Flu Strain Samples Remain at Large(born after '68, completely susceptible)

[DeepModem Mom]

Washington Post
Flu Strain Samples Remain at Large
Health Officials Race to Tighten Rules

By Rob Stein and Shankar Vedantam
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, April 14, 2005; Page A03


At least four countries and more than 1,500 U.S. laboratories reported they had destroyed all their samples of a dangerous flu virus that had been shipped around the world, but thousands of others remained unaccounted for yesterday as health authorities in 18 countries intensified efforts to prevent a deadly outbreak.

U.S. officials were investigating the cause of the mishap and racing to tighten restrictions on the handling of particularly dangerous flu strains while international health officials kept close watch for any sign of lab employees coming down with the flu.

President Bush had been briefed on the situation, which is "a high priority for our government," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. "The risk to the public from these samples is low. . . . Nevertheless, we do not want to take any chances."

The World Health Organization said Canada, South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore had confirmed destruction of their samples, but it was unclear how quickly other nations would comply....

***

"Anyone born after 1968 would not have had any exposure to this and would be completely susceptible," Gerberding said. "We are doing everything we can to make sure this virus does not infect an individual or spread to the public at large."...


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50287-2005Apr13.html

[Mistress Quickly]

1. Um, born in 1967

makes me feel no safer.

So now they are letting us know who will be more susceptible? That's not good. Someone screwed up big time.

[libertad]

2. I know, I heard the CDC spokeswoman say that it was because

people born before after that date would not have been immunized against that strain of flu. What are the odds that you or I were immunized for the flu as little kits in the '60's.

[Last Lemming]

3. Older folks

were "immunized" by actually having the infection.

[FlaGranny]

4. Immunization against flu

was pretty rare before 1970, especially for young people.

[Mistress Quickly]

5. Um zilch to zip? n/t

[libnnc]

6. 1970 baby here

isn't this news just duckie :scared:

[Javaman]

7. Boy, we are the terrorists own best friend...

Damn, can we ship them weapons too?

Who the hell did this? And will they be fired? Hell no, in morons* world, they will be promoted and given a medal.

[Mistress Quickly]

13. Meridian Bioscience Inc. of Cincinnati

http://www.meridianbioscience.com/home/home_main.jsp?content=nav_body_content_home.jsp&topContentBar=nav_body_top_home.jsp

[Javaman]

15. Thanks for the link...

The amusing part, in their "news" section they mention nothing about the flu strain that was missent.

[Mistress Quickly]

16. Yeah, I looked all over their website

and can't fins it anywhere. Wonder why?

:shrug:

[noonwitch]

8. Being born in 1964 doesn't make me feel safer, either

Having some exposure doesn't make one immune. I'm not totally worried about this, but it sounds like the Washington Post is just trying to make the boomer generation feel better.

The only thing I'm reasonably sure I'm immune to is the chicken pox. I had such a severe case of it when I was 8, I don't think I'll get it again. I had those pox everywhere on my body, and in some very uncomfortable interal places.

[blackcat77]

10. I had the chicken pox the week of spring break.

Spent the whole week in bed itching. What a ripoff! :)

[blackcat77]

12. Notice the wildly differing excuses...

One story says it was mislabelled. Another says it was properly labelled but they didn't know it was dangerous -- HTF can people working with viruses be that stupid?? But of course they said they didn't vioate any laws.

Nice to know that they risked killing a million people LEGALLY, isn't it?

[blackcat77]

9. I was born in 1952

I remember having the 1968 flu -- it was AWFUL -- but have no memory of the '57 flu one way or the other.

[yardwork]

11. I was born in 1960 and had this flu then and again in 1968

They are the two times I've been sickest in my life.

[amandabeech]

18. I got the flu in '68, too. It was called Hong Kong Flu.

I've had a couple of bad bouts with the flu since, including this year, but I will never forget how sick I got and how fast it came on. I felt fine going off to school at 8:15, but by 10:00, my Dad had to come and get me from school and get an older relative who was a housewife to come and sit with me. My mom, a teacher, had to stay home with me for a couple of days, I was so sick.

I remember that at least half the town was sick at any one time over a month. Hardly anyone went anywhere. So many teachers and subs got sick that hardly anything got done in school for a month. Many sections of grades or classes were combined, and some high school students spent a lot of extra time in study hall because there were so many teachers down.

[Delphinus]

20. This sounds like the one I had in '78.

I think that's the only flu I ever got - I was so sick I was hallucinating.

[DoBotherMe]

21. I had it too in 1968

I was sick at home for two weeks, one week with the flu and another to recover from it. That's what I use as a litmus test to rate the degree of "shittyness" I feel when I get sick now...I JUST WANTED TO DIE. Awful stuff. Dana ; )

[malmapus]

14. heh here is *'s SS fix right in front of us

wipe out everyone or nearly everyone born after 68 :D

volla SS relief and jobs!

[Mistress Quickly]

17. Um, those born after 68

are paying into the system now right? How would it help? You'd need to kill of the boomers, not gen x and whatever catchy name the next goes by.

[malmapus]

19. hey we're dealin with dubyah reasonin here =D

...