Currently viewing the category: "H1N1"

Buh-Bye: H1N1 Vaccine Heading to Incinerator

By On · Add Comment · In flu shot, H1N1, swine flu vaccine, World Health Organization (WHO)

This post has been on my mind for several days, but I was reminded of it while standing in the local CVS today.  There at the window was a sign: H1N1 flu shots are here!  Yay!  Might as well have said, “You’re stupid!” as federal health officials prepare to burn 40 million doses of the swine flu vaccine.  Excellent, right where the garbage belongs–in the incinerator.

This is just the latest chapter in the crock called swine flu.  Last week the Associated Press reported that 25% of swine flu vaccine stocks were preparing to burn, $260 million worth.  Add to that another 30 million doses that will expire soon and it totals 43% of the U.S. supply.

And to this I say: BRAVO America!  You did well on this one.  Didn’t fall for the sham of the new century.  Yes, yes, health officials have claimed it was “better to be safe than sorry,” thus overstocking was the prudent thing to do; however, word is out that World Health Organization (WHO) swine flu experts had financial ties to companies that stood to profit from the new pandemic.

You don’t say…government health officials linked to $$$?  Health emergency declared by “scientist” that stood to profit?  Well bite my H1N1.  Good job keeping your eyes open, America–keep them that way–there’s still much to see.

I’m Done With Swine Flu

By On · Add Comment · In Centers of Disease Control (CDC), flu, H1N1, President Barack Obama, swine flu, vaccinated

Anybody else thoroughly over hearing about the swine flu? I know you are, but I thought I’d wrap it up (I vow to lay off the story from this point forward) by sharing a chuckle about this completely over-hyped mass hysteria. Reports coming off the news wires have been mixed regarding H1N1 infections; some have them labeled as disastrous, others as no big deal. Let’s check a few out:

On the-worst-thing-since-Typhoid-Mary scene, deaths from swine flu are up everywhere–U.S., India, Israel, California–madness. Many groups are supposedly at increased risk–Native Americans and Eskimos (not kidding), new mothers, children, seniors, and people with chronic lung disorders like asthma and COPD.

However, despite the massive danger to most everyone but people living in plastic bubbles–the public isn’t buying into the hysteria (thank goodness). According to a report last week, the number of Americans getting tested for swine flu has decreased by 75%. Awesome! And the number of tests coming back positive has dropped from 44% in November to only 21% for the two weeks ending Dec. 9. Nice!

So the swine flu epidemic has been more hype than headache. In fact, the actual cases of swine flu reported may be grossly over-exaggerated. Check out this piece by CBS news showing the CDC stopped counting actual swine flu cases individually back in July. Now why would they do that? The piece does a good job of explaining the rationale behind the decision, and if you’ve got a few minutes, check the video below to get an outstanding account of the chronology of the swine flu hysteria. This is CBS News not Natural Health News; just investigative reporting uncovering what I’ve suspected and have written about all along in this blog. Hysteria, that’s all it is.

Nevertheless, our President Barack Obama showed the country he was leading the charge against the swine flu by getting vaccinated yesterday. Bravo! I applaud his taking charge and diving in–’bout time. But I’m certain it’s not necessary, because as I’ve said from day one–flu is flu is flu is flu. But if you want to follow Barry’s lead and get the shot, go ahead, you’ll be fine.

Pet Cat Catches Swine Flu

By On · Add Comment · In American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), cat, H1N1, swine flu, swine flu vaccine

This just in: A cat in Iowa has caught the swine flu. I know, I know…but it’s true. A 13-year-old cat apparently caught the H1N1 virus from one of the people living in the house, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) said in a statement. It has recovered and does not appear to have infected anyone or anything else.

Holy feline testicles, Batman–what’s this cat doing with the pigs? Apparently nothing–the AVMA website reports that the cat caught the virus from one of the family members of the household. Two of the three family members have been suffering from “flu-like symptoms” before the cat became ill.

Oh my lord, what were they thinking? Had those irresponsible people vaccinated, that helpless cat wouldn’t have fallen ill. Just one more reason to push the swine flu vaccine–quick, call Kathleen Sebelius…hold a press conference!

Dr. Ann Garvey, Veterinarian of the Iowa Department of Public Health said, “This is not completely unexpected, as other strains of influenza have been found in cats in the past.” Phew! I was getting worried there.

The bad news is dogs and horses are also susceptible to catching the swine flu; but the good news is that ferrets are not. Double phew. I wonder if gerbils are safe.

“Indoor pets that live in close proximity to someone who has been sick are at risk and it is wise to monitor their health to ensure they aren’t showing signs of illness,” said Dr. David Schmitt, state veterinarian for Iowa. Hmmm…rectal temperature, kitty?

Well, there you have it–just another day in the life of the swine flu hysterics. Meow.

More Educated Less Likely to Get Swine Flu Vaccine

By On · Add Comment · In Centers of Disease Control (CDC), flu shot, H1N1, immunized, swine flu vaccine

Very interesting information coming out of the swine flu watch today: More educated, higher earners are opting out of the H1N1 vaccine, while less educated, poorer folk are more likely to get the vaccine. Hmm, I wonder why.

According to a recent Thompson Reuters survey of more than 3000 people, almost 50% of people with lower education (nothing more than high school) were very concerned about H1N1, compared with only 29 percent of those with at least a four-year college degree. And 45% of the less-educated said they and their families were likely to vaccinate, while only 36 percent of college-educated people expected to be immunized. Almost half of all respondents said they were unlikely to immunize.

Well hallelujah! This news put my faith back into educated people–they actually do use their smarts sometimes. Let me repeat, hallelujah. I appreciate that so many people see right through this fear campaign being levied against us. The push for mass inoculations is absolutely ludicrous. And it’s not just individuals coming to their senses: Today the state of New York suspended its policy that all health workers are to be vaccinated against the H1N1 or risk discipline. Imagine the swine flu hysteria threatening our civil liberties. Geezus!

The hysteria is so widespread that our uber-progressive neighbors to the north are miffed and frustrated that Canadians are also rejecting the swine flu vaccine. According to a similar Canadian poll, Canucks will be avoiding the untried and untested H1N1 vaccine at about 50% themselves. Bravo Canada–you are progressive.

All this in the face of regular flu vaccinations being at their highest level ever at this time of year. Hmmm…you don’t say. My regular readers know that last year flu shots were at their lowest levels in the U.S. in years, and flu cases were also way down. Could the swine flu be a marketing maneuver? The ol’ bait and switch? Nah…just coincidence, I’m sure. Ha, ha, ha, ha…sometimes I wonder if I’m the only one who see the absurdity in health policy and practice.

According to experts, the swine flu has people contemplating the deadly dangers of the regular flu. Oy vey! Listen people: Most of us have already had the swine flu. I’ve been saying this for months. Listen! Stop freaking out! You’ve probably had it. I know I’ve have, and so has my daughter. If you were sicker this year than you can long remember–YOU PROBABLY HAD THE SWINE FLU. It has been confirmed by Centers of Disease Control Director Dr. Thomas Frieden: “Many millions” of Americans have had swine flu so far, he said. No kidding.

Flu is flu is flu, and what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Words to live by. Or you can freak out–it’s up to you.

So What if You Encounter Swine Flu?

By On · Add Comment · In bird flu, flu vaccine, H1N1, influenza virus, mutation, natural immunity, swine flu, triple reassortant virus

Since starting this blog two years ago, I’ve spent a lot of time writing about the flu vaccine. Regular readers know my feelings on this completely bogus inoculation–it does nothing. My reasoning behind this belief is two-fold: First, the influenza virus is one of the most rapidly mutating viruses on the planet. The difficulty of developing a viable viral vaccine against such rapid mutation is close to impossible–it’s not entirely impossible, just a low probability of effectiveness from year to year. We need only to look at the 2007-2008 flu vaccine to confirm my point exactly.

The second point of my reasoning is that I believe that we must encounter the influenza virus head-on from time to time (yearly, every other year, whatever) to develop natural immunity. I believe that each time we get sick with the flu, we are exposed to the latest strain, the latest mutations if you will. This is necessary to keep our immune system up-to-date, much like downloading the latest updates for your virus scan. This provides a degree of protection against new flu strains that arise as a result of their constant mutation.

Case in point: Experts now say that the H1N1 swine flu virus is not a new virus. Instead it’s a mutated hybrid of human, pig and bird flu strains; and that it has probably been circulating undetected for years. Somewhere, maybe in Mexico, maybe in Asia, it made the jump from swine to humans. The three most recent flu pandemics–1918, 1957 and 1968–started when a new avian flu virus started infecting people. Experts are saying that the current “triple reassortant virus” as the swine flu is called, is not a rapidly mutating virus–a sample from a patient in Mexico is virtually identical to samples from various U.S. states and other countries.

So again I make my point: It’s important to get sick; It’s important to encounter new flu strains as they arise; mutations create potentially new bugs, and only by encountering them periodically will we develop recognition of their deadlier cousins in the future.

Swine flu? It can be mild or it can be nasty; but like any other virulent microorganism, the environment is as important as the bug. So swine flu is here. It’ll kill some people, but lots of people are surviving it now, and many more will continue to do so. Just take care of yourself. Get lots of rest, stay hydrated, stay away from immune lowering toxins like narcotics, heavy alcohol or loads of pharmaceuticals. And if you smoke…well just know it lowers immunity. And don’t freak if you get the flu, or the swine flu; same as usual, sleep, water, nourishing food–you’ll be fine.

Deadly New Flu Strain Hits Mexico, U.S.

By On · Add Comment · In avian fluimmunity, California, flu strain, flu vaccination, H1N1, ic, immunity, Mexico, swine flu, Tamiflu

So here we go, what we all knew was coming: A deadly new flu strain–a variant of a swine flu–has moved up from Mexico found its way into the U.S. The never before seen flu strain has reportedly killed 20 people in Mexico and may be responsible for another 40 deaths. Mexico City has gone through a mass quarantine by shutting down schools and canceling public events in an attempt to prevent further transmission. In California, six people have already been infected, although the cases here appear mild so far. Nevertheless, the pig flu is here.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tests showed that the virus from 12 of the Mexican patients was the same genetically as a new strain of swine flu, designated H1N1, seen in eight people in California and Texas. This strain is being transmitted human-to-human, which is raising fears of a mass pandemic. Global health authorities, however, are not yet ready to declare it as such.

Analysis of the viral strain shows it to be a combination of swine, avian (bird) and human influenza strains. Typically, humans can catch the swine flu from pigs, but rarely is it transmittable to other humans. Not true of this strain, which is a human variant too–the likely reason for its transmission among humans.

In Mexico, there have been 1,004 reported cases in Mexicali on the border with California. Most of the dead were between 25 and 45 years old, a worrying notion since the typical human flu endangers the very young or the very old. A hallmark of pandemics is that they affect healthy young adults.

The latest word from U.S. authorities is that it is too late to contain the swine flu virus–it’s here. On the positive side, the strain seems to be susceptible to the flu drug oseltamivir, otherwise known as Tamiflu.

Well, this is exactly what I’ve been warning against in my many posts speaking out against flu vaccination. I have always believed that a new flu strain outbreak was imminent; and I believe that people who just bucked up and caught the flu have hopefully been exposed to some elements of the new flu strain. No way to know for sure, but time will tell. It seems a best chance scenario to me anyway, since evolution takes time, and it is therefore possible that those of us who went unvaccinated and were exposed have encountered a degree of immunity to certain aspects of the human portion of this new deadly strain. Like I’ve said, only time will tell, but I prefer to take my chances with natural immunity (in this case) any day.

Oh well, chickens coming home to roost time. I’ll keep you informed.

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