H1N1 (Swine Flu) Update-2

9/16/09
Good News...As of today, Dr. Marc Lipsitch of Harvard University - an expert in infectious diseases - had some positive comments about Swine Flu.

He said, "the death rate of H1N1 Swine Flu appears lower than earlier estimates. The new estimates compare to a moderate year of seasonal flu."

He says it's mildest in kids. This flu is mainly attacking older children and young adults who mostly have mild cases and get better.

If there are no changes in the virus, he feels it can now be called a category 1 pandemic. This is the mildest of the five pandemic categories, and it can be compared to a seasonal flu epidemic.

"Either way, having new information about how many people were infected and did not become severely ill or die, makes the pandemic look very mild," he said.
"The news is certainly improved over what it was in May and even better than it was at the beginning of August."

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8/24/09
With all the scary reporting about Swine Flu, I think it's time to step back and look at it another way.

Do you know anyone who is freaking out about swine flu and what might happen? Are you one of them?

Well, there's good reason if you are. Rather than giving both views of H1N1, there's an awful lot of pointing out the frightening side of this Pandemic.
"Pandemic," that scary word, simply means geographically widespread. So, I guess the common cold can be called a pandemic!

Although we sometimes forget, we all know that the Press usually pushes the sensational.

Reporters on TV and in print keep telling us that vaccines won't be ready in time for fall flu season, and then there won't be enough for everyone. They are also quick to report the latest number of cases of swine flu and amount of deaths it's caused.

Here are some facts: swine flu appeared in April, and by June was declared a pandemic.
Hundreds of thousands worldwide have come down with swine flu
522 people (at this date) in the U.S. & its territories have died from it.
H1N1 is spreading more quickly than seasonal flu.

> Most people who have had this flu have already recovered, their cases mild.
> Doctors report most patients who died from swine flu had other existing illnesses which weakened their immune systems, and that was why they died.
> It's spreading more quickly than seasonal flu because most people haven't built up an immunity to this new type of virus.

H1N1 Update
Physicians can't agree whether the new swine flu shot is safe or not. Not only do many of them feel there has not been enough testing done, especially on kids, but recent fearful news was leaked to the British newspaper, The Mail

Their Health Protection Agency sent a confidential letter to senior neurologists that the swine flu vaccine is linked to a deadly nerve disease that affects the brain, called Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS).

The Agency told them to look for an increase in GBS which could be triggered by the vaccine. GBS attacks nerve linings causing paralysis, inability to breathe, and can cause death.

The letter refers to the use of a similar vaccine in 1976 in the U.S. when more people died from the vaccination than from swine flu.The vaccine was withdrawn after only ten weeks when the connection with GBS became clear.

Doctors worry that this new vaccine has not been tested enough and the effects, especially on children, are not known.

They're angry as well about the fact that their government has kept this news a secret from both the public and from General Practitioners who'll be giving the shots, and they weren't warned.

One victim of GBS, Hilary Wilkinson said: "It was very scary. I couldn't eat and I couldn't speak. My arms and feet had no strength and breathing was hard."
After three years of treatment, she is almost fully recovered. Jo Macfarlane, Mail Online

Which Way to Go?
It's my belief that there's always more than one side to any issue, and you always have a choice. Yes, Swine Flu is here and it may expand, but the way it's been showing up so far, is in mild cases with quick recoveries; those that died usually had other chronic illnesses.

Many medical field experts agree that building and maintaining a healthy immune system is the answer to staying well...and avoiding the side effects of the vaccination.

If you either decide to take this safe route or would like to learn more about it, I have a
free gift for you, and it's yours for the asking.

It's a CD by a leader in the field who gives a simple explanation about why it's so important to build your immune system, especially now with the flu season approaching.

Click here for your CD: How to Tune Up Your Immune System

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For more info about this and many other health topics that affect kids, check out my blog that is loaded with information and tips that answer a host of questions:
Health Tips for Children

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