Narcolepsy Is Not a Flu Vax Side Effect (Nor Is Kinky Sex)

on October 13, 2010 at 12:42 PM

swine flu shot sign People are missing the whole point behind the supposed connection between the swine flu vaccine Pandemrix and the sleep disorder narcolepsy. Yawn and think about it. Kids. Flu vaccine. Sleep. SLEEP! Heck, give my kids a flu vaccine every day if it puts them out.

Kidding. All you anti-vaxers take a deep breath. I am joking, okay, jokkiiinggg.

People do not joke about the flu vaccine. Oh, no, the people who are for it are STRONGLY for it, and the people who are against it are VEHEMENTLY opposed to it, convinced it's still some vast conspiracy by the governments and the pharmaceutical industry to use us all as human guinea pigs, or just kill us.

I think we all need to lighten up just a little bit. A few swine flu vaccine jokes would do us good. I'll bet Jimmy Kimmel and David Letterman are crafting a few of their own right now in wake of the news that investigators found no evidence of a connection between the sleep disorder narcolepsy and the swine flu vaccine.

They will continue to do more studies, but preliminary evidence finds that it's much better to get the shot and lower your risk of flu, than to not get the shot and maybe get the flu because you are worried that it might trigger a very rare disorder that you probably won't get anyway. See, it's that whole "weighing the bigger risk" thing.

Seriously, you wouldn't want to get narcolepsy. It's a lot scarier than the flu in a lot of ways, but in both cases, these conditions are dangerous and can be fatal. The disorder is due to abnormal function of brain signals triggered at odd times of the day, telling your body you need to go to sleep right now. Like in the middle of your big meeting. Bad. Or while you're walking down an alley alone. Very bad. Or while you're behind the wheel with your kids in the car. The worst.

You also wouldn't want something called necrophilia, which can best be described as sexual arousal stimulated by a dead body, and has absolutely no bearing or relation to narcolepsy, swine flu, or the vaccine whatsoever. But if you had it, that wouldn't point to good or healthy things about you. Except if that corpse is someone like Edward Cullen. In that case, you'd just be normal.

Honestly, the swine flu is no joke. I vaxed myself and both my kids. And they're still not sleepy.

Are you going to get your swine flu shot?

Image via @MSG/Flickr

About the author Cynthia Dermody

is The Stir's Managing Editor who has trophies in her home for her skills at the Irish Jig. She makes cupcakes with as many fattening ingredients as possible, doesn't comb her hair for months at a time, and was probably a faerie in a former life.

Filed Under: swine flu

Comments (11)

AmyinMotown

on Oct 13, 2010 at 12:46 PM

I got the three-in-one, as did my kids, and no narcolepsy, necrophilia, or other kinky activitis around here. I mean, I do feel like I want to go to sleep all the time, but I think it has more to do with the fact that my two-and-a-half year old son DOESN'T.

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Cafe Suzanne

on Oct 13, 2010 at 12:51 PM

So funny!

mamacita69930

on Oct 13, 2010 at 12:57 PM

I usually get sick from the flu shot, so I am passing for this year. I am so tired of getting the massive cold aftereffects from that shot. Sorry I don't deal with the flu shot.

RanaAurora

on Oct 13, 2010 at 2:02 PM

Nope. I'm not horribly, hideously aginst it either. I just don't think it's effective enough to risk it.

As for sleep, try chloroform. I'm thinking of marketing pre-medicated cloths for moms to use... what do you think?

CherBearCM

on Oct 13, 2010 at 2:35 PM

No I probably won't. We did end up getting the swine flu one last year, ended up panicking a little. Plus at the time my son was only about 6 months old so I was really worried about him getting the flu, just because it can be so hard on the babies. This year though, I won't get it and I won't get it for my son, I doubt my husband and daughter will choose to either. We're all really healthy and I think if we did get it we wouldn't end up being at death's door.

And RanaAurora I will gladly buy some of your pre-medicated cloths ;) LOL I only really need them for night time, someone doesn't think the fun should end ;)

PhilsBabyMama

on Oct 13, 2010 at 8:56 PM

Bwa hahahaha! I could stop laughing when I saw that the vaccine is actually named "PANDEMRIX!" Fear monger much? ;)

On a serious note, no, my son and I aren't getting vaccinated. My husband is in the Army, so he doesn't have a choice and has to get it. I don't think getting the vaccinated is the end of the world, but it's not for us.

on Oct 13, 2010 at 8:58 PM

By the way, my son had H1N1 last year, and for him, it wasn't that bad. We've definitely had worse bugs.

Bethsunshine

on Oct 13, 2010 at 9:28 PM

My kids have never gotten the flu vaccine, and my husband and I haven't gotten it in years. I haven't had the flu since high school and my husband and my kids haven't had the flu in about 6-7 years. I just don't think the flu shot or the swine flu vaccine is very effective.