Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

DR. MANNY: Why New Flu Is Not as Deadly in U.S
FoxNews ^

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 ...


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: drmanny; flu; influenza; swineflu
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-113 next last
To: brytlea

You might be right, when co-workers have the flu I often feel it coming on for a day or so then it fades, I never get sick or cough or sneeze, just the initial flu like feeling as in “Oh no, here it comes” then nothing, so I think I am as immune as they are only without the shots (and all the mercury and Lord knows what else is in them). I’ve been exposed to the flu’s just as they have, no doubt about it.


21 posted on 05/01/2009 10:34:56 AM PDT by Scythian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Scythian
I used to get the flu shot -- and I used to get sick a lot in the months afterward. I stopped about 3 years ago, and I've been much healthier.

It's anecdotal and it may mean nothing, but clearly a lot of people have had similar experiences.

22 posted on 05/01/2009 10:35:17 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (American Revolution II -- overdue)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: b4its2late
“Better hygiene too.”

Very good point. Mexico is not noted for its hygiene.

Best advice I can say is stay away from those traveling to Mexico and ILLEGALS that go back and forth. Last I hear, this Mexican Swine Flu originated in Mexico.

23 posted on 05/01/2009 10:35:51 AM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Scythian

They considered one side of the coin, but not the other side. That is, Americans get immunized more, but they also get flu outbreaks more.

Flu is transmitted by coughing and sneezing ideally at 40F and low humidity. The higher the temperature and humidity, the more dependent flu is on being transmitted by surface contamination.

For this reason, flu outbreaks are not common in Mexico. This implies *not* that Americans have better immunity, but that Mexicans have less immunity to flu.

This is ironic, because Mexico has some truly savage bacteria, made more so by the ability of Mexicans to buy antibiotics over the counter. But this doesn’t affect viruses like the flu.


24 posted on 05/01/2009 10:36:13 AM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Scythian
when co-workers have the flu I often feel it coming on for a day or so then it fades

This is exactly what happens to me. I feel like I'm getting sick and then, nothing. Maybe they should study our genes!

25 posted on 05/01/2009 10:38:18 AM PDT by brytlea (Jesus loves me, this I know.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Scythian

We have much better hygiene, sanitation, water etc. Don’t forget, one of the reasons that people die from the flu is that they get a secondary infection (pneumonia, bronchitis, strep) due to a compromised immune system. Today we have antibiotics and other meds to combat secondary infections.


26 posted on 05/01/2009 10:38:29 AM PDT by goodwithagun (My gun has killed less people than Ted Kennedy's car.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blam
While I was in the military we had to get the flu shot every year. I never got the flu. After I retired, I stopped getting the shot. I THEN got the flu, and bad. Caught pnuemonia and had to miss a lot of work. That was ten years ago. I went back to getting the annual flu shot, and haven't got the flu since.

I mean as long as everyone’s being anecdotal, I might as well, too.

27 posted on 05/01/2009 10:38:45 AM PDT by Alas Babylon!
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: brytlea
“I can understand fewer deaths for those reasons, but I cannot understand why it would be so much milder in general in the US. It sounds like it’s not even as bad as the normal flu.”

Easy!

We have good health care and the U.S. is NOT a third world country yet. We are more prosperous, so we EAT better and practice better hygiene. Mexico, where this thing seems to have originated from has none of those things.

We have MORE deaths from a “flu” than this phony “pandemic” a year in the U.S.. Very few WORLDWIDE have died. We usually have about 10,000 a year die from the typical flu. This is another created “crisis”.

28 posted on 05/01/2009 10:38:58 AM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: zot

Ping.


29 posted on 05/01/2009 10:39:42 AM PDT by Interesting Times (For the truth about "swift boating" see ToSetTheRecordStraight.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: yefragetuwrabrumuy

Very interesting ‘yefragetuwrabrumuy’, I think there is a lot of common sense in your comments


30 posted on 05/01/2009 10:40:02 AM PDT by Scythian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: yefragetuwrabrumuy

You know, you made thing about something. We were in Florida about a month ago when that really freakish cold snap hit, it got cold even in way south florida, wonder if Mexico got really cold and the flu (being as the conditions were right) spread like crazy to a populace unaccustomed to it?


31 posted on 05/01/2009 10:43:10 AM PDT by Scythian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: nmh

I’m sorry, perhaps I’m dumb, but I still don’t understand the mechanism that is driving us not even getting as virulent a strain of the flu. It would seem to me that even IF being more prosperous, eating better, etc were the reason we would still see sicker people in pockets of the US, for instance, the inner cities.
I still think something else is afoot (and generally more immunity to this particular sort of virus makes far more sense).


32 posted on 05/01/2009 10:43:31 AM PDT by brytlea (Jesus loves me, this I know.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: Lazamataz

LOL!


33 posted on 05/01/2009 10:43:54 AM PDT by b4its2late (Ignorance allows liberalism to prosper.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: b4its2late
I still think something else is afoot (and generally more immunity to this particular sort of virus makes far more sense).

But do you think this is due to the flu shot, or just natural immunity?
34 posted on 05/01/2009 10:45:53 AM PDT by Scythian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: Alas Babylon!
"I mean as long as everyone’s being anecdotal, I might as well, too. "

Why not? Thanks.

35 posted on 05/01/2009 10:46:53 AM PDT by blam
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: Scythian

If you were asking me, I’m not sure. I don’t see why the flu shot couldn’t be part of the equation, but then again, I don’t tend to believe vaccines are the source of all evil and illness!


36 posted on 05/01/2009 10:47:30 AM PDT by brytlea (Jesus loves me, this I know.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: Scythian

The Mexican flu is only weeks old and he’s making conclusions like this?

Your data please.


37 posted on 05/01/2009 10:48:27 AM PDT by Snickering Hound
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Scythian

I don’t get a flu shot, but I have not had the flu in years either, and allot of people around me at work and family have it year after year. I used to get sick with colds/flu allot, so maybe it’s immune system build up over the years. But I also take vitamins and have for years.


38 posted on 05/01/2009 10:49:18 AM PDT by b4its2late (Ignorance allows liberalism to prosper.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: Scythian

Count me in with those who always get flu shots. I’ve gotten them for about 18 years after a horrible bout of flu 19 years ago — thus far, knock wood, I have never gotten the seasonal flus that have circulated around.

I have also never once had a flu-like reaction to the shot unless you count a warm spot on a slightly sore arm for about a day a big reaction. Maybe I’m lucky, or maybe you truly can’t “get the flu” from the shot as some people claim.

Shots are generally about 70% effective — or more, but it’s better than nothing. Sure, I’ve had really bad colds, sinus infections, and bacterial infections that caused fevers and digestive issues, but no classic respiratory flu since getting annual flu shots.

But to each his own — take it or don’t take it — I am 60 now and think I’ll get the pneumonia shot next fall as well.


39 posted on 05/01/2009 10:49:48 AM PDT by CaliforniaCon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nmh

Actually, the drug companies have tried to get OUT of the fluvax business, but the gummint won’t let them. Tain’t a money-maker...


40 posted on 05/01/2009 10:49:55 AM PDT by Pharmboy (Who ever thought we would long for the days of the Clinton administration...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-113 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson