NEWS: U.S. Prepares for Possible Flu Outbreak

Concern is rising about a pandemic of a powerful new flu strain, which could cause a world wide outbreak. The pandemic could be triggered by the recurring bird flu in Asia.



www.cnn.com...

About 36,000 Americans die from regular flu every winter. Pandemics strike when the easily mutable influenza virus shifts to a strain that people have never experienced before.

It's impossible to predict the next pandemic's toll, but a bad one could kill up to 207,000 Americans, says the Pandemic Influenza Response and Preparedness Plan.

Millions of sick patients could swarm doctors' offices and hospitals, says the plan, which stresses that states and hospitals must figure out now how they would free up hospital beds and perform triage.

I hope this never comes to pass. Even the most commun flu virus scares me. Will you do anything extra to protect yourself this year ?



[edit on 25-8-2004 by elevatedone]

[edit on 8-25-2004 by Valhall]

Stock up on your anti-oxidants... include lysine, Vita E, B, B12, C, Zinc, and tons of Green Tea, plus a multitude of others. It has worked for me coutless times in the past. If you get around somebody that is sick, chug a couple cups of green tea (not microwaved or brewed in the microwave!) before you go to bed... unless you are sensitive to caffeine, lol.

I plan on getting a flu shot. Other than that I'm not worried. I do wish authorities would tell people how not to spread germs and colds. Shaking hands is a great way to get other people sick and I think it should be avoided in the winter time. Door knobs and other objects that sick people routinely touch should also be routinely disinfected in public buildings to prevent spreading diseases. I guess most people don't care and just get sick. I suppose if alot of people started croaking from colds and flu (several thousand apparently doesn't phase the general population since it is normal) attitudes might change.

Originally posted by orionthehunter
I plan on getting a flu shot.

I believe the flu shot is only effective against strains of the flu virus that we know of..it it becomes a new unseen strain then no shot is going to help.

The shot will help you from getting the strains we do know of anyway.


Cold viruses shift to different strains like the flu also.


If I'm wrong someone please correct me

Simon

Although I do take news reports like this seriously, I also can't help feeling as though they are some form of scare tactics for the population.
You can imagine how much money drug companies make from scores of people who do choose to get a flu shot.
Sure, elderly people and very young infants may be at a higher risk. But for myself, I'm 30, I keep active, I try and eat good food and vegetables. I do take 1 multivitamin three times a week. I've never had a flu shot since I was 17(under my parents care I was required to every year.)

I guess I feel this way, because every year in Australia before the winter hits, I always see news reports about 'Flu being really really bad this year'.
The articles also urge people to get their flu shots.
Don't now whether the US gets these type of reports every year. I guess our US friends can answer that question.
I suppose we should consider that they are money making exercises for drug companies.

Originally posted by orionthehunter
I plan on getting a flu shot.

How do you know you are really getting Flue shots?

Maybe they are spiking it with something else.

The Flue Epidemic is just the thing they need to say to have people go get their yearly injection of Obedient Me medicine.. bwahahaha

Sure there is not proof either way what you are getting.
Just wanted to throw in some excitement into this thread.

New scare tactics, lord knows we're getting bored with hearing about new terrorist alerts. Personally, I have a big issue with allowing somebody to shoot me up with a "vaccine." I believe it was in the Homeland Security Act where there is a clause that makes it impossible to sue the companies that manufacture vaccines, good lobbiests. Shouldn't healthy individuals be able to fight off common virus's and bacterias? How long did mankind do just fine with herbs and common sense? Too bad our governments would rather have us blindly follow and take whatever pill THEY say is good for you.
Has anyone thought maybe the planet tries to balance out itself now and then to stay healthy? I live in the mountains of Colorado, we are currently going through a fierce Pine Beetle infestation. The ignorant ask, "How can we stop this? Who will remove all the dead trees? Who is going to replant all these trees?" (That last one was the best, especially when the homeowner wanted the resort to replant all the dead trees with Aspens, because he thought they would look better.) When I tell these people that all these trees were brought in after the miners clearcut and replanted fast growing pines instead of native fauna, they still don't get it. Nature is balancing itself out, weeding out the non-native and setting itself up for natural regrowth. Perhaps not everyone needs to live to 99, perhaps nature sees a parasite slowly killing the planet with no foresight whatsoever. Yes, it is sad when loved ones die, but such is life, live hard, fast, and fight the power till you are the power. I'd be okay with a little population thinning, lets start with the politicians, move onto the lawyers, then anyone that has anything to do with the insurance business, and then we can wipe out all the Texans next!

So what happens if you decide not to take a shot because you feel it will do you more harm than good? What, are they going to arrest for refusing? That's not right.

Normally our government warns us of flu threats after the epidemic has errupted. Could this be a warning of possible biological terrorist attacks in the near furture.

mrmulder, here's some scariness.
1010wins.com...

and
www.covenantnews.com...

and yet another
www.newsworld.cbc.ca...
I'm sure there were plenty more articles, my search had over 2000 matches. Apparantly Big Brother does know better. Although in defense of the military, once you sign, you're theirs!


[edit on 26-8-2004 by DeKay]

I find the most troubling point in all the reporting is the stories of it mutating and transmitting into pigs. With swine being quite close to us in terms of DNA structure it represents a show that a human infection could be close.

You are ridiculous ...

by Dekay

New scare tactics, lord knows we're getting bored with hearing about new terrorist alerts. Personally, I have a big issue with allowing somebody to shoot me up with a "vaccine." I believe it was in the Homeland Security Act where there is a clause that makes it impossible to sue the companies that manufacture vaccines, good lobbiests. Shouldn't healthy individuals be able to fight off common virus's and bacterias? How long did mankind do just fine with herbs and common sense? Too bad our governments would rather have us blindly follow and take whatever pill THEY say is good for you.

First of all there would not be as many American's in the U.S. right now if it weren't for vaccines and Small Pox would probably have destroyed this whole nation if the leaders of our country would'nt have shoved some Penicilin down your grandfathers throat ... you are just like my dad and my Grandfather. And you know what my grandfather just dies last year and his hardheadedness killed him he decided if God couldn't heal him he didn't ned to be here well he is not here and he was so hard headed about everything else that he had a Disability INcome policy and NO life insurance left my gradma with over 60,000 in Bills ... and you know what I am not sure if you are anything else like my father and grandpa but if you are open up your eyes.