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Flu Near You
A vast swath of red across the U.S. indicates a high level of flu activity.
The nation’s early flu season continued to grow in the U.S. this week, with no sign yet of a peak in the spread of coughing, achy, feverish illness, health officials said Friday.
"I think we're still accelerating," said Tom Skinner, a CDC spokesman.
Twenty-nine states and New York City reported high levels of flu activity, up from 16 states and NYC the previous week. Flu was widespread in 41 states, up from 31 states, according to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of the week ending Dec. 29, 2,257 people had been hospitalized with flu, and 18 children had died from complications of the illness, CDC reported.
“It’s about five weeks ahead of the average flu season,” said Lyn Finelli, lead of the surveillance and response team that monitors influenza for the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “We haven’t seen such an early season since 2003 to 2004.”
That’s the year that Joe Lastinger’s 3-year-old daughter, Emily, fell ill with the flu in late January and died five days later.
“That was the first really bad season for children in a while,” said Lastinger, 40, who lives near Dallas, Texas. “For whatever reason that’s not well understood, it affected her and it killed her.”
During that season, illnesses peaked in early to mid-December, followed by a peak in flu-related pneumonia and deaths in early January. It was over by mid-February and was considered a “moderately severe” season for flu, according to the CDC. Finelli and other CDC officials say it’s too early to tell exactly how bad this year’s season will be.
But over at Google Flu Trends, which monitors flu activity in the U.S. and around the world based on internet search terms, this year’s season has already topped the bright-red “intense” category.
And at Flu Near You, a new real-time tracking tool that’s gaining about 100 participants each week, about 4 percent of the 10,000 users say they’ve come down with flu symptoms.
Joe Lastinger's 3-year-old daughter, Emily, fell ill with the flu in late January 2004 and died five days later.
“That’s huge,” says John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital Boston. “Last year, we never got near this.”
Brownstein is one of the founders of the project coordinated by Children’s Hospital Boston, the Skoll Global Threats Fund and the American Public Health Association. Though it’s still in its early stages, it already has generated new, interesting and, most of all, immediate data about this year’s flu season.
“It’s what we call ‘nowcasting,’” Brownstein said. “It’s a more up-to-date view.”
CDC data, which is based on visits to doctors for influenza-like illness, can lag two weeks or more behind real-time activity.
By contrast, Flu Near You can paint an immediate picture of what’s new with flu.
For instance, Brownstein said his data show that cough is the most frequently reported flu symptom this season, at 19 percent. It’s been followed by sore throat, 16 percent; fatigue, 15 percent; headache, 14 percent; body ache, 10 percent and fever, just 7 percent.
More telling, for people who reported both flu symptoms and vaccination status, of those who got the flu, three out of four were not vaccinated, while a quarter had gotten their flu shots.
Brownstein cautioned that can’t be used as a true measure of this season’s vaccine efficacy because of variables in reporting. But the CDC says that in the 2010-2011 flu season, vaccine effectiveness was about 60 percent for all age groups combined.
The agency has received reports that people who were vaccinated still developed laboratory-confirmed strains of flu. CDC officials said it’s not possible to know whether that’s happening more this season than usual and that the agency is “watching the situation closely.”
Overall, this year’s vaccines appear to be well matched for the two strains of influenza A and one strain of influenza B that are circulating this year, CDC officials have said.
The dominant strain this year is the H3N2 strain, which can cause more serious illness. Flu seasons can vary widely, but some years are severe, with hospitalizations of up to 200,000 people and between 3,000 and 49,000 deaths during a season.
As of December 14, the latest CDC figures available, about 127 million doses of flu vaccine had been distributed, from about 135 million doses produced for this season.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, flu season is here early in all 50 states, and it could be very serious. Dr. Nancy Snyderman explains the spike and says it is still not too late to get a flu shot.
Joe Lastinger was one of the first to sign up for the Flu Near You tracking program after its test phase. The health care executive and father of three surviving children said it gives participants information they can act on about flu in their communities.
“I’m always excited about getting ahead of it,” he said. “This is a tool you can use. If everybody starts reporting these symptoms, you’re ahead.”
Information about vaccination is particularly important, said Lastinger. Flu vaccinations weren’t routinely recommended for healthy children Emily’s age back then, and Lastinger and his wife weren’t worried about it.
“For us, vaccination was the thing we should have done, had we known,” he said. “Flu needed to be up there on our parent radar of things to worry about. We think it should be on every parent’s list.”
Related stories:
- More evidence of a nasty flu season ahead
- Flu season could be a bad one, health officials say
- Flu shots still a hard sell, health experts find
Leave a Comment:
Isn't it that time of year for the flu?
Read the article.
Yes it is that time of year!! BUT, they are warning us that it is already worse than normal! Get your flu shots!
Screw flu shots, that's how you get sicker or catch some other crap. Never got one, and hopefully never will.
Tommy -- that's what I always said til the year I did get the flu and landed in the emergency room twice. Never again. Flu shot every year.
Tommy, vaccination is the sole reason you exist. People who are mythological minded drive me crazy. Get your flu shot and don't be a bio-warfare delivery mechanism. People owe it to each other to be vaccinated. A good example of why is Pertussis. Whooping cough had been nearly eliminated due to vaccination but then dolts like you came along and made it come back stronger and with a vengeance.
Tommy
flu doesn't have a cure.... one of these years, a major flu outbreak like the Spanish Flu is gonna happen and youll be SOL if you don't have a Flu shot... they think the Spanish Flu in 1918 killed about 2% of the world population... today that would be 140 million people... in 1918 they were stacking bodies in the street in cities like Columbus OH
it's no joke and sticking your head in the sand doesn't work
After my 3yo daughter got her last flu shot (9 years ago) she was hospitalized with seizures and high fever (12 hours after receiving this vaccination). She lost all language and regressed into an autism diagnosis. I think some children are more sensitive to these shots and they should not be required without some initial investigation. My husband is a physician and he recognizes our daughter had an adverse reaction to a vaccine.
oh, and 38,000 people died in last years Flu season because they didn't get shots
1st off oldman how about joining us in the 21st century! As another poster showed, nowadays here in the US flu vaccines kill more people than the flu. There is nothing that proves getting a flu shot keeps you from getting the flu, as someone who favored the shot pointed proudly to the fact that it is 50% to 60% effective. Bogus numbers to be sure as they make the assumption that those who did not get the flu did not get it because of the vaccine, never considering that they propbaly wouldn't have gotten the flu even without the vaccine. Many of us have never had the flu or a flu shot.
Vaccines make you weak.
Al, are you kidding? So the only reason that human kind survived the black plague was due to vaccines? Please, come off it. Vaccines are not 100% effective(they are actually only 60%-90% effective) and even if 100% of the planet's population were vaccinated someone would still get these diseases. Go do some reading.
Hate the fact that parents lost their little girl to the flu, but there is no guarantee that she would still be alive even if she'd been vaccinated (again Al, read the stats, 25% of those vaccinated got the flu). Wash hands frequently, and keep them off your face, parents of young ones need to keep wipes with them and use them on the kids hands...a lot. If you feel sick, stay home. These simple measures go a long way in preventing any illness. I'm not against vaccines per se, they just give a false sense of security to folks like Al.
stoamerica
the factors that have changed since the 1918 outbreak are all bad: higher density population that is more mobile, organized meat production, various more transmissible strains...
show me the mainstream study stat that flu vaccine killed more than 38,000 people last year.... that is total BS
live virus vaccine is about 75% effective, so if we have a nasty outbreak in the US that gets to 20% of the population and has a 10% mortality rate... it's gonna save 5 million people....
you definitely don't know what you are talking about.
The flu vaccine is one of the biggest fraud/marketing campaigns there is. The vaccines are almost completely irrelevant by the time they are mass produced because the flu is constantly evolving/mutating.
If I had a dollar for every time people in my office got "the flu shot", got the flu that winter, than complained about getting the flu even though they got the shot, I'd be a millionaire. It's like getting one round of allergy shots and sneezing later on when the pollen is up and being confounded. You're simply introducing a small allergen into your body to help your system recognize and attack when you are actually exposed.
Your body's immune system is what actually wards off influenza. That and simple things such as washing your hands before you eat, touch your mucous membranes, etc.
But keep drinking the koolaid, lemmings! And keep seeing those pharma ads on the right hand side of these articles! No conflict of interest here folks, move along!
It looks like the flu shot may not be as accurate this year either. As the article says, 25% of those who tested positive with influenza got their flu shots. I believe I may have had influenza with a fever, body aches, and respiratory illness in early December, but I did not go to a doctor, and I got the flu shot this year. A family member who I live with also got the flu shot this year and did NOT get my illness. Other family members who were NOT vaccinated got this or a similar illness around the same time.
oldman "...show me the mainstream study stat that flu vaccine killed more than 38,000 people last year.... that is total BS.."
I said the US you moron, not the entire world, which is what you are quoting, with nearly all those deaths in 3rd world sh1tholes. Medicine has improved here in the US since 1918, people survive the flu here. The only ones who die have other serious health issues that killed them, they just happened to have the flu when they succumbed to their other problems.
Oh, from the cdc
A friend of mine's son succumbed to complications from the flu less than a week ago. He had the shot! He was 17, healthy, active ... It was a staph infection that came with the flu. As of dinner-time yesterday there was a 14 year old girl in the hospital fighting for her life with the same darn thing ... She had the flu shot as well. This strain is virulent and should not be messed with! Do not play doctor, if you the fever is persisting, or there any changes in urination, or you cannot keep yourself hydrated, get to the hospital, please!
It takes at least two weeks for the flu shot to be effective. So if you got a flu shot today, your protection would not begin until about January 18. You can still catch the flu in the meantime.
Bottom line: don't delay. Get your flu shot now.
I know it's just anecdotal evidence, but there are a number of people close to me who get a flu shot every year. Every year, each and every one of them feel like crap within a day. It has varied from simply feeling crappy for as long as two weeks to being down and out for 3 days with what seemed to me to be the full blown flu itself. As a result, I don't get the shot. I'll take the chances of not contracting anything vs. what appears to be a guaranteed malaise if I would get the shot. Granted I did get the swine flu a few Septembers ago but the 3 other people in my house didn't contract it despite them not having shots. Washing your hands and being super diligent about what comes in contact with your mucous membranes is the best defense against the flu (and many other illnesses) in my opinion.
Last time I had a flu shot I probably already had the flu in me because I had the flu within a couple days after.
Every time in the past when I had a flu shot I was sick the entire season- missed lots of work and was miserable. It was like my immune system was being compromised by the shot.
The last several years I have not taken the shot and have been far healthier taking basic good care during these months. The times I was sick lasted less duration and intensity too. I do not intend on taking the flu shot ever again- if you want it, you can take my place in line.
This article should be marked "Advertisement for the pharmaceutical industry." Every year they wildly exaggerate the threat of flu, solely to sell drugs.
Exactly.....KarlStevens-2597445. EVERY damn year they do this....and most fall for the BS! I don't ever get the flu shot and I never get sick!
I think many of you, especially Al-2891780 are being a bit harsh on "Tommy" and I see no reson why his comment should have been colapsed by the community. There are many reasons for people NOT to get a flu shot. Statistics from the CDC it's self warns of the risks of receiving flu vaccines. If you are a healthy individual and have no underlying medical problems consistent with Cardiac or Respiratory problems, you probably will want to weigh the risk of getting a flu shot versus the benefits. I think that is what Tommy was trying to say. 9% of people receiving flu shots have reactive symptoms following injection. 3% actually get sicker from the inactive live virus than getting influenza. People allergic to eggs can't receive a flu shot, and there is a 1.7 average rise in developing Guilian-Barre syndrome in those receiving a flu shot than those who get the flu and don't. Not to mention that the public pays no attention to the fact that you are also being injected with aluminum, mercury and squalene depending on the manufacterer your health care provider gets their vaccine from. So there are options and reason to really think through the risks vs. benefits of a flu shot. And whether you choose to be vaccinated or not, there are simple things you can do to avoid catching the flu......WASH YOUR HANDS, and stay away from people who appear sick.
and, oldhamletman, it's not 1918. Medicine has come a long way. Modern medicine can treat Bronchitis, fevers, coughs, and pneumonia with a few days of Levequin and other 3rd generation Antibiotics and a host of Antivirals. I don't think you need to worry about Columbus, OH anymore.
I got a flu shot and just had the flu a few weeks ago. My daughter got a flu shot and she had the flu a few weeks ago. Same with my wife. So no the flu shots dont always work and they only protect you from one strain of the flu.
So true Karl Stevens. The CDC does not require testing of so-called influenza cases to make sure individuals actually have the flu versus some other illness that vaccination couldn't prevent anyways. They over estimate the number of actual flu cases each year. Never had a flu shot and never had the flu 50+ years and counting.
Its odd I have one side of the family that swears by the flu shots. And the other wont get them. I go with the ones that wont get them. Due to the fact that the ones that get them are sick more often.
I think of it this way it is like taking antibiotics when you are not injured or sick. Viruses and germs mutate to stay alive and thrive. Getting stronger each time. While our immune systems get used to having something ward off infection. Thereby getting weaker. Let your immune system adapt and get stronger. And you will get sick less often.
Use natural foods to ward of the flue like onion and garlic. Add them to your diet. They have natural antimicrobial properties that ward off infections. A simple search will show what I am talking about.
Must look up "Doc Moley" on youtube. He will explain everything!
Yes get a flu shot, especially if you have underlying conditions such as a respiratory problems or a heart condition. I am a health care professional and this year I have vaccinated over 110 people myself. Generally within a few weeks your body should begin to develop antibodies to the strains included in the vaccine. Yes it is possible that a pandemic could occur such as the 2009 H1N1 and getting the Flu shot each and every year help you to produce antibodies to the 3 most commonly occurring flu viruses that are present. These viruses are used to make the vaccine which usually include circulating strains of flu within the previous year. I myself have been getting a flu shot each and every year for the past 6 years.
I typically don't get the flu, but am traveling overseas and decided to get the flu shot this time. There was no pain involved. None. My arm wasn't sore afterwards and I've had no flu-like symptoms several days after receiving the shot.
Yes of course, take good care of yourself. Wash your hands. etc. But if insurance covers the cost of the flu shot, why take a chance? Even if it doesn't, you'll spend more on drugstore stuff if you get sick than you'll pay for the shot.
A family member died of the flu as a small child, which was devastating. If you get sick, your loved ones could catch it from you.
Wishing everyone a healthy 2013!
Oh my, those of you who are arguing that modern medicine has come so far that we will never see a 1918 again are the most terrifying of all. I know we are talking flu vaccine, but while we are on that topic, I hope all you vaccine-lovers will at least temper your stance a little. With our lust for Zpax (however you spell it) and our mindset that as soon as we feel sick we need drugs from the doctor, our vaccines and antibiotics are becoming less effective with every passing year.
Indeed, I believe most of us will see a 1918 event in our lifetimes because there is going to come a tipping point when the constantly mutating viruses and bacterias are going to overpower our ever weaknening supply of modern medicine. As usual, lack of restraint, desire for instant gratification, and greed for the money brought in by this business is what will bite us humans in the behind in the end (puns abound!)
GustoGuy
What are you to do if you're allergic to the flu shot like I am? Thankfully, I've never had the flu or a flu shot until I entered the military. Turns into anaphylactic shock for me so I really can't have one. I just end up with the flu if I get it and will be miserable? I thought I had it once, but it turned out to be a kidney infection, which is how I found out I was allergic to 2 different types of antibiotics. Only one with hives, the other again anaphylactic shock which that time sent me to the hospital in a mad dash.
My only real question is that my health has really taken a dive over the past year. Lost 20 lbs and am down to about 82-85 lbs now - I'm 44 and pretty damn tiny anyway. That worries me. Also that a dr. told me once not to let my daughter get the flu shot because allergies can run in families and pretty much what I'm allergic to, she is as well, including medicines. I don't want to take the chance.
Thankfully she's 14 and healthy aside from physical injuries as she's an athlete, but I don't think those things matter. She's never had the flu either so maybe we're just automatically immune or something. Wouldn't that be nice?
I'm hardly a vaccine lover. My recent flu shot is the first one I've ever had and it remains to be seen how effective it will be. I rarely get the flu anyway so maybe it was an unnecessary bother.
Nonetheless, I do believe that vaccines in general have saved many people from death and disability. Antibiotics might be becoming less effective, but I don't think the same can be said for vaccines. I rarely if ever take antibiotics and have never used Z-Pac or whatever it's called.
The more people in your home, workplace and community who are immune to any given communicable disease through vaccination, the less likely you are to catch the disease. Isn't it therefore somewhat of a civic duty to get vaccinated? And if you do get sick, stay home and avoid spreading the illness. You could be saving a life.
It hit me over the last 3 days for the first time in over 40 years. I'm not sure if it's the flu or not because when I used to get the flu as a kid, besides the fever and achy feeling, I was throwing up, but not this time. Just upper respiratory difficulties, coughing and a low grade fever.
FruVegge is a troll, as is Tommy Gunn-4037400.
I can vouch for the virility of this season. I rarely get sick, but got to spend this Christmas with the worst symptoms I've had in many years.
Yep, 3 out of 4 in our household had it. It's lasted almost 3 weeks for me. My son brought it home, he had it almost 3 weeks and then his daughter got it, she was over it fastest,about 10 days.
AG99
Interesting to see the Texas picture, and seeing DFW with all of the pins. We had a cold snap on Christmas Day that brought us snow, ice and a bunch of goodies. A couple days later it brought the flu. I am seeing several people coming down with it and get over it, and then find out they weren't over it and having it spread like wildfire.
I caught it and fought it back and thought we might be out of the woods, but it seems like even more people have it this week than did last week.
I had this the week before Christmas.. I also rarely get sick and I was miserable!
after 3 days I went to the doctor who tested me for flu and I was positive. I was dehydrated and had to go to the hospital for fluids. Then I started on Tamiflu and I started getting better. I still have a lingering cough that sounds like I am an 80 year old smoker.. sounds horrible but I feel great.
I do not even wish this flu on my boss ... :)
Yes I had a flu shot!
I was lucky this holiday season, having already had my flu shot in November. While out to lunch around 1:30pm on Dec 28 I was not really feeling sick (aka no coughing, congestion, runny nose or fever) but all of a sudden felt tired, disoriented and achy. By 3pm I couldn't even drive because my symptoms spiked so bad. Picked up some Alka Seltzer Cold and Flu Plus (Orange flavored) on the way home, got in and took 2 tablets in water and BAM! By the time I went to bed I felt great and was good to go the next day.
Well I got my flu shot in November. Pretty much EVERYONE at my office has had or has the flu right now. My company lets the ones with the flu work from home remotely so they dont have to take off. Average time out is 5 days. I dont know who has had the shot and who hasnt at work. But so far I havent gotten the flu this year and I did take the shot. My Fiancee got the shot as well. She did get a slight case of flu that lasted 7 days with her. She went to the doctor and confirmed a very slight case of the flu and the doctor said no need to perscribe meds for such a lite case. I dont know how well the shot really works but thus far with my family at least I can say if you take the shot you still could get the flu but not nearly as bad.
Kjose,are you talking about the Tamiflu the doctor gives you a prescrption for? Because my niece and daughter had flu and were given prescrption for but couldnt afford it as it cost $400.00 for each:( The shot doesnt always work,i asked my doctor what was in the shot and he couldnt even tell me,so no i dont get the shot and im 61 and never had,i have my own remendy which has worked quit well for years,and as for the person talking about Whoopin cough,that is only making a come back as well as other diseases because the people coming here illegaly are bringing it here:(
I am recovering from a sever bout with croup which was accompanied by asthma. Out of nowhere. . .BAM! The symptoms are an initial sore throat and then it quickly moves into the bronchial tubes and the lungs. I couldn't breath in or out without nearly coughing a lung up. Went to the Doc after 3 days of it. She said it is not the flu, gave me an in-office breathing treatment, put me on a Z-Pak to ward off other opportunistic infections, gave me some kind of nuclear cough syrup with Hydrocodone (WOW), and put me on an Abuterol inhaler as needed. I'm on Day 14 since getting this mess, and it's the first day I'm not feeling like warmed up crap. I can breathe, but the cough is persisting to some degree. More of a nuisance now. Be aware that this "crud" is going around, but it is not the flu as it is being defined. Eat Vit. C like it's going out of style. I'm the only person fighting this mess that is MUCH better within the 2 week period because of Vit. C. I also use a bronchial dilator medication that you can buy from your local pharmacy, but you'll have to ask the pharmacist for it, sign your name to a list and provide your driver's license. 1 -2 of those tablets every 4 hours allowed me to get some meaningful sleep. On the plus side, I lost 6 lbs. because I had no desire for food and because everything smelled and tasted like metal anyway. Stay well out there, folks!!! Oh, and I have not had a flu shot in 20 years. Haven't had the flu in 20 years either.
Yes Gail thats the one.. With my insurance I paid 35.00 copay the most expensive for perscriptions on my plan so that high cost sounds about right. I think the little paper said my insurance saved me 285.00
AG99
I have a strictly fruit juice and vegge juice diet hence my user name FruVegge it usually helps keeps colds out.
FruVegge: Uh, well, I usually like to chew my food. Since I get colds so rarely, I think I'll skip the drastic diet changes.
Really. And in any event the flu is NOT the same thing as a cold!
This is the last time I waste thirty dollars on a flu shot only to come down with it anyway. Never again!
For great unbiased info and if you truly want to see research a webinar is available. Innate Choice website has free Vit D and Flu shot info. Become informed, see the research, and make up your own mind.
Wash your hands offten and well when out in public or on public transportation.
Make sure you wipe off the handle of the grocery store cart.
Flu is spread throat to throat, by talking to each other (via droplets).
DON'T go out if you can. Take your vacation and sick time and just stay home from everybody!
DO go out if you can... living as a shut-in is worse than living a full life and having to deal with the flu for a week.
Internet search term counts are NOT accurate counts of actual flu cases or severity.
And here is the REAL reason vaccination is being advertised in typical fear mongering style. The drug companies still have 8 million vaccines to sell.
Set you free - What's more, living as a hermit, never exposing oneself to the constant yet often harmless world of regular bacteria and low-grade viruses ensures that when you do step out into the big old world and are exposed to something, it is going to crush you. An immune system is not just something to protect, it's something to strenghten.
Wash your face, hands and blow your nose frequently. Use a paper towel to open doors. Wipe off the grocery cart handles with cloths provided. I tend to do my marketing very early in the morning or very late in the evening--I avoid crowds this way. I also take the flu vaccine. Every little bit helps to keep us healthy.
NOTE TO OTHERS: If you are sick, please stay home and away from those of us who are NOT sick. We feel for you, but we don't want to feel LIKE you.
Wearing a mask would help. As Taboo as that might be in this country, if people absolutely HAVE to be out and about when sick, wear a mask. It spreads easiest by airborne and droplet. I work at a local hospital and since we can't miss buttloads of work without getting too many "occurrences" and subsequently being fired, we are encouraged to wear masks when ill at work.
But. . .but. . .what will others THINK?!?!? Great advice, SDMN!!!
Get in your bubble now boy!
"We feel for you, but we don't want to feel LIKE you."
Excellent comment. It drives me absolutely bananas when sick people just "have" to leave the house to socialize, work, etc. STAY HOME!!! And for God's sake, I wish these people would stop sending their sick kids to school. Schools are like breeding grounds for viruses and these kids wind up infecting lots of other kids, who, in turn, go home and infect their parents.
Inclusive, many of Americans need to be on a multivitamin including their children. A study done 2 years ago showed Members Mark multivitamins gave the best overall delivery compared with Centrum. Vitamins are essential to helping your immune system have the tools to fight. We agree that washing your hands frequently, not touching your face, if you can carry handy wipes of some kind or even alcohol pads with you can help. Shopping carts are the worst germ infested handles to hold. Business door handles another. Public restrooms are bad too. Even the very mouse and keyboard you have is infested with germs. Inclusive, many Americans need to clean their own bathrooms on a daily basis especially if you have school children. Dirty kitchens as well in many homes. Many households don't even use a mouthwash to kill germs in their own mouths. We can do all that we can inclusive to the flu shot. Personal hygiene is on the decline in America, has been for some time now especially among young teens. Neglect to teach proper techniques in the home are mainly to fault.
I live in Alabama (Roll Tide). Since September when the first cases of flu were being reported, Alabama, and especially Tuscaloosa/Birmingham where I live, have led the country in the number of confirmed flu cases. The idiotic governor, a retired dermatologist, who is anti-vaccine and anti-puiblic health announced that by not "wasting" money on public health initiatives such as flu shots, the state will now have more resources to treat the people who actually contract the flu (and presumably bury the dead.) He is "strongly advising" people NOT to get the flu shot, stating that it is "unproven" and "too late."
My feeling is that if any person in Alabama follows the governor's advice and dies, the governor should be charged with first degree manslaughter (he qualifies since he was trained as an MD.)
This is going to set records for the numbers of preventable deaths in this country from a "normal" albeit early and intense, flu season. And the anti-vaccine crowd bears serious responsibility for the earliness and the intensity of the outbreak as well as ultimate responsibility for many of the deaths. These people should be prosecuted as well for their actions.
I never really understood people who were so vehemently anti-vaccine. While I don't know if he should be prosecuted, it seems very irresponsible.
And you should be prosecuted for your igorance. However, unfortunately that's not a crime.
In addition, during the last swine flu panic in 1976, over 300 people died from the vaccine with thousands more suffering paralysis and other permanent damages (you may recall the CBS 60 Minutes show on this that is available on YouTube). One person died from the flu itself. There are multiple current research findings (and here) that show other dangerous side-effects from additives in the vaccines, in agreement with the troubling consequences of the 1976 mass vaccinations. A new study published in the medical journal, Neurotoxicology, found significant neurological damage from just one vaccine containing thimerisol, an additive containing the toxic poison, mercury. As you may know, many studies have linked mercury introduced in vaccines with the spike in diagnosed autism in children. Parents: I highly recommend that you read this before injecting mercury into your child.
They don't use vaccines including thimerisol on kids or pregnant women anymore. It's only in the multi-dose vials and you can usually request to have one of the other versions. My kids got the nose spray this year.
We all got whatever bug was going around mid-December, but just a mild case of it. Coughing, sinus pressure, but nothing bad enough to visit the doctor for.
Because the flu shot does nothing to prevent the flu. I had the shot in September and picked up the flu on Christmas day and have been sick ever since . I couldn't move for 48 hours, couldn't open my eyes because light bothered me and even with my eyes shut it still wasn't dark enough . That started to ease after 3 days . I'll never get the shot again because all I believe it does it put money into some politicians wallet. Studies show that the flu shot is very ineffective in preventing the flu .
Any connection between vaccines and autism has been throughly debunked.
Last Rebel - anyone can copy'n'paste. You show how inaccurate your information is the second you bring up thimerisol, which hasn't been used in a childhood vaccine sine 1999. If you're going to spread propaganda and misinformation, you might want to update it a little.
Bud - you need to learn about the adaptive immune system. A vaccine is not a shield or bubble that prevents contact with the virus. A vaccine preps your immune system to better handle and more quickly clear a viral infection. The facts speak for themselves:
"More telling, for people who reported both flu symptoms and vaccination status, three-quarters of those who were not vaccinated got sick, compared with 25 percent who got their flu shots"
@Bud,
The point of getting a flu shot is, strangely, not to keep YOU from getting the flu, but to interrupt its transmission between large numbers of people. The concept is called "herd immunity" and you can google it for more information.
Additionally, the influenza, changes every year with different strains predominating each year. If you had one strain last year, it does not confer much, if any, immunity for a different strain this year. Based on the early cases in South China and Soputheast Asia, WHO and the CDCP try to "guess" what 3-5 strains will predominate each year and incorporate those into a vaccine.
The greatest liklihood is that you picked up a strain that was not covered by the vaccine. That is usually pretty rare, but this year there are more than twenty strains circulating, about twice what is "normal."
The second liklihood is that you were one of the unlucky people who got the flu shot but still got one of the strains that it was intended to prevent. This is also rare and often means that the person's immune system simply did not recognize the flu correctly, because the person's immune system has a defect or because there was some problem with the flu shot itself.
The third liklihood is that you actually did not get the flu, but rather a nasty common cold, norovirus, or other upper respiratory bug that was particularly bad. Sometimes complications like pneumonia or sinus infections cause the common cold to be very flu-like (and just as uncomfoprtable.) There is no way to tell without the CDC actually testing for the actual flu virus by strain.
Don't give up on flu shots just yet. You did the right thing in getting vaccinated.
Rebel, "As you may know, many studies have linked mercury introduced in vaccines with the spike in diagnosed autism in children." Please list one legitimate study.
My daughter and I both got flu shots. Over the holidays, we had some extremely mild symptoms: she body aches and me slightly sore glands in my throat. I believe we were both exposed to the flu virus, but because we got flu shots, our bodies fought it off.
Get your flu shot. They work.
TraceyS "...I believe we were both exposed to the flu virus,..."
Come on now, lets be honest, you haven't got a clue as to whether or not you were "exposed" to the flu virus or merely suffered a mild cold. False assumptions are what is driving this fear campaign.
BTW, I've never had a flu shot or the flu despite being "exposed" to the flu virus due to human contact on a daily basis.
I'm sure the children who died from the flu this year would be so glad to know that you weren't affected.
@StoAmerica......I agree with you. I never get the flu shot myself and I don't ever get the flu....I have many family members and friends that get it but I don't. All the sheep fall for this fear campaign every year..
I also know some people who felt very terrible after getting their flu shots and this lasted for weeks...I personally don't trust the shot. Especially considering how much effort is put into these campaigns. Major $$ is involved among other things. How could people not see a red flag when the government pushes these types of things on us? Just like their crazy interest in flouride......come on!! They are not out for our best interest if you really think about it!!
TraceyS - For shame. That is an unncessary comment based solely on the fact that you and Sto don't agree. Well welcome to the real world in which disagreements on big issues occur all the time. To try and make him feel bad for something that has nothing to do with him (nor has he shown callous feelings towards) is just the ultimate in distasteful argument.
I hope sick days stay home next week instead of parents sending them to school. To many parents send their children back before being symptom free for at least 24 hours. If they are not kept home long enough, their immunity systems are still weak and have not recovered and they could easily pick up another virus or bacterial infection. No education or job is worth being sick and spreading it to others. I am almost to the point to home school to avoid all of the parents that send their children to school that are sick. Make them stay home and more importantly stay home with them or at least have a responsible care giver while you go to work. A lot of the germ spreading could be avoided if people used common sense and were considerate to others.
What a crock. Just more propoganda for big pharma. I do not induce drugs of any kind into my body. Every damned one has SOME kind of side effects. Ever hear of people dying from the flu shot? Yep, it happens.
I was sick one morning with the flu recently, popped down the echinacea all day (an herb not a drug, HUGE difference) and it was gone by evening.
We wouldn't even have a health care crisis in this country if we got rid of big pharma and the FDA. They are in bed together, making a living off of people dying. Since they can't put a patent on natural herbs, therein lies the rub. And they know better. I don't know how anyone in the pharmaceutical industry sleeps at night.
Now actually it is people who don't take advantage of vaccines who are the cause of significant spreads of illnesses. All it takes is another person who catches the "disease" to spread it to several more. Flu vaccines are 50%-60% effective. By reducing the infected people by 50% you may be preventing the flu in the other 50%. Vaccines and other meds have extended life spans from the late 30s to the 80s! Ignorant people end up being killers of people by causing the spread of disease. It is a wonder how so many people are so illiterate and can't read the study results and see the value in vaccines. We should tax ignorant people because they cause health care costs to go up!
I know how they sleep at night. They take pills.
Vaccines are about herd immunity, not so much individual protection. You're supposed to get them to protect people around you, not necessarily yourself.
"Herd Immunity" cuts both ways. Its often used as one of the justifications for Vaccines but completely ignores the fact that most of those vaccinated do get the covered flu to some level, it just decreases the severity of the flu. Meaning that instead of staying home, many vaccinated individuals continue working/going out with the flu and hence spread it. While I doubt it increases the infection rate, the belief that it decreases overall infections is questionable at best, and outright lie at worst. Thats not to say vaccines don't have a place in society, they can in some cases vastly decrease the mortality rate. However their use should be carefully studied & monitored, as in some cases vaccines can cause more harm than good.
Wrong Mr Steady, the facts speak for themselves.
"More telling, for people who reported both flu symptoms and vaccination status, three-quarters of those who were not vaccinated got sick, compared with 25 percent who got their flu shots"
Mr steady, I would bet that you did not have the Flu. If you ever had the flu you wouldn't be saying such drivel. I have had the flu twice in the past and once you get it no herbal remedy on earth is going to kick it in 24 hours. Once you get the flu plan on being sick as all get out for 5 to 7 days.
In 1968 I was 12 and came down with what I believe they called the Hong Kong flu and before it was over I would have had to die to feel better. The second time it started during the Superbowl the year Chicago played. Like I said the real flu lasts 5 to 7 days that seem to last forever.
I always get my flu shot as I never want to get that sick again.
"More telling, for people who reported both flu symptoms and vaccination status, three-quarters of those who were not vaccinated got sick, compared with 25 percent who got their flu shots"
First off it is not saying 3/4 of the those who did not get a vaccination got sick, it is saying 3/4 of those that got sick did not get the vaccine. What they don't tell you is how many would have gotten sick even if they had gotten the shot, you know that happens a lot. Also it would be great to hear how many people who did not get the shot did not get the flu, don't you want to know? If your healthy, stay that way and stay as far away from the flu shot.
Echinacea was studied by the FDA extensively and it had more harmful side effects than benefits. If you were better by the afternoon, it was not the FLU...probably some other fast moving virus. Vaccination is or best line of defense against many pathogens. Small Pox was eradicated via vaccination. 200 million human beings were killed by smallpox in history...now IT is history thanks to vaccination. It is true you can still get the flu if you get a flu shot. There are two families, Influenza A and Influenza B -- and within each family, many strains. There is only room for 3 strains in the vaccine, and the CDC chooses the 3 that appear to be the most virulent; but that choice had to be made LAST spring for THIS flu season due to the fact it takes all spring/summer to produce the necessary quantities of vaccine.
A study by the FDA on herbs??? You may as well have a study done by Phillip Morris on the side effects of tobacco. You couldn't find a more biased agency against herbs than the FDA. As I said, they are in bed with big pharma, having the biggest orgy known to mankind.
http://www.thinktwice.com/flu_lie.htm
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/10/03/hype-vs-evidence-of-influenza-deaths.aspx
http://deathbyvaccination.com/
Before you all come on here and collapse my comments, try a novel approach: Get educated instead of believing everything you are told by the fear-mongers.
@Steady - Echinacea cures infection by the influenza virus ? I understand your concerns about vaccines - but please !
Do you also sell Protandim ?
Anyone who doesn't get the flu shot is crazy. Such an easy and safe way to prevent you from getting sick, and protecting those around you - especially old, young and immune compromised.
Well, then I must be crazy. I just got over the flu and it wasn't fun, but some good ole rest, fluids, my natural immune-boosting supplements and a trip to my natural-based chiropractor has me on the mend. And I don't regret not getting the shot for our family. Here's why we don't get the flu shot:
I'm allergic, not crazy.
I feel for those who are allergic! Are you allergic to the shot or the eggs? We have people in the nursing home who are allergic and so they have to go into high precautions when influenza rears it's ugly head.
I doubt if your chiropractor can keep you from getting the flu, or do much to get over it. But keep trusting that immune system of yours to protect from everything, until it doesn't
newsgirl24
Anyone who doesn't get the flu shot is crazy. Such an easy and safe way to prevent you from getting sick, and protecting those around you..."
It does neither, and your crazy to believe it does.
I wouldn't put anything in my system from the phramacetical companies.
Not getting a flu shot doesn't make you crazy but thinking that a chiropractor can cure a disease caused by a virus might qualify you as such.
Thanks Sto, someone needed to say something about the asinine, "Such an easy and safe way to prevent you from getting sick." Without even debating the merits of the shot you can prove this statement to be ridiculous.
I never used to get the flu shot and I never got the flu. Now I work in a hospital and I have to walk through the laundry area to get to my office... I get the flu shot for sure! Also, when 90% of the staff here get the flu shot, patient infection rates and deaths go down significantly. You can't argue with that data, no matter how you feel about the flu shot. We are currently at 89%. I'm proud to do my part to help the patients, and also help myself avoid the flu.
As for being angry at "big pharma" for everything, we would be in big trouble without many, many FDA approved drugs and vaccines. Do I love that they make huge profits and market drugs to people whether they need it or not? No. Do I appreciate that more good comes out of their research and development than bad? Absolutely.
At the hospital I work at we are required to get the shot in the sense that if we choose not to get the shot, we have to wear a mask at all times, even meals, during the entire flu season! So I get my shot.
It's really too bad you have to be coerced into getting the shot. If you had any brains, you would do it willingly!
Ahh, I love the Classical-era of argument style that goes on here:
"Either you think and act like me or you don't have a brain!"
-paraphrased from Socrates (or was it Plato?)
The "germ theory" of disease is well proven, so folks who deny it are true IDIOTS.
Terrible choice of colors for the pins on the map. I can't see the difference between "no reported cases" and "at least 1 case reported". Admittedly, I'm red/green deficient, but sort of thing happens to me all the time. Couldn't they choose colors that are more strikingly different? This happens to me all the time with people's power points, etc...and I'm not alone.
Yes Yowza, and it's so small that with the pins squashed together the information is useless.
I haven't had a flu shot in 40yrs. Over those years I've had the flu maybe once or twice. In all those years I raised a family,worked, etc. Same things most people do. My son never had a flu shot, and never had the flu.
People complain about big Pharm companies and their profits, but are still first in line for whatever new drug/vaccine comes on the market.
The problem with these shots is that your body is not able to build up a natural immunity to the illness. Eat well, exercise, get your rest.
Keeping healthy will keep you from getting getting the flu a lot better than a vial of chemicals.
@ Janine - perhaps we should have used that approach with smallpox or polio- avoid the vaccines and just build up our natural immunity.
Influenza kills. Why not take your best shot - no pun intended - at survival. Get vaccinated.
Janine's comment shows woeful ignorance about what vaccines DO. Vaccines encourage the body's immune system to protect it from disease. Good grief can we send some people back to fifth grade science class?
Woeful ignorance is aplenty on this topic. Those who believe vaccinations are harmful and/or a big pharma money-making scam are delusional. Every year that I get a flu shot, I have no problems. The few times I neglected to get the flu vaccination, I got sick as a dog.
Woah Van! Your anectodal story certainly counts as empirical scientific evidence! Call the CDC! And what to say of those who have a different story than yours (never a flu shot, never the flu - they must all be liars!)
Oh my God it's an epidemic,we're all going to Di iiiiii eeeeeeeeee!
BULL CRAP,just another scare tactic to get all the little Gullible Peons to buy in to this BS,just get you to take their miraculous Flu Shots!
News Flash!They're LYING TO YOU ABOUT THE FLU VACCINES!To Anybody that has a Brain? The Flu Vaccine that is on the Market for this year's Flu Shots,does not work for this Strain of Flu!
They announced this little Tid Bit yesterday on ABC News! The Flu Strain that people are getting is To strong for this Vaccine to even work.
So what ever you're told in this article about any flu vaccines by the Propaganda BS Artist writing this Hyped Up Article is nothing more than a load of CRAP!
Plus the fact has anyone with any common sense, ever wonder, how these Vaccine Pushing Bull Crap Artists, have the knowledge to know just what strain of Flu will be hitting for that particular season?
The answer is NO THEY DON'T!
Too strong? your describing the reason behind a flu shot not working is because the strain is "too strong? it's no wonder you don't understand how predicting dominant flu strains works.
Really Mad scientist,then why don't you Explain?
In a Medical research of flu vaccine: zero statistical difference in death rate, data cherry-picked.
Profits of the top ten US pharmaceutical companies have been greater than the combined profits of all 490 other companies that comprise the Fortune 500
Here's a great article on the myths and statistics on the Flu Vaccine. Links on this website won't work so, I've separated it with blank spaces. Copy the text and past it in your browser, you'll need to eliminate the blanks spaces but, the article is worth reading.
http:// .examiner.com/article/ medical-research-of-flu-vaccine-zero-statistical-difference-death-rate-data-cherry-picked
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilFKwKHoI2k
Couple months old, but with the media hyping BS such as this, which wound up in my inbox this morning, I felt I should give you guys a recap on what's really going on.
Just for you all to know, This is a new kind of strand of flu which they didn't make the vaccines fast enough for and most states have little, or none yet to the public. I went to the hospital the other day where we all had to wear masks and though I had no signs of the flu, I ended up having it that night because I caught it there and I haven't had the flu in years. This is a bad strand and even I can't fight it off being as healthy as I am. Regular flu shots will not work for this strand, so if you get the vaccine make sure you ask for the one that will fight off this strand of the flu, or you will suffer it otherwise. This strand is no joke as my fever went as high as 105.7 which almost ruined my day and fried my brain. Any higher and I would have been in critical condition, so don't think this strand is a joke, take this thing seriously.
First of all sorry you were so sick! Hope you feel better!
I just posted above,post #12 that they're pushing these vaccines for the flu,and the strain of flu this season does not fit the type of vaccines these people are pushing.
The strain to strong.What gauls the hell out of me is they're pushing these vaccines like they did this season and they didn't even know what type of flu strain was going to hit.
They acted like this is the one and only vaccine that was going to help you,then it back fired and people got sick anyway!
If they're going to push Flu vaccines they better come up with a way,a better way of knowing what the hell the flu strain is going to be for that particular season.Because you can ask all you want about which kind of vaccine to get,and it's only a guessing game, because until they know exactly what is going on that season, and come up with a shot that will really help? Then forget it your wasting your time and if you have to pay for it,your money.
Pushing these vaccines and not knowing if they work is what really ticks me off!
Here are the facts (up-to-date) from the CDCP web site:
"On February 23, 2012 the WHO recommended that the Northern Hemisphere's 2012-2013 seasonal influenza vaccine be made from the following three vaccine viruses:
"Since October 1, 2012, CDC has antigenically characterized 413 influenza viruses, including 17 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses, 281 influenza A (H3N2) viruses and 115 influenza B viruses.
What all this essentially means is that the three "guesses" as to the predominant strains were mostly correct. However, a significant portion of the Influenze B viruses were opf a strain (B/Victoria) that were not represented in the trivalent vaccine.
Vaccines pose a unique set of problems for drug manufacturers. When you add more strains to the vaccine the risk of contamination goes up exponentially. That is, a bivalent vaccine is four times as difficult to make as a single-strain shot. A trivalent vaccine is nine times as difficult as a bivalent vaccine. A quadravalent vaccine is 16 times as difficult and a pentavalent shot is 25 times as difficult. Most drug companies really don't want to try to make more than a trivalent vaccine because the risk of failure (and loss of money) is so high. You have to remember that it takes so long to identify, grow, purify, grow, and distribute vaccines that there is only one try each year.
Big Pharma is not really involved in vaccine manufacture. The profit margins are simply too low and the risks too high. The way it actually works is that governments subsidize vaccine manufacturers so that they get a small (around 8%) profit in return for guarantees in case batches of vaccine fail (which some always do.) The profit is so small that it is difficult to find drug manufacturers willing to do it. Public health agencies in various countries usually have to do a lot of arm-twisting to get them to do it.
The other big issue is the nature of vaccines themselves. Vaccines are intended to trigger a response from the body's immune system. The problem is that very few, if any, people have "perfect"immune systems. TRhis means that in a small number of people, the vaccine will trigger little or no response, or an incorrect response. This is not so much a problem with a vaccine, but just the natural variation in peoples' immune systems. One example is that in 1976, a type of inactivated influenza (swine flu) vaccine was associated
with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). Since then, flu vaccines have not been clearly linked to GBS. However, if there is a risk of GBS from current flu vaccines, it would be no more than 1 or 2 cases per million people vaccinated. This is much lower than the risk of severe influenza, which can be prevented by
vaccination. But even for the 1-2 cases per million, the ultimate (proximal) cause is a defect in the person's immune system, not something wrong with the vaccine.
Because it is well-known that vaccines can trigger improper responses in small numbers of people, governments all over the world, including the USA, have established special courts to handle vaccine reactions. These courts have experts (special masters) as judges, have incredibly low standards of evidence, extremely lax protocols, and generous settlements. For example, the MMRV vaccine has been known to cause deafness in around 1 in every 4 million children. If you have a child who becomes deaf, the vaccine court will "assume" that the vaccine was the cause unless there is another, much better explanation (such as an injury.) One only need to prove that the shot was given, that there was no indication of deafness at the time, and that the deafness resulted from a fever that began 2-3 days after the MMRV shot. No lawyer is even needed. The settlement for this sort of thing would be in the millions. This was necessary to get anyone to manufacture vaccines.
@ Chris - thank you for the factual information. Hopefully it will slow the idiots down a bit.
BREAKING NEWS>>>Those who are low in Vit.D seem to catch the flu even though being vaccinated?? Vit C is important also. Just get a Piss-Test and know your levels for safety?
I work with children so a flu shot was a no brainer. I got it in September. However, come mid-October I was diagnosed with Type A flu. I was down for a week with the worst symptoms I have ever encountered. I have had the flu before, but this years symptoms are a doozy! Stay healthy!
I work with kids so a flu shot was a no brainer. I got the injection in September and was prepared to tackle the flu season. However, come mid-October I was diagnosed with Type A flu. I have had the flu before, but this was absolutely the worst sickness I have ever had. I was down for a week with symptoms lasting for almost 3 weeks. This years flu is a doozy! Stay healthy : )
Let's all stop saying "no brianer" please. Hearing that phrase over and over again is like scratching your nails on an old-school black board.
The flu is coming...the flu is coming.
Run, run, run, time to be scared again. :)
In response to "Mom in Illinois", better to be proactive & get your child(ren) a flu shot. In addition better to send your child(ren) to school once feeling a little better & be medicated. Kids are required by law to be at school for a certain number of days each year. Once a child is released via doctors excuse then they are permitted to go back. The same applies for adults who miss three or more work days. Most parents do not not have the luxury of being a stay-at-home parent & have to make other arrangements for younger children because they work outside the home for a living.
Big Pharma HYPE
Tell that to the eight dead children who could probably have been saved had they received the shot.
Got my "Flu Shot" a month ago, just got the flu now.
Last one I get. Research flu shot efficacy, and see how it's essentially a big government-backed scam.
Mercola website
By Barbara Loe Fisher
No Flu Shot? No Job or Daycare!
Selling Big Mortality Numbers to Sell Flu Vaccine
Is It 200,000 Influenza Hospitalizations or 37,000?
Counting Influenza Deaths & A Whole Lot More
Recorded Influenza Deaths Dropping in 21st Century
CDC Expanding the Flu Vaccine Market Between 2000-2010
CDC Does Not Require States to Report All Influenza Cases or Deaths
Global Flu Vaccine Market: U.S. Biggest Customer
CDC: We Don't Know How Many Influenza Deaths There Are
"More telling, for people who reported both flu symptoms and vaccination status, three-quarters of those who were not vaccinated got sick, compared with 25 percent who got their flu shots"
If people were not so drugged out on medications there would be fewer deaths. Probably most took too much or mixed drug coctails did them in. I tend to use Cloves, Garlic, Organo, and grape seed extract. No side effects (except for the garlic breath, which I happen to like anyway) and since you tend to say home that is not a problem. Haven't had a flu shot in over 40 years and do not plan on now.
This stuff is wild. It comes on fast, causes huge problems with vomiting and other intestinal disorders. A close relative, a senior citizen, spent 5 days in hospital getting IV fluids and many other tests. He had flu shot Oct. 1, but they don't know if it was the same strain at this time. Drink lots of water and wash hands often. He is ok now but it sure dented holiday cheer.
What you are describing is not the "flu" It is the norovirus. http://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/index.html
The ignorance of some people about what influenza actually is can be astonishing.
"......CDC data, which is based on visits to doctors for influenza-like illness" . Need I say more?
Already got my flu shot last week. Glad I did, too.
It took me a full year to fully recover from the last flu shot I got....so never again!
Since I'm retired (yep, old), I stay home more, wash my hands often, wipe down carts in stores, etc. Had a bad cold this year but no flu.
I don't get the shots either. I tend to use natural methods to combat the flu. If you wash your hands ti will help greatly in prevention.
I have yet to get the flu shot since the medical world developed it and I've yet to have the flu.Some people I know that got the flu shot ended up in the hospital from the flu.Take the proper vitamins, eat the proper foods and exercise and you'll be fine.I do hope the white house, senate and congress get hammered because those roaches have it coming to them.