This creeps me out: flu shot at home

[AFWife]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,597026,00.html

Anyone else shudder horribly after reading that?

[ma2two]

It would terrify me if I lived with someone I didn't trust, lol. It sounds like you could vaccinate someone in their sleep.

My kids really like bandaids, as I think a lot of kids do. 99% of the time when they ask for a bandaid, they don't actually need one. I think the bandaid industry will lose some business if kids start thinking bandaids are going to hurt them.

[AFWife]

I'm also wondering if someone could "over vaccinate" by using the patch for too long or using more than one...

[ma2two]

The articles I've read said that it's okay to leave them on longer. But using more than one is probably not okay. And I'm sure that would happen.

I wonder what the ingredients in these vaccines would be. I doubt there would be any mercury, which would be great.

[dachshundqueen]

My mom used to give me allergy shots at home, but she was a nurse.

Anything that comes in patch form freaks me out. The next question becomes, how does one safely dispose of the patch - it counts as a biohazard/medical waste as it has needles, no? Wouldn't most consumers just chuck it in the rubbish bin?

Liz

[2boyzmama]

The article says that the needles "dissolve", so no biohazard disposal. It also says it's painless (or very near painless).

I think that the technology is intriguing! I'm curious about storage. I assume they would be by prescription only, that would help avoid over-dosing. As it stands right now, you could go to one pharmacy to get a flu shot, then go to another pharmacy an hour later and get another vaccine. You'd be silly to do it, but you could.

For those of us with kids with chronic medical issues, a "pain-free" needle-delivery system could be a wonderful thing!

[AFWife]

I agree that the tech is cool...

but, like a PP said, patches freak me out. My mother has accidentally OD'd on pain medication because she put the patch in the wrong spot (like, over a surface vessel she didn't know was there) or forgotten about it or had it just absorb too quickly. It's freaky stuff.

[newmum35]

I was just coming on to post the same thing. Freaky and scary.


http://www1.voanews.com/english/news...-98867364.html

[cubbbyaf]

just another thought, how do you really track who has this, ie, shot records. Do they put the patch on themselves and sign off your shot records, or do they send the patch home with mom and still sign off their shot records. Just saying if this goes to all vaxes maybe it'd be a way to get around vaxing your kids, you just pick up your patches for your baby and head on your way, No way to say if you used them or not, or left them on after you walked out of the office.

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by cubbbyaf

just another thought, how do you really track who has this, ie, shot records. Do they put the patch on themselves and sign off your shot records, or do they send the patch home with mom and still sign off their shot records. Just saying if this goes to all vaxes maybe it'd be a way to get around vaxing your kids, you just pick up your patches for your baby and head on your way, No way to say if you used them or not, or left them on after you walked out of the office.

That is a really good question...

[SpottedFoxx]

I had the same thought as Cubbie. My school district requires flu shots. How will they know if my child has had one or not?

I've given myself and other family members injections with both sub-q and IM shots. It's really not a big deal (except trying to give yourself an IM shot as you have to be a bit of a contortionist).

[Debnicolai]

Wow. Just when I think things cant get any crazier or more dangerous...
can you just imagine.....

Millions of used (and misused) flu patches in the trash heaps of waste management areas and dumps. All the bacteria and cocktails of flu virus and all the horrible preservatives and nonsense they put in. All baking in the sun, growing bizarre new bacteria, germs and what ever else.

Then the dump seagulls, pigeons, cats, rats, mice, all eating, stepping on, carrying around... etc...

This is like a horror show.

[Pirogi]

So if traditional needle flu shots are intramuscular, what is the route of entry for this? I assume it wouldn't reach the muscle, but would "inject" directly into the tissues (intracellular spaces?), and then be whisked off via the bloodstream? Would this be nearer to actually injecting the shot components into your bloodstream than traditional methods?

[superlori]

Originally Posted by Pirogi

So if traditional needle flu shots are intramuscular, what is the route of entry for this? I assume it wouldn't reach the muscle, but would "inject" directly into the tissues (intracellular spaces?), and then be whisked off via the bloodstream? Would this be nearer to actually injecting the shot components into your bloodstream than traditional methods?

This is what I thought. Is it safer/riskier to inject into bloodstream than muscle? Is it as 'effective' (cough)? How does this work?

While the technology certainly is intriguing, it's still stikes me as kinda crazy.

And thinking more on it, don't flu vaccines (or all vaccines) need to be refridgerated? Don't they have expiration dates? Before the patch is used, wouldn't they be considered hazmat? (Most flu vaccines have a thimerisol component, *I believe*.) So realistically, you get your vaccine in the mail (possibly in some kind of refridgerated unit...?), you leave it on the table for a week or two unrefridgerated, while not being kept out of children's reach, before finally using it. Or you possibly forget about it in the medicine cupboard and then take it a year later when you find it, not realising it has expired and assuming it would be safer to just quickly take it...

Personally, I think leaving these kind of things in the hands of the average Joe is not incredibly smart.

[ma2two]

Originally Posted by SpottedFoxx

My school district requires flu shots.

School districts cannot require more vaccines than the state does. Pennsylvania does not include flu shots in the school vaccine requirements.

[SpottedFoxx]

I don't live in PA - I'm in NJ and they require flu shots.

[ma2two]

Originally Posted by SpottedFoxx

I don't live in PA - I'm in NJ and they require flu shots.

Oh. I saw you are from the Philadelphia area, so that's why I thought PA.

Ahh, New Jersey. What a lovely state in terms of vaccines. Possibly the only state that requires flu shots for school. And the law specifically says religious schools don't need to accept religious exemptions.

[WifeofAnt]

I think the way it works is that the immune system responds more strongly in certain layers of the skin than in the muscles. Supposedly less is needed for the same effect.