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 ...
So, if Dr. Manny is right, those of us who never take the flu shots are in the most danger, but still, I don't think I'm going to take the flu shots. What do you guys think?
Do you guys buy this, that the reason the US isn’t getting hit so hard is years and years of prior flu vaccinations? I’ve been thinking about this, I never get the flu shot and never get the flue. However, those sitting right next to me have gotten the flu shot often get the flu that same year (and I razz them).
So, if Dr. Manny is right, those of us who never take the flu shots are in the most danger, but still, I don’t think I’m going to take the flu shots. What do you guys think?
Because we were going on an expensive overseas trip this year, the whole family had flu shots. Everyone was sick as dogs all winter and spring.
I am in exactly the same position as you are. I have never taken the flu shot, and I have often been the only person in my office who didn’t get sick at some point. I do other things to boost my immunity and I am not going to panic yet.
Perhaps the 1918 flu gave some immunity to those who survived and passed that along to the family genes.
Also, Mexico isn't the cleanest areas and it appears that people who are already weakened from living in a polluted area who be prime suspects of being killed from a virus.
I get the flu shot every year...I'm 65 years old and it is recommended.
In a nutshell for the DUMB:
We have good health care and the U.S. is NOT a thrid world country yet. We are more prosperous, so we EAT better.
I didn’t bother to read the article but the reasons are OBVIOUS.
La Lydida, same here, I never get sick, they do. I never have taken a flu shot. I do all kinds of natural things, I started taken NAC a month ago becasue I read so many good things about it, turns out it’s wonderful for the flu !!!
Also, Olive Leaf, Oregano Oil, Colloidal Silver and so on, not constantly, but rotating and changing all the time, and then sometimes nothing at all.
I’m not sure his argument holds water, but this is all anectdotal at this point, his argument does make some sense though ...
Better hygiene too.
I've wondered about that too. Both my parents were born at that time, one in 1917 and one in 1918.
Eat well and exercise. Your immune system should be the one fighting stuff off.
I know countless people who now REJECT these “flu shots”. They've been sick as dogs too. More often than not the “strain” you are injected with is NOT the “strain” that is the hottest “flu”. It's just a money maker for the pharms that team up with government. And of course, who can resist a “crisis” in the Obama administration?
You don’t have to have a flu shot to have immunity, so who knows, maybe you just have an incredible immune system. Some years I get the flu shot, but most years I don’t (and I don’t anymore now because I have a possible immune system problem). At any rate, I have only had the flu a couple of times in my life anyway. I think I’m just fairly resistant. Or, perhaps you and I are both a bit more hygenic than the average person (wash our hands a lot, don’t touch things and then touch our face/mouth/nose, etc).
FWIW, when I was a kid we went overseas with the military, so I was full to the brim with vaccinations most people probably didn’t get.
And more sex.
I work at a major inner city hospital, and just so happened to have this conversation with the Infection Control nurses, yesterday. Their take on it is that the reason the Flu and TB are not as big a problem in the US is because we are not a backwards, 3rd world country with socialized medicine. We spend more money on education, application and prevention.
You want to see the future of the US after the liberals destroy the economy, thus lower moneys available for the above, and socialized health care? Look no further than Mexico City.
I just wonder ... is this another DISTRACTION?
And if it is, what is D.C. hiding now?
In the bail outs, it was “Universal Health Care”.
Because we have "The One" who will save us all.
Just a thought here. We know that blacks are suseptable to cycle cell. Could it be the Mexicans are suseptable to this flu virus? Different races are effected more by different problems. Are we missing something here?
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.
I get a flu shot every year and I do *not* get sick. My daughter (who lived with us until last August) works in a day care, and brings home everything going around with the kids. I do pretty well avoiding it all.
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