Posted on 05/01/2009 10:24:46 AM PDT by Scythian
Q: Dr. Manny: The reason that this flu pandemic seems to be less deadly than what we saw in Mexico is perhaps that the American population has some passive immunity to some portion of this new virus — and that indeed — one of the unintended benefits of the regular flu vaccine we have been administering over decades is that it’s created some protection — even from this latest virus that has popped up. Is there any truth to this?
A: Dr. Gross: In the flu vaccine — for more than the past 30 years — we’ve had an H1N1 strain in the standard flu vaccine that everyone gets… at least since 1976 when we had the last swine flu scare. So the theory goes that if you’ve had a vaccine that has a N1 in it... when you encounter a slightly different H1 (which is what the swine flu is) that you will be protected from severe illness and death, but not from getting a cold or a bad cold from that flu strain.
The other thing is we haven’t seen reports of a lot of older people getting H1N1 influenza A… so they must certainly be immune. An educated guess here would be that these older people may not be coming down with this new strain because most of them – particularly if they got the standard vaccine — would have some degree of immunity.
Click on the link for the rest of the story
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Inner city kids aren't as healthy as those with proper health care. It is all about proper health care, prosperity and better hygiene. We have our education problems but so far we don't have a third world education. Why do you think Mexicans in particular come to the U.S.? Better health care for “free”, education and want a higher living standard. It really is that simple. Think about WHY people come to the U.S. ... and why we don't have third world diseases.
Trust me, even Obama is now saying that this “pandemic” might just morph into the “typical flu”. This "pandemic" LOL originated in MEXICO!
Here ya go :
Obama: Flu May Run Its Course, but Government Is Preparing for the Worst
Speaking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting, President Obama says it is not clear that this flu will be more severe than others.
...
So far the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 141 confirmed cases in 19 U.S. states, with one death. There are 331 confirmed cases worldwide.
(This is hardly an “epidemic” let alone a “pandemic”.)
...
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/01/obama-flu-run-course-government-preparing-worst/
Obama is back tracking.
Another one:
CDC: New Virus Does Not Have Genes That Made 1918 Flu So Deadly
Friday, May 01, 2009
...
CDC flu chief Dr. Nancy Cox said the good news is “we do not see the markers for virulence that were seen in the 1918 virus.”
In fact, the virus that has frightened the world is beginning to look a little less ominous. New York City officials reported Friday that the swine flu still has not spread beyond a few schools. In Mexico, very few relatives of flu victims seem to have caught the virus.
And one flu expert says there’s no reason to believe the new virus is a more serious strain than seasonal flu.
...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,518578,00.html
It’s much to do about nothing.
And just to let you know that I am not just a guy who roots for the home team all the time, I have been against two vaccines that my industry has pushed: the hepatitis b vaccine for newborns and infants, AND Merck's HPV vaccine. Both personally--for my kids--and in the ethical/business sense also.
I’m sorry, but I still don’t get your point. Are you saying even Americans in inner cities wash their hands more? I don’t think education in general makes people healthier (except education in how to stay healthy). Can you please be a little more specific?
But that’s not what we were talking about.
“I’m sorry, but I still don’t get your point. Are you saying even Americans in inner cities wash their hands more? I don’t think education in general makes people healthier (except education in how to stay healthy). Can you please be a little more specific?”
Last time. More prosperous countries don't have the problems with diseases that a country like Mexico has. Mexico is impoverished, inadequate health care and the people atlarge are highly uneducated.
In U.S. school, public or private HEALTH is a covered topic. So Americans are more educated than countries like Mexico. People come from all over the for our health care. It's still the best. This knowledge does filter down to every day people. This does not happen in countries like Mexico. Would you like to go to Mexico for their health care or should I say neglect?
As you must know, more educated people, tend to have higher incomes and can afford the best health care. Surely you see that correlation? If not, than I can't help you.
BTW, I never said that “Americans in inner cities wash their hands more often”. They typically have less than ideal health care because they can't afford it and don't know better. Still they are a far cry better off than folks in Mexico. If they can't afford good care they get government care which is better than Mexican government care or neglect.
Why in the world do ILLEGALS come here, especially from Mexico for OUR HEALTH CARE?
Why in the world do people from other countries come to the U.S. from other countries for their health care?
It is because the U.S. has the BEST health care in the world.
I am wondering if you are for real. This is OBVIOUS!
I have never gotten the flu shot and may have had the flu one time, mildly. I was born in ‘68, so I believe I have some immunity to portions of most flu because the flu of ‘69 was bad. When viruses enter the body, your body develops immunity to several parts of the virus itself. Any flu virus that has that part will be fought off or at least well repressed. As you get older,immune responses decline,so maybe if I were older, yes. Then again, a declining immune response means I may receive a vaccine and be too slow to develop immunity or develop no immunity at all. Of course the vaccine in itself may cause incomplete immunity to flu because the portions in the vaccine may not represent the flu. I am looking into this “cytokine storm” because pandemic flu mortality *may* be linked to it. Still, going out into the sun a bit more often to boost my Vit D and taking an extra supplement every other day.
I don’t think there’s any difference between the US and Mexico strain. The latest reports suggest that this strain has been around in Mexico since early March. It’s very likely the Mexican mortality rate is over-reported because accurate data doesn’t exist on those who recovered quickly. Meanwhile, in the US just about everyone who’s contracted the flu has reported it, and thus the mortality rate is in line with what one would expect.
BTW - from now on I am using a mask on the plane when it is a long trip at least.
And I never was talking about health care. I know you didn’t mention inner cities, which is why I DID. We are not seeing the same severity of cases of this flu in our inner cities, which means that in all likelihood your assessment is incorrect. However, I don’t expect you to agree to that.
While things like sewer systems and health care are better in the US,I don’t know what an adequate sewer system has to do with how severe a respiratory disease like flu would be. I also do not see availability of good health care affecting how sick one becomes from a flu virus.
However, since you would prefer to think I’m stupid rather than that you might be mistaken, I think we should probably stop beating this dead horse.
This does make sense.
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