Australia's Influenza Season and H3N2

Australia has had a particularly bad flu season because the H3N2 virus mutated AGAIN from what was produced in vaccines. Of course, physicians are still recommending that everyone get it for protection from the other strains in it, but now adding "if you do get it (H3N2), it will make the case less severe." Is there any truth to that? I heard this argument for the first time last year, but prior to that, it was either "it works or it doesn't work."

Based on these articles, I think we're (United States) using the same strain in our vaccines as they did. I wonder how many more seasons we can have of the flu vaccine being ineffective and people still getting it. We got bad cases of the flu in the year when ER docs were saying that year's vaccine was only 20 percent effective. The next year, many people skipped the vaccine according to a CNP at a drugstore.

www.nbcnews.com...

www.9news.com.au...

www.digitaljournal.com...

a reply to: drussell41

It's been horrendous this winter, although where I am winter never came, I think we had more like an extended autumn and back to spring. Everyone I know has been hammered, had to take my boy to the doctor and he was like go home rest and ride it out, he told us it's so bad that even the doctors were suffereing. Screw the flu shot you won't catch me getting one.

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed
a reply to: drussell41

It's been horrendous this winter, although where I am winter never came, I think we had more like an extended autumn and back to spring. Everyone I know has been hammered, had to take my boy to the doctor and he was like go home rest and ride it out, he told us it's so bad that even the doctors were suffereing. Screw the flu shot you won't catch me getting one.

So I take it you're in Australia. Did you know anyone who got both the vaccine and a case of it also? I would love to know if getting it mitigates the severity at all or if this is just another BS line to get people to keep taking that injection. When so much money is at stake, it makes me wonder.

I'm sorry your boy had to go through it.

a reply to: drussell41

I appreciate your concern, the boy is fine now he fought it off.

I'm not convinced the flu vaccine is effective, as I understand it if your immune system is compromised it won't really be effective, also it only vaccinates previous years strains and not the current mutations...

So I also suspect it's a money grab, and yes I'm in the northern rivers among the highest percentage of anti vaccers in Australia so my perspective may be skewed.

Anyone that I've spoken to that has had the vaccine seems to still get the flu, perhaps for reasons stated above, but I'm really not sure.

Stop being so snotty...

The flu vaccine is a gamble, I've read that labs pick the top 5 flu strains coming from Asia to start making the flu vaccine, it takes time to make the vaccine & distribute it so sometimes by the time you get it another strain has mutated and become more prevalent.
Some years ago Michael Savage talked on his show about how in Asia the waste from pigs was fed to chickens and their waste was fed to fish, and that created a "soup" that mutated the virus, don't know if it's true but he was gone from the air next week.

If you get the flu naturally, your innate immune system learns from it and it can figure out how to fight the virus if it mutates. The vaccine, it does not give the same benefit. The vaccine if wrong most likely not give a person immunity to the differently mutated virus, antigen immunity does not do that. It is pretty much worthless for that type.

They are referring to the ramp up of the immune system when they say things like that. Just eat some soup and immune system stimulating foods and your immune system will ramp up better than a bad match vaccine. The people pushing the vaccines twist info to make it look better all the time. As long as they have some evidence of something even if it is misapplied they can say things because it applies to one in a thousand people.

a reply to: rickymouse

I'm immunosuppressed from a transplant. There was at least one study that shows we don't develop immunity to the B viruses in the vaccine, and now one of the A components may be worthless if what they're saying about it mitigating harm is untrue.

a reply to: drussell41

Yeah, the immunosuppressants are a pain, but necessary in most cases with a transplant. They are working on that now though, they are investigating chemistry that only targets specific organs for immunosuppressant activity. It may be another five to ten years before they work it all out. Our medical research is evolving, no thanks to pharma companies who just buy the patent from the government paid research then charge enormous prices for the meds they sell. I am kind of disgusted with what I am finding in my researching this stuff.

The vaccinations usually do not work very well when your immune system isn't working. Vaccines are meant to stimulate a specific response of our immune system, when your immune system is basically shut down, not much works. Trying to stay away from sick people is the best thing to do. It is not only viruses, it is also microbes that cause problems. With microbes it is easier, some foods directly kill them.

I wonder if some of the chemistries that directly disable viruses could help to disuade a person who is immune compromised to help fight viruses. Onions and garlic have some of those properties, the quercetin and proteinases in onion can disable virus replication somewhat. Coconut oil treated with a lipase...basically monolaurin...can soften the virus and soften the part that enters the cell too so it cannot replicate. The monolaurin's biggest effect is that it softens microbes to allow the body to attack.

Also, bromelain in pineapple or just the supplement can help to break apart the mucus protecting cancer cells and disolves some microbes shell. It also works like the proteinase in onions. Another good thing for destroying viruses is fresh grapefruit, it contains proteinases and a couple of chemicals, Naringenin and lutinen, that destroy viruses through autophagy, but it also effects a lot of enzymes, so some meds and grapefruit do not get along. I am not sure if I got those names correct, doing it from memory.

You would have to talk to a doctor who specializes in this to find the best approach to fighting diseases when you are on meds like that....if one exists. Maybe a specialist might know, I have not studied the meds that are used to shut down the immune system for transplants, I do not know much about that group of meds.

a reply to: rickymouse

Thanks. You have so much knowledge re food!