 

That I am going to get the swine flu this season is therefore a certainty and it seems particularly unfair as I have recently become a vegetarian.  Notwithstanding my dietary allegiance to the pig, that bug is gunning for my poor asthmatic lungs, I just know it.  I intend to stand in line for the shot just as soon as the high priority patients have been treated but am convinced they will run out of the vaccine just as soon as I get to the front of the line.  My luck is typically as good as my immune system. 

This flu frenzy has confirmed my childhood fears that natural selection, if given the chance, would pick me last to be on its gym class dodgeball team.  But as I am on heightened alert for flu like symptoms, I begin to wonder: why do I have to wait for natural selection to pick me?  Why can’t I be captain of my own awesome team?  With plenty of vitamin C and a conscious effort to stay calm, maybe, just maybe, I can put a couple of points on the scoreboard and keep H1N1 at bay.  After all, doesn’t everyone love an underdog story?