Posted on 08/27/2009 8:05:25 PM PDT by Brugmansian
THE swine flu epidemic almost brought the NSW hospital system to its knees, wiping out 5000 surgical procedures, taking up a third of intensive care beds and forcing up sick leave among hospital staff by more than 50 per cent.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailytelegraph.com.au ...
<< Yawn >>
I heard today that “swine flu” shots will be for folks between 15-35 years of age. I’m worried about my parents (in their 80’s). Good Doc said that they not be in the range for the swine shots......
How’s things going on your island next door to Oz?
Odd that Australia was smacked so hard, while the USA barely could tell the difference.
That’s because this type of flu is more deadly to folks with healthy immune systems. Their immune systems go into hyperdrive, so to speak, causing a cytokine storm. Older folks, whose immune systems aren’t as active aren’t as much at risk.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytokine_storm
Well, I am 80 and not even sure I want a swine flu shot. I’m not sure it’s safe.
You said — Odd that Australia was smacked so hard, while the USA barely could tell the difference.
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LOL... wait until it’s our flu season too.... :-)
I heard awhile back that older folks (that's me) probably have been exposed to it some time in their life and carry anti bodies. Or it could be Oh'bozo practicing "culling the herd"
You said — I heard awhile back that older folks (that’s me) probably have been exposed to it some time in their life and carry anti bodies. Or it could be Oh’bozo practicing “culling the herd”
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Yeah..., the ones who are old enough to have had experience with the 1918 H1N1 flu pandemic... :-)
I hear you.........I'm not sure it's right for my folks, either. My Dad told me tonight that he already had a swine flu shot in the 60's....? We'll see what the new policies are. I think I will get them a flu shot.....are you planning on getting a flu shot?
I think the older you get, the less susceptible you are to the government’s hype.
How quick would you get in line if they said you HAD to take it?
You said — oh yeah, I forgot about the epidemic.
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Actually, it’s the first flu pandemic in 47 years. And, on the average, there are about three flu pandemics per century. So, we were sort of overdue for one, anyway...
But, they can come as close as ten years apart and have before. As far as “averages” go... it’s about three flu pandemics per century...
Been a Mac user since 1933 and never had a virus or a crash...
I didn’t know that MacDonalds had been making hamburgers that long... :-)
I would like to officially coin the phrase ‘catching the swine flu’
to be used as a way to make fun of a friend for hooking up with an
overweight woman. Example: “Dave caught the swine flu last night.”
For some reason the phrase, “doing the piggy” came to mind... don’t know about that one though... :-)
You said — I think the older you get, the less susceptible you are to the government’s hype.
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No..., actually what has been found, is that those exposed to the 1918 flu pandemic have an immunity to this one. Of course, it’s in the same family as the 1918 flu virus, too... so makes sense.
And furthermore, the reason why officials are going for that age segment is that there is a “spike” in the charts showing infection rates for those in that age range. For some reason, it’s hitting them harder....
As always, there is truth behind the facts that are thrown around... :-)
You said — My Dad told me tonight that he already had a swine flu shot in the 60’s....?
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Well, that’s a different type... see the following...
Avian influenza virus H3N2 is endemic in pigs in China and has been detected in pigs in Vietnam, increasing fears of the emergence of new variant strains. Health experts say pigs can carry human influenza viruses, which can combine (i.e. exchange homologous genome sub-units by genetic reassortment) with H5N1, passing genes and mutating into a form which can pass easily among humans. H3N2 evolved from H2N2 by antigenic shift and caused the Hong Kong Flu pandemic of 1968 and 1969 that killed up to 750,000 humans. The dominant strain of annual flu in humans in January 2006 is H3N2. Measured resistance to the standard antiviral drugs amantadine and rimantadine in H3N2 in humans has increased to 91% in 2005. In August 2004, researchers in China found H5N1 in pigs.[4]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H3N2
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This one is the H1N1 flu virus/pandemic, the first flu pandemic in 47 years — since that Hong Kong flu (but of a different type then). So, anyone with an immunity built up from that would not be helped in regards to this present flu pandemic.
You are in luck!
"Original antigenic sin postulates that the virus sub-type that one is first exposed to in childhood will provide the greatest immunity in later years." ( source)
This is an H1 virus. Those born between 1918 and 1957 first sinned with H1.
Immunity isn't near 100% but those born before '57 are safer. In Australia the median age of death was 56--half the cases were older, half younger. In normal flu seasons there the median age is 83.
My mom and her twin turned 90 this year. They were in utero when the worst wave of the 1918 pandemic hit. My grandmother told me about it. Everyone was sick she said. But she wasn't and pregnant woman were in the highest risk group.
Chances are your folks have already been exposed to a form of Swine Flu and would have a partial immunity. It does seem to affect the young the most. I had it, it wasn’t pleasant but it wasn’t bad, I had to take it easy for about 2 weeks, with only about 3 days that I felt really horrible.
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