Question: H1N1 vaccination a "must" for thal.major patients ??

Hello to everyone,
This is the first time I'm entering this site. I read through some of the topics, and I think it's great that such a site exists.
I've a question:
I'm kind of lost, my doctors are driving me crazy about this flu vaccination. They told me that as a thal.major patient I belong to the high-risk group and should be vaccinated. But I'm so scared, I got my seasonal flu-vaccination beginning of December and reacted with fever, throw-ache, joint pain, redness, swelling and got a haematoma at the vaccination site (this because I'm blood-diluted). Was sick for 1 week, taking paracetamol.
I'm from Switzerland and it seems that the doctors here are extremly scared about this flu: regarding thal.major patients. I think it's because they don't see too many thal. patients and do not have a lot of experiences...
I'm wondering how many of you guys with thal.major have been vaccinated.
Thanks for letting me know what you think would be the best to do.
Best wishes to all of you, flyaway

Thal major indeed are in high risk group. It is best to get the H1N1 shot, just in case. Since, thal major do not produce enough hemoglobin, their immunity is compromised.

Hello to everyone,
This is the first time I'm entering this site. I read through some of the topics, and I think it's great that such a site exists.
I've a question:
I'm kind of lost, my doctors are driving me crazy about this flu vaccination. They told me that as a thal.major patient I belong to the high-risk group and should be vaccinated. But I'm so scared, I got my seasonal flu-vaccination beginning of December and reacted with fever, throw-ache, joint pain, redness, swelling and got a haematoma at the vaccination site (this because I'm blood-diluted). Was sick for 1 week, taking paracetamol.
I'm from Switzerland and it seems that the doctors here are extremly scared about this flu: regarding thal.major patients. I think it's because they don't see too many thal. patients and do not have a lot of experiences...
I'm wondering how many of you guys with thal.major have been vaccinated.
Thanks for letting me know what you think would be the best to do.
Best wishes to all of you, flyaway

welcome to the forum Fly away .... Hope u'll b active member of our family ... as for vaccine not only thal.maj but everyone shud get vaccinated ... apart from the fact that i really dont bother about it  (waleed has a crazy man syndrome please dont try this at home) ...

Hi flyaway,

I am a thal major and I am not vaccinated. I have only proceeded to the seasonal flu vaccination along with the silicosis vaccination ( I hope the medical term I am using is correct). Two friends of mine, thal majors as well, got the flu and were very mildly sick with sore throat and a fever of 37.5 degrees centigrade. In Greece it is up to everyone to get the vaccine or not. Even doctors do not press people, the majority of them are negative. I think they have scared us all as to this H1N1.
It is imperative - doctors' opinion - only if you suffer from lung and  respiratory problems or diabetes.

Lena.

Also people who are allergic to eggs should not take this vaccine at all.

As for my opinion, my son is not supposed to take any live vaccines and i have t check this first.

Second i don't feel comfortabe giving vaccines with squaline or thimerosal anymore.

manal

Thanks for all your replies.
@ Waaled thanks for the warm welcome 

@Lena, by silicosis vaccination you mean: pneumococcus vaccine (preventing bacterial lung-infection)?
As you said I think it's more making panic than really dangerous. I already had my seasonal flu vaccination and wanted to do the pneumococcus as well but the doctors said that this vaccine would not prevent a viral lung-infection in a flu.
flyaway

Yes, flyaway, that's it: pneumoniococcus vaccination - or as you said pneumococcus. I didn't know the correct term in english, though it's a greek word. Thal-majors do that vaccine here every five years and now with the H1N1 flu we have been told to proceed to do that too...

Lena.

Thanks Lena, I got my pneumoccocal vaccine only 29 years ago and it was never refreshed. Maybe I should ask to get it refreshed, as in Greece you get it every 5 years.
Best wishes

Hi there
Welcome to the site flyaway.  The pneumococcus vaccine needs to be renewed every five years, it lasts only five years.  My children had that vaccine because they were suffering from the flu too often and they had sore throat.

Take care
Jade

Thanks Jade for your warm welcome. It seems that I need to talk to my doctor about the pneumoccocal vaccine, it may be important especially now in winter-season.
Best wishes.