California Flu: NOT the "Bird Flu," But Still Needs Your Attention

[peanutbrittle]

December 28, 2005

California Flu: NOT the "Bird Flu," But Still Needs Your Attention

By Gilbert Ross, M.D.



Reports are coming from California describing clogged emergency rooms and doctors' offices ascribed to a sudden surge in influenza cases, a localized flu insurgency, as it were. This "California Flu" epidemic should be noted in the context of the yearly flu onslaughts we see each year, and there are some caveats we need to keep in mind, this year particularly:

*This has nothing to do with the "bird flu" pandemic we have been hearing about, over and over again of late. That epidemic is thus far almost exclusively confined to birds in southern Asia. There have been about 130 human cases, and some sick birds have been found in eastern Europe. This human flu now invading California and contiguous states is part of the annual flu season and is not a harbinger of pandemics yet to come..

*The best way to avoid coming down with this flu, which will inevitably make its way eastward, is to get a flu shot. There is no reason to believe that the "California" virus is resistant to the recently-distributed flu vaccine for the 2005-6 flu season, so if you got your flu shot this year, the likelihood is that you are substantially protected from a severe case of the "California" flu. This of course is not foolproof, for various reasons: some folks, especially seniors, do not make protective antibodies to the flu virus, even after a shot; and it takes at least 2 weeks, maybe up to 4 weeks, to develop a response. But there is still time to get a flu shot to lend some protection this season. Even after this bug comes and goes, there are still 3 months left in the current flu season.

*The yearly flu epidemics kill up to 40,000 Americans. The "bird flu" has killed about 70 people. NO AMERICANS HAVE DIED OF BIRD FLU , and maybe never will. We should get more upset about this real threat and not pay so much attention to that somewhat over-hyped one, for now. One this note, the effective antiviral drug Tamiflu (oseltamivir) is in very short supply, due to panicky hoarding against the ephemeral bird flu. Some people may actually die for want of this drug, which works well within the first 48 hours of flu infection. There is another effective drug, the inhaled Relenza, which may be available in sufficient quantities to help right here in the U.S. for this flu season. Older anti-flu drugs are also around, but at somewhat reduced efficacy due to resistance.

*Children also get the flu--indeed, they are the main reservoir of influenza virus, and they generally don't get very sick from it. But--they do transmit it to their grandparents, who do get quite ill, and sometimes even die. The parents of all toddlers are advised by the CDC to get their youngsters vaccinated against the flu. I believe vaccinating all schoolchildren as well would help to reduce the toll among the elderly, and this should be considered as an added indication by vaccine specialists at the CDC.



Gilbert Ross, M.D., is Executive and Medical Director of the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH.org, HealthFactsAndFears.com).
http://www.acsh.org/factsfears/newsID.679/news_detail.asp

[newswolf56]

1. Very interesting -- thank you for posting this (and welcome to DU):

As someone who regularly writes for a senior-advocacy journal (and a senior myself), this is useful, even vital information. (Already had my flu shot of course; the health-care cooperative to which I belong is especially adamant about the necessity for elders to get them.)

[TallahasseeGrannie]

2. I tried to get a flu shot this year

but I wasn't in a high risk group. My husband got one because he is diabetic.

Now, I teach 200 kids a week, PLUS I live with a two year old and a three-month old. But I wasn't seen as high risk.

I have a chest flu right now like I have never had in my life. This is something different. I'm taking the Z pack for it. I am a very healhty person and this has laid me low for six days. I feel like my lungs belong to someone else..another species.

PLEASE EVERYONE GET YOUR FLU SHOT. YOU DON'T WANT THIS.

[Warpy]

3. If you haven't gotten a flu shot, GET ONE

I don't care how much that urgent care visit is going to cost.

This year's flu is 5 days of fever 102-104 followed by pneumonia.

How do I know? I've had it for a week.

Get that flu shot.

[Frustratedlady]

4. I have several friends who have had something similar

and all ended up with pneumonia, which was hard as all get out to treat. They went through several antibiotics and 6-7 weeks before they were able to throw it off. Nothing to mess with.

[Boomer]

5. Too late for me

My partner and I are still recovering from a flu that laid us out for over a week. It's been years since I've was this sick.

[meti57b]

6. I got the flu shot 3 mos ago and got the flu last week!

A prescription for Tamiflu got rid of the most severe symptoms in about two days. The milder symptoms,.... exhaustion, congestion, are hanging on.

[ecoalex]

7. This is a flu shot advertisement

The shots are dubious, only a 60% success rate, for some paralysis, or syndrome, 1-100,000 do you care to be the one?

[Warpy]

10. Do you care to get a flu that will make you

very, very sick for a long time? Do you care to get a flu that might kill you?

Honestly, a flu shot is nothing for anyone to be that afraid of that they need to twist themselves into pretzels trying to find a rationalization to avoid it.

Oh, and that 40% who "got the flu after getting the shot???" You can bet they fall into three categories: first, they didn't get the shot in time; second, they're ignorant and confuse the mild aches after the short for the flu itself; or third, they got the flu but had a much, much milder case, thanks to the partial immunity the shot conferred.

The risk of Guillain-Barre is quite a bit lower than the figure you cited, and most of THOSE cases can't be tied to the flu vaccine.

So stop whining. Get that shot. You'll thank me when you see just how bad this particular flu is.

[philb]

8. Flu shots aren't very effective and are very dangerous-contain toxics

Besides the fact that flu shots are known to not be very effective at preventing flu(1), flu shots contain mercury and have been documented to have significant adverse health effects(2).
There are very few if any long term studies of what effect the flu vaccine has on your health. One such study has revealed the following. According to Hugh Fudenberg, MD, one of the world's leading immunogeneticist and one of the most quoted biologist of our times (nearly 850 papers in peer review journals), if an individual has had five consecutive flu shots between 1970 and 1980 (the years studied), his/her chances of developing Alzheimer's Disease is ten times higher than if they had one, two or no shots. Dr. Fudenberg was asked why this was so and he said it was due to the mercury and aluminum that is in every flu shot (and most childhood shots). The gradual mercury and aluminum build-up in the brain causes cognitive dysfunction. (2)

It is possible to protect yourself from getting the flu, reducing effects if you get it, and help to build health by detoxifying the immune system and doing things to strenghten the immune system.
Notes:
1. Flu Shots: Do they really work?, Severyn, R.Ph., Ph.D., Kristine M., Vaccine News.
2. Recorded from Dr. Fudenberg's speech at the NVIC International Vaccine Conference, Arlington, VA, September, 1997. Quoted with permission.
3. www.whale.to/v/quotes3.html
4. www.home.earthlink.net/~berniew1/kidshg.html

(note: Fudenberg treats mercury toxicity conditions like autism and is well known)
*****************************
American researchers find that those who were vaccinated were almost twice as likely to seek assistance at an emergency department because of their asthma than those not vaccinated.

By Michael Bradley
www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/07/23/1090464867466.html
Sydney Morning Herald, Australia

IMO a better idea is strengthening the immune system through nutritional meansures and immune boosters like
Beta Glucan, colostrum, astragalous, Vit C/E, etc. Some products documented to be effective in strengthening the immune system
by peer-reviewed studies include glyconutrients such as Mannatech and products from Shaklee, Vitamin Research Products, etc.
these all have web sites and medical study documentation provided

[peanutbrittle]

9. I have never taken a flu shot

and I agree with this, I prefer to know my immune system is really working

Thanks

[philb]

11. I've never had a flu shot and also never had the flu

I also don't remember the last time I had a cold. Its been many years.
But I did have allergies and other serious chronic conditions before I got rid of my mercury amalgam fillings.

[salvorhardin]

12. Fudenberg is a complete quack

Disciplinary actions against Fudenberg
http://www.casewatch.org/board/med/fudenberg/1995order.shtml

He doesn't even have a license to prescribe in South Carolina
http://briandeer.com/wakefield/hugh-fudenberg.htm