Posted on 12/04/2012 6:10:52 PM PST by blam
All Signs Indicate That This Flu Season Is Going To Be Brutal
Jennifer Welsh
Dec. 4, 2012, 6:53 PM
The flu season could be especially bad this year, and is one of the earliest-starting flu seasons in a decade, said Thomas Frieden, Director of the Centers for Disease Control.
"This is the earliest regular flu season we've had in nearly a decade, since the 2003-2004 flu season. That was an early and severe flu year," CDC director Thomas Frieden said in a teleconference yesterday Dec. 3.
That season was very severe, especially for children, they said.
This is much different than we saw last year's flu season, which — helped by a late start and a warm winter — was very mild.
Weather.com notes:
The CDC tracks flu cases across America and releases a new report each week which shows local, regional, and statewide flu cases. The most recent report shows half a dozen states reporting widespread outbreaks of the flu. Just one week earlier, no states were reporting widespread outbreaks.
See all the national flu data here.
"While flu is always unpredictable, the early nature of the cases as well as the specific strains we're seeing suggest that this could be a bad flu year," Frieden said. "In summary, flu activity is up, vaccine is the best tool to protect against flu."
The researchers at the CDC can't say why this year is off to such an early start, but it could be because of the strain that's circling. The H3N2 strain is typically associated with severe flu seasons, Frieden said:
"And what we've seen in past years is that H3 predominant years tend to be the worst years. And at least in 2003, also an earlier year."
Some good news though — this year's vaccine is well
(snip)
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
I am finally on the mend after 10 of the worst flu/bronchitis days I’ve ever had.
I am finally on the mend after 10 of the worst flu/bronchitis days I’ve ever had.
Influenza A is making the rounds here. The problem is that people wait 4-5 days before going to the doctor. If they went within a day or two, they can get Tamiflu which helps tremendously (or it did for me).
Now I just get the vaccine, mostly because it is free to us. I’ve noticed I get sick a lot less after getting the vaccine every Fall for 6 years.
Except it takes a week to get an appointment.
Luckily not at my doctor. Plus we have a Doc-in-the-box on our plan. You just walk in and be seen.
bump to the top
That can be bad, very bad.!
Yup.
My mother got Gullian-Barre Syndrome and some pernament paralisis from her flu shot in 1976.
Thanks for the ping, LucyT. Revisiting a very good thread. Thanks to all posters.
I’ve never had a flu shot and I seem to get it about every 7-9 years. When it hits me, it hits me hard as I feel like I am fighting off death.
Health/life BUMP!
Hey it’s the annual “worst flu ever” report. They’re running late, this usually comes out before Thanksgiving.
And it’s not old people that get the shot having fewer heart attacks, it’s old people that don’t get the flu, and subsequent respiratory infections, not getting infection triggered heart attacks. Getting the shot might or might not keep you from getting the flu, depending on if they guessed right and the flu you get exposed to in the mall is a strain they included in the shot.
I’ve never seen it at a store, and I would never buy it at the “retail” price.
As do I, but I do not believe in “luck,” its not supported by the scriptures, nor by experience.
As the Word says, “The curse causeless does not come.”
What are the main ingredietnts? Maybe those can be had OTC.
Good advice...I take 5000 IU daily, and have NEVER had the flu...not even so much as a cold. Flu shot? Someone else can have 'mine'...
The only ingredient is a probiotic?
The Tuskegee Experiment with syphilis was started in the 1930s. That was a very, very long time ago. The knowledge we have now isn’t the knowledge had then regarding diseases.
Hey JSteff: Sorry to hear of you having MS. You’re right, MS does suck.
Sharkboy, your description of the flu reminds me of when I had the HONGKONG flu in the late 60’s. That was the sickest I’ve ever been.
Stay well everyone. Stay away from places where sick people are (doctor’s office, pharmacists). Hee Hee!
The vaccine recipe is determined by flus detected in Asia, the eastern hemisphere’s winter, so it's part speculation since it could mutate on its way here, yet it's always worked for me.
No, the only ingredient is lyced lactobacillus.
They have a good explanation at their website.
Its the stuff that saved the lives of the people of Bellarus when Chernoble smoked out.
A lot of Jets fans had the same thing happen to them.
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