Is there a doctor in the house?

[screembloodymurder]

With all the warnings about the bird flue, I've got a couple questions.

1) If they're doing vaccine effectiveness studies in NY, do they quarantine the participants?

2) Are any of the current flue medications (Tamiflu, etc.) effective treatments?

3) How can I get these meds w/o a prescription?

You may call me paranoid, but I'd like to be prepared.

[imenja]

1. no doctor is going to answer that last question

and you know it. They'll be sued out of a profession. If you're worried, go to the doctor or a community clinic. The worst thing to do is to take medications when you don't need them, because when you find yourself sick, they may be less effective.

[Journeyman]

2. Good advice from imenja. . .

and I'd add that if you're looking for flu vaccines without a prescription, remember well that late last year, when the flu vaccines were in short supply, there were plenty of people who were looking for flu shots on the street and plenty of hustlers willing to sell them what they wanted (or, at least, something that looked like what they wanted). There were a dozen or more people in Florida (iirc) who bought injections from some guy out of the back of his van in a gas station parking lot. The police never did determine just what it was this guy was selling.

So be careful. What's worse than dying of the flu? Dying from a bogus flu shot.

[screembloodymurder]

6. I'm looking for the real deal from a pharmacy.

If I was going to SE Asia, could I get a prescription?

[screembloodymurder]

3. I'm not looking to take the drug, but I want to

ensure that my family has access to the drug in an epidemic. My government couldn't do that last year. Why should I trust my families health to these assholes.

Other governments are stockpiling the drugs for an emergency. I just want the same protection for my family.

[KitchenWitch]

5. Three words

Trip to Canada

They often have availability for stuff that we do not here.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Not a doctor:

but this story says the vaccine is an inactivated virus. I don't think they would quarantine the participants.

Yes, Tamiflu can help treatment. Countries are building up stockpiles as fast as it can be manufactured. Whether you'd be able to stockpile it is another matter.

[screembloodymurder]

7. Yes, but is the US.

I don't want to wait until people start dropping over to find out Bush dropped the ball again.

[Moosepoop]

8. DROPPED the ball??

When has * ever CAUGHT the ball???

[KitchenWitch]

9. hehe - BTW Welcome to DU

I am not sure he knows there IS a ball! If he knows, the reason he doesn't catch the ball is because Rove told him to ignore it!

[Avalux]

10. Answers

1. The vaccine they're testing is an inactive form of the H5N1 avian influenza virus and they're only testing it for safety - to see if people can tolerate it. They don't have a clue whether or not it will work.

2. Tamiflu may help to reduce the symptoms, maybe.

3. You can't get Tamiflu without a prescription unless you find an 'alternative' source (black market). Vaccines aren't available at all.

You want to be prepared? Stock up on bottle water and canned food; if an outbreak occurs, quarantine yourself and stay home. With a 75% mortality rate, that's the best advice I can give.

[screembloodymurder]

11. Thanks.

I've already got the masks and the food and water, but staying home for an extended period of time didn't seem like an option. Considering the alternative, I guess I'll reconsider.

[mainer]

12. good, good answer

If you look at the pattern of deaths for the Spanish flu, the highest concentration were in cities and along the route of railroad tracks. Stay out of cities, stay home, and stock up on food. This is far scarier than anything OBL could do to us.

[sharonking21]

13. General resource on Books: Non-Fiction

For those of you who are interested in topics like this, I have posted a list of books intended for the general reading public on various epidemics and outbreaks and other medical topics.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=209x1562