Replies

I would suggest you go out and google influenza deaths.

There are a number of studies out there. See if you can find one that looks credible that says there are only 2000 influenza deaths per year.

I would submit to you that people die from respiratory infections, circulation problems, and even heart attacks, because of the stresses of coming down with influenza and being bed ridden for a period of time.

Some folks think the government and the big pharmaceutical companies are running a scam on the U.S. public. They look for ways to convince folks this is true. They will grasp at straws to do it, and trash folks who don’t buy into this with them.

Nursing homes are not required to report to the CDC. Not all hospitals are either. Some hospitals do, and many don’t. Perhaps the CDC should require them all to. I think there’s an argument to be made there. The fact that the CDC hasn’t is probably more related to the idea that it wouldn’t really improve matters all that much if they did.

They are servicing people with influenza now. They would in the same manner if they reported. Nothing would change except there would be a larger field of data reporting pretty much what the CDC already knows.

I don’t see nursing homes not reporting due to any avoidance considerations. Health care is provided to these patients. They do get medications, IVs, and nutrition supplements if necessary. That’s about what they’d get in the hospital.

“Some folks think the government and the big pharmaceutical companies are running a scam on the U.S. public. They look for ways to convince folks this is true. They will grasp at straws to do it, and trash folks who don’t buy into this with them.”

There is no reason to “trash” the CDC but there is no reason to treat the CDC as the picture of medical perfection either. It is a government agency - bulky, political and operating where the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing - like all big government institutions.

I agree with you that pharmaceutical companies are demonized beyond reality, but they too, are not perfect in their pursuit of profit and political insider status. Government and pharmaceutical companies have plenty of room for skecptism and examination.

After being involved in the medical research business for thirty years, I can promise you, there are no holy or perfect players in the field of medicine. Naturally all are self interested. Sometimes those interests are good for public health and sometimes they should be rejected.

Obama is trying to use this flu epidemic for more power and that is scary as heck. How can he call a “National emergency” when the flu data is not there to support such an extreme reaction? I think he is trying to spin CDC's failure to produce enough vaccine to cover those who want the vaccine in the country. That is going to backfire on him.