News 10 in the Sacramento, CA area is running a half-hour special newscast dedicated to H1N1 flu today,  Friday, October 23 at 5 p.m. You’ll hear from local health officials who will answer your questions about the disease and the pros and cons of the vaccination.

You can take part in the Live_Online discussion as well. You can also send in your questions about H1N1 ahead of time to: h1n1@news10.net.

Something a bit different here on Frugal Plus..

I was one of the individuals interviewed  for this program.  My first time with a TV camera staring at me.. yes, I was a little nervous.  There is no guarantee that they will use any of my sound bytes for this program, However, I feel it is important to get all the facts out there, so that the general public can make an informed decision for themselves.

Our family has chosen not to get the H1N1 vaccine.  I personally feel there has not been enough time to sufficiently and effectively test this vaccine for potential side effects, and/or benefits.  Having our Government announce that it is safe for everyone to get, just doesn’t do it for me.  I want to see concrete facts and actually find out what side effects and long term issues this vaccine may have for people, most importantly, my children.

With Thiomersal being an mercury containing agent included in this vaccine, that alone raises red flags for me. Mercury is unsafe in any levels in your bloodstream. I do understand you can request a vaccine that does not contain this agent, but then my next question is, why would they make a vaccine that does include Thiomersal to begin with, and how can you be 100% positive that employee mistakes won’t be made in administering the vaccine?

Another fact to think about is that many people across our Country in past years have died from various flu viruses.  As terrible as this is,  this is not something that is original to the H1N1. Also to be taken into account is that many of the confirmed cases that have contracted the H1N1 virus are mild cases.

I will do my best to protect myself and my family by frequent hand-washing, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables,  getting daily exercise out in the fresh air, and covering your nose and mouth if you sneeze or cough, and to do the same if someone next to you coughs or sneezes.   These habits are not new to our household, they have been part of our daily life for years now.

Of course, should any of us be unfortunate enough to contract the H1N1 flu virus,  I wouldn’t hesitate to go in to see our local Dr.  immediately.  From what I am told, difficult breathing and dehydration are two of the main and dangerous symptoms to watch for.

The H1N1, or swine, flu virus first appeared in April in Mexico before arriving in the USA. In anticipation of the fall flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reset the swine flu numbers and now tracks cases on a regional level. You can click HERE to view the swine flu cases by region.

You can Check out the many topics HERE regarding the H1N1 flu.

This is a very personal and important decision, and you have to conclude what is best for you and your family.  Do the benefits outweigh the unknown?  Are you planning on getting or have already received the H1N1 vaccination?  What are your thoughts?

A Special Thanks goes out to Elizabeth over at Sacramento  for bringing up this important topic and connecting me with News 10.  You can join Elizabeth and other Sacramento area Moms in their discussion HERE

I would also like to Thank one of my good friends, Deanna for taking the time out of her busy schedule to take the photo(s).

Logo/Images Courtesy of ©2009 News10.net, ©2009 Sacramento MomsLikeMe.com, FrugalPlus.com

:note I wanted to share with you this email I received…

Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS,DRM,DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid specialist), having clinical experience of over 20 years.

The following message given by him; I feel it makes a lot of sense and is important for all to know.

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it’s almost impossible not coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. “Hands-off-the-face” approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don’t trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don’t under estimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at using a Neti pot, but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton swabs dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*

5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C. *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.