Swine Flu Vaccines, Good or Bad?

Special Sunday From The Emails 072609

Hey folks,

Yes, I was not here on Friday, and yes, some of you have got the new Email Address opntalk@gmail.com. So since I could not be here Friday, here is an interesting Email sent to me by LC. It is from Veggie Source. Yes I know. But this is interesting.

As you know, I have been following Bird Flu and now Swine flu VERY Closely. Neither is going away. Swine flu is increasing. The world is watching what will happen when actual Flu Season returns.

There has been news that Tamiflu has shown signs in helping those that contract Bird Flu and now even Swine flu. They just announced that a NEW Swine Flu Shot may be ready by October and they are talking about it being FORCED on our school Children. So is this good? Or bad? This Email from Veggie Source gives an opposing view of all this. Here it is.

VIDEO: Swine Flu & "60 Minutes"

Come this fall, many governments will have a great deal of swine flu vaccine stocked and ready to go.

There's big money to be made selling vaccines (just ask major Swine Flu vaccine shareholder, Donald Rumsfeld) . The government and media fear-mongering is already starting.

On Thursday, July 9, 2009, US health officials said the government would like to institute mass vaccinations of school-aged children starting in October.

Should this happen, we will be removing our children from school rather than let them receive this vaccine.

Why? Well just watch the two videos below, from the last time the government got into the swine flu vaccine business.

The two videos are a 1979 "60 Minutes" piece about some of the people who became seriously ill, permanently paralyzed, or died due to the vaccine.

Before letting yourself or your loved ones be vaccinated with this new, untested vaccine, before you let them become fodder for Big Pharma profits, do some research and seriously question the need for this -- or any government vaccine $chemes.

The 1976 mass vaccination was stopped, but only after thousands of people became gravely ill. Nothing has changed between then and now.

(PS: Jeff's cousin and her family, three of them, had the swine flu last month - June 09 - in Denver. They recuperated and are dong just fine; none of them died, was crippled, or relegated to wheelchairs for life, as happened to many of the people who got the Swine Flu vaccine -- watch the videos below.)

Part One:




Part Two:




Now I know that these folks are Liberals. I understand that they think that both the Bird Flu and now Swine Flu is a scam. They are not. They are very real with very real people getting really sick and really dying. We now have something like 6 cases right here in Martin Country Florida. Actually, here is the CDC update:

Alabama 477 cases 0 deaths
Alaska 272 cases 0 deaths
Arizona 947 cases 15 deaths
Arkansas 131 cases 0 deaths
California 3161 cases 52 deaths
Colorado 171 cases 0 deaths
Connecticut 1713 cases 8 deaths
Delaware 381 cases 0 deaths
Florida 2915 cases 23 deaths
Georgia 222 cases 1 death
Hawaii 1424 cases 3 deaths
Idaho 166 cases 0 deaths
Illinois 3404 cases 17 deaths
Indiana 291 cases 1 death
Iowa 165 cases 0 deaths
Kansas 204 cases 0 deaths
Kentucky 143 cases 0 deaths
Louisiana 232 cases 0 deaths
Maine 145 cases 0 deaths
Maryland 766 cases 4 deaths
Massachusetts 1370 cases 5 deaths
Michigan 515 cases 9 deaths
Minnesota 670 cases 3 deaths
Mississippi 252 cases 0 deaths
Missouri 76 cases 1 death
Montana 94 cases 0 deaths
Nebraska 313 cases 1 death
Nevada 467 cases 0 deaths
New Hampshire 247 cases 0 deaths
New Jersey 1414 cases 15 deaths
New Mexico 232 cases 0 deaths
New York 2738 cases 63 deaths
North Carolina 483 cases 5 deaths
North Dakota 63 cases 0 deaths
Ohio 188 cases 1 death
Oklahoma 189 cases 1 death
Oregon 524 cases 5 deaths
Pennsylvania 1960 cases 8 deaths
Rhode Island 192 cases 2 deaths
South Carolina 244 cases 0 deaths
South Dakota 45 cases 0 deaths
Tennessee 283 cases 1 death
Texas 5151 cases 27 deaths
Utah 988 cases 16 deaths
Vermont 59 cases 0 deaths
Virginia 327 cases 2 deaths
Washington 658 cases 7 deaths
Washington, D.C. 45 cases 0 deaths
West Virginia 243 cases 0 deaths
Wisconsin 6222 cases 6 deaths
Wyoming 111 cases 0 deaths
Territories
American Samoa 8 cases 0 deaths
Guam 1 case 0 deaths
Puerto Rico 20 cases 0 deaths
Virgin Islands 49 cases 0 deaths
TOTAL (55)* 43,771 cases 302 deaths

So Swine Flu nor Bird Flu are scams thought up by the Government to make a profit such as Global Warming. Yet I DO agree that these vaccines need to be tested FULLY before they are mandated for use. Right now Swine Flu is easily treated and most recover from it. There has only been 302 deaths nationwide. Yet we have to be prepared if it DOES mutate into something worse than it is now. I will also highlight the link for the WebMD Article that they are referring to. Be right back with that.
Peter

Sources:
Vegsource.com - VIDEO: Swine Flu & "60 Minutes"
Web MD - Swine Flu Vaccination May Target Schools

Swine Flu Outbreak Could Be Man Made

Why is the CDC NOT taken this more seriously?

Hey folks,

As you know I have been watching the Bird Flu very closely and warning you folks about it for years. I want you to pay VERY CLOSE ATTENTION to the FACTS of this new Swine Outbreak, and tell me if you think that this is just a natural occurrence.

According to Reuters - Deadly new flu breaks out in Mexico, U.S. By Alistair Bell and Noel Randewich

* New mixture of viruses in flu never seen before

* Eight cases found in California and Texas

* WHO says Mexico, U.S. well-equipped to handle outbreak

* No need to change travel plans, say WHO and CDC (Adds eighth case in United States)

MEXICO CITY, April 24 (Reuters) - A strain of flu never seen before has killed as many as 61 people in Mexico and has spread into the United States, where eight people have been infected but recovered, health officials said on friday.

Now the way this starts off, sounds like no big deal. The CDC has even said, do not worry about traveling to Mexico. No reason to worry. However, what about these facts?

Mexico's government said at least 16 people have died of the disease in central Mexico and that it may also have been responsible for 45 other deaths.

The World Health Organization said tests showed the virus in 12 of the Mexican patients had the same genetic structure as a new strain of swine flu, designated H1N1, seen in eight people in California and Texas.

Because there is clearly human-to-human spread of the new virus, raising fears of a major outbreak, Mexico's government canceled classes for millions of children in its sprawling capital city and surrounding areas.

So Mexico, which suspect not 61 cases, but over a THOUSAND, are closing schools and starting to get a handle on people's travels and what their people are doing. CDC?

"Our concern has grown as of yesterday," U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acting director Dr. Richard Besser told reporters in a telephone briefing.

Well, that's good. But it really does not seem likely that this is a natural occurrence.

It first looked mostly like a swine virus but closer analysis showed it is a never-before-seen mixture of swine, human and avian viruses, according to the CDC.

OK. So we have the DNA of this Virus. It contains what causes some variation of Human Flu, along with that which causes Bird Flu, and that which causes Pigs to get the Flu. Is it even Scientifically possible that all these elements could come together and form this new Flu? Sorry, but as much as I have analysed this, NO.

Swine Flu can normally be transmitted from Pigs to Humans. Bird Flu, Birds to Humans. Human Flu, from Human to Human. So if you combine the Human to Human ability of transmission to Bird or Swine, then it becomes possible that once a Human contracts the Bird Flu, or in this case, Swine Flu, it becomes then possible to pass it along person to person.

Mexico's government cautioned people not to shake hands or kiss when greeting or to share food, glasses or cutlery for fear of infection.

The virus is an influenza A virus, carrying the designation H1N1. It contains DNA from avian, swine and human viruses, including elements from European and Asian swine viruses, the CDC has said.

Hello? CDC? Are you paying attention? CNN has an interesting story about this. According to CNN- Texas family quarantined after son contracts swine flu

(CNN) -- As Hayden Henshaw was being rushed to the doctor's office after becoming ill, his father heard that his son's classmates had been struck with the deadly swine flu virus like the one sweeping through Mexico.

Patrick Henshaw called his wife immediately to have Hayden checked for it. Later, they received the bad news.

Hayden had become the third confirmed case of swine flu at his Texas high school. It is a virus that has killed 68 people in Mexico and infected at least eight people in the United States.

Health officials arrived at the Henshaws' house Friday and drew blood from the whole family, then told them to stay inside and away from the public, Henshaw told CNN.

The whole family is quarantined indefinitely, according to CNN-affiliate KABB. Henshaw said his family was shocked when they got the news about their son.

"Stunned. My wife was having a panic attack," Henshaw told the affiliate.

U.S. health officials have expressed concern about U.S. cases of a swine flu virus that has similar characteristics to the fatal virus in Mexico.

More than 1,000 people have fallen ill in Mexico City in a short period of time, U.S. health experts said.

"This situation has been developing quickly," Richard Besser, acting director of the Atlanta, Georgia-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said Friday. "This is something we are worried about."

So why is this not on EVERY news outlet, warning people about traveling to Mexico? Why has President Obama and his Crew NOT come out and made a statement about this growing danger, securing the Boarder between us and what appears to be Ground Zero, Mexico? Why are there still some in this country pushing for wide open boarders and Amnesty?

Where, other than here, is THIS in the news?

New York health officials said Friday they were testing about 75 students at a school in New York City for swine flu after the students exhibited flu-like symptoms this week.

A team of state health department doctors and staff went to the St. Francis Preparatory School in the borough of Queens on Thursday after the students reported cough, fever, sore throat, aches and pains.

Test results are expected as early as Saturday.

We're waiting. Still waiting.

Surveillance for and scrutiny of influenza has been stepped up since 2003, when H5N1 bird flu reappeared in Asia. Experts fear that or another strain could spark a pandemic that could kill millions.

In Egypt, a 33-year-old woman died of bird flu, becoming the third such victim there in a week. The H5N1 bird flu, a completely different strain from the swine flu, has infected 421 people in 15 countries and killed 257 since 2003.

An outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, killed 44 people in Canada in 2003.

CDC will be issuing daily updates.

Now we have a Flu, that is AFTER Flu Season that contains all three of these together? I'll be checking the daily updates. Perhaps you should as well.

Peter

Sources:
Reuters - Deadly new flu breaks out in Mexico, U.S.
CNN- Texas family quarantined after son contracts swine flu
The CDC- Website

SWINE FLU UPDATE 042709

UPDATE: World Governments Taking It Serious, Stock Markets Fall

Hey folks,

This is getting bigger than anyone ever expected. Here is your Swine Flu Update for April 27, 2009. Until further notice, Updates to follow on a regular bases. This was just pointed out to me by someone in the Comment Section on my original post. Well, is this an admittance of this Swine Flu being Man-made. Watch this and you decide.



AP - World gov'ts race to contain swine flu outbreak By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard, Ap Medical Writer – 1 hr 5 mins ago

WASHINGTON – The world's governments raced to avoid both a pandemic and global hysteria Sunday as more possible swine flu cases surfaced from Canada to New Zealand and the United States declared a public health emergency. "It's not a time to panic," the White House said.

Late Sunday, Mexico's health secretary raised the number of suspected deaths in that country to 103, and the number of cases to more than 1,600.

Mexico, the outbreak's epicenter, canceled some church services and closed markets, restaurants and movie theaters. A televised variety show filled its seats with cardboard cutouts. Few people ventured onto the streets, and some wore face masks.

Canada confirmed cases in six people, including some students who — like some New York City spring-breakers — got mildly ill in Mexico. Countries across Asia promised to quarantine feverish travelers returning from flu-affected areas.

The U.S. declared the health emergency so it could ship roughly 12 million doses of flu-fighting medications from a federal stockpile to states in case they eventually need them — although, with 20 confirmed cases of people recovering easily, they don't appear to for now.

Make no mistake: There is not a global pandemic — at least not yet. It's not clear how many people truly have this particular strain, or why all countries but Mexico are seeing mild disease. Nor is it clear if the new virus spreads easily, one milestone that distinguishes a bad flu from a global crisis. But waiting to take protective steps until after a pandemic is declared would be too late.

"We do think this will continue to spread but we are taking aggressive actions to minimize the impact on people's health," said Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

President Barack Obama's administration sought to look both calm and in command, striking a balance between informing Americans without panicking them. Obama himself was playing golf while U.S. officials used a White House news conference to compare the emergency declaration with preparing for an approaching hurricane.

Yeah, that is reassuring. Someone even commented on that. Does it really show leadership?

"We're preparing in an environment where we really don't know ultimately what the size or seriousness of this outbreak is going to be," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told reporters.

Earlier, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the outbreak was serious, but that the public should know "it's not a time to panic." He told NBC's "Meet the Press" that Obama was getting updates "every few hours."

In Mexico, soldiers handed out 6 million surgical-style masks to deal with the deadly flu strain. Special laboratory tests to confirm how many died from it — 22 have been confirmed so far out of 103 suspected deaths — are taking time.

The World Bank said it would send Mexico $25 million in loans for immediate aid and $180 million in long-term assistance to address the outbreak, along with advice on how other nations have dealt with similar crises.

A potential pandemic virus is defined, among other things, as a novel strain that's not easily treated. This new strain can be treated with Tamiflu and Relenza, but not two older flu drugs. Also, the WHO wants to know if it's easily spread from one person to a second who then spreads it again — something U.S. officials suspect and are investigating.

"Right now we have cases occurring in a couple of different countries and in multiple locations, but we also know that in the modern world that cases can simply move around from single locations and not really become established," cautioned WHO flu chief Dr. Keiji Fukuda.

There is no vaccine against swine flu, but the CDC has taken the initial step necessary for producing one — creating a seed stock of the virus — should authorities decide that's necessary. Last winter's flu shot offers no cross-protection to the new virus, although it's possible that older people exposed to various Type A flu strains in the past may have some immunity, CDC officials said Sunday.

Worldwide, attention focused sharply on travelers.

"It was acquired in Mexico, brought home and spread," Nova Scotia's chief public health officer, Dr. Robert Strang, said of Canada's first four confirmed cases, in student travelers.

Should we then NOT be looking at securing the boarders even more here?

New Zealand said 10 students who took a school trip to Mexico probably had swine flu, and on Monday it said three students in a second group just back from Mexico probably have it as well. Spanish authorities had seven suspected cases under observation. In Brazil, a hospital said a patient who arrived from Mexico was hospitalized with some swine flu symptoms. A New York City school where eight cases are confirmed will be closed Monday and Tuesday, and 14 schools in Texas, including a high school where two cases were confirmed, will be closed for at least the next week.

China, Russia, Taiwan and Bolivia began planning to quarantine travelers arriving from flu-affected areas if they have symptoms. Italy, Poland and Venezuela advised citizens to postpone travel to affected parts of Mexico and the U.S.

Multiple airlines, including American, United, Continental, US Airways, Mexicana and Air Canada, are waiving their usual penalties for changing reservations for anyone traveling to, from or through Mexico, but have not canceled flights.

Officials along the U.S.-Mexico border were asking health care providers to take respiratory samples from patients who appear to have the flu. Travelers were being asked if they visited flu-stricken areas.

The U.S. hasn't advised against travel to Mexico but does urge precautions such as frequent hand-washing while there, and has begun questioning arriving travelers about flu symptoms.

Yeah, so every other country is urging their people to avoid traveling to Mexico. Why has our Government NOT done the same? With all this, now the Stock Market is also starting to be effected. According to the WSJ - GLOBAL MARKETS: European Stocks Fall On Fears Over Swine Flu

LONDON (Dow Jones)--European stocks have traded lower Monday as fears over the impact of a possible swine flu pandemic on an already weak global economy have boosted demand for traditional safe-haven assets.

"If swine flu morphs into a pandemic, it's the last thing the world economy needs, as it's already on its knees," said economist Kenneth Broux at Lloyds Banking.

During times of global flu pandemics, three trends take place: equity markets fall, the dollar strengthens, and there's a flight to quality, he said.

Like I said, until someone get's a handle on this, you can look here for on going updates as they become available.
Peter

Sources:
AP - World gov'ts race to contain swine flu outbreak
WSJ - GLOBAL MARKETS: European Stocks Fall On Fears Over Swine Flu

Swine Flu Again?

Here we go again? No. Not according to the "Experts."

Hey folks,

As you all know, I was one of those out there that followed the Swine Flu IN DEPTH. I gave you the CDC updates and posted News Articles in regards to it. Check the Archives and you will see what I mean.

So this story got my attention. Obviously. Health Day - Two U.S. Children Contract New Strain of Swine FluBut general public should not be concerned, CDC says By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating two recent cases of swine flu in which the new strain of flu passed directly from pigs to children.

This strain of flu does not appear capable of human-to-human transmission, but further study is needed, because if it were to spread among humans, the implications would be severe, the agency said. The CDC says the new strain contains genetic material from the H1N1 virus that swept the world last year, plus DNA from other pig flu viruses.

"We hope to learn more about the extent of transmission as soon as possible," said CDC spokesman Tom Skinner. "We see a couple of cases of swine origin influenza every year, and usually it's in people who have direct contact with swine. Right now there doesn't appear to be any sustained human-to-human transmission."

Both cases, revealed Sept. 2 in an early release of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, involved children under 5 years old, one in Indiana and the other in Pennsylvania.

The Indiana boy who came down with the flu had no contact with pigs, but a caregiver had been in direct contact with swine in the weeks before the boy became sick. In the other case, a girl developed flu after having contact with pigs at a fair, according to the report.

Both children recovered, and no other family members got sick, the CDC said.

According to Skinner, these are the first cases of new swine flu seen this year.

"As far as the general population is concerned, here we have a situation where we have a couple of cases in people who have had contact with swine," Skinner said. "The general public, I don't think, should be concerned about these cases."

However, people who have contact with swine and develop an upper-respiratory illness accompanied by fever need to make sure their doctor knows that they had contact with swine, Skinner said.

"This report shows our system of being able to detect new and emerging influenza viruses is working," he said.

Skinner added that the flu viruses known to go from person-to-person are those seen during the flu season, which usually starts in December.

This year's seasonal flu vaccine contains the same strains as last year's, which are the ones seen now in the Southern Hemisphere, he said. Skinner urged people to get a flu shot before the flu season begins in North America this winter.

Flu expert Dr. Marc Siegel, an associate professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine in New York City, said "there is no concern for the public at this point."

"You have to remember that swine flu strains and bird flu strains are coming out all the time, and two cases doesn't mean anything," Siegel said.

Pigs are mixing vessels for flu, Siegel explained. "We see this every year. The key here is that we don't see any tendency toward sustained human spread," he said.

So basically do not worry about it. Like with ANY Flu Season, just take the necessary precautions and keep one eye on those around you that may seem under the weather. Please, if you do start showing signs of illness, go see your Doctor, and PLEASE, stay home. No need to spread it to others, no matter WHAT it is.
Peter

Sources:
Health Day - Two U.S. Children Contract New Strain of Swine Flu

Swine Flu Shots Mandated at Schools

Health and Science Segment for Sunday 072609

Hey folks,

I just got done posting From the Emails for this Week and we learned that the folks over at vegsource.com are quite opposed to this. They provided a link to Web MD - Swine Flu Vaccination May Target Schools

Well, in this weeks Health and Science Segment, we are going to look at this article. Here it is.

Obama Administration Says H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine May Be Ready in October
By Todd Zwillich WebMD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD July 9, 2009 --

Health officials are looking toward thousands of schools and day care centers to mount a possible mass vaccination program against the H1N1 swine flu this fall, government planners said Thursday.

The plan -- which still depends on unanswered questions of how easy a swine flu vaccine is to produce and how well it works -- could see tens of millions of doses targeted mainly at children beginning in October, Obama administration officials said.

OK so far so good. It is in the testing stages. But the wording here COULD be misleading. Read that again.

The plan -- which still depends on unanswered questions of how easy a swine flu vaccine is to produce and how well it works.

OK. Fine. But is it SAFE? Will the possible side effects of this new Vaccine be published and those taking it, or in this case the Parents of those taking this, be warned?

Swine flu has sickened an estimated 1 million Americans since it was first identified in the U.S. in the spring. Approximately 170 U.S. deaths have been reported.

Well according to the CDC that would be 302 deaths. But I do have to admit something. I keep hearing this One Million number of cases. Yet I find no proof of this. At any rate, this is still a MAJOR problem and we have to be vigilant.

The widely publicized outbreak was thought to have originated in Mexico. It sent health officials and manufacturers scrambling to produce a vaccine against H1N1 swine flu. Test lots of vaccine are soon to enter clinical trials to see how well the vaccine works in helping the body mount immune protection against the H1N1 swine flu virus and how many doses it might take to get that protection.

HOPEFULLY also the SIDE EFFECTS.

New infections continue across the U.S. this summer. Experts expect the virus to infect many more people in the fall, when flu viruses typically spread much more easily and outbreaks can take hold.

"Since the population that seems to be most affected is younger folks, school-aged kids, kids in day care centers, we may well partner with the schools, looking at those as possible sights for a vaccination program," said Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

At a meeting Thursday at the National Institutes of Health headquarters in Bethesda, Md., Sebelius urged state and local officials to "be prepared for the potential of a fall vaccination campaign."

Officials said they were planning on a voluntary vaccination program focusing on children, adults with underlying diseases, health care workers, and families of small children and infants.

"What we can't do is wait until October and then suddenly decide that we have very serious situation on our hands," Sebelius said.

Production of Swine Flu Vaccine

Five U.S. vaccine makers are ramping up production of an H1N1 swine flu vaccine. The vaccine is entering trials to test its effectiveness, and also to determine if it will have to be delivered in more than one dose.

Results of the trials are expected in August, said Anthony Fauci, MD, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. After that, companies are likely to start producing a vaccine with a plan to distribute doses by October.

"We're probably talking about tens of millions of doses in early October," Fauci said.

Bruce Gellin, MD, head of the National Vaccine Program at the Department of Health and Human Services, said companies could produce as much as 100 million doses of H1N1 swine flu vaccine. "This is, if all goes well," he said.

At the same time, epidemiologists are closely monitoring the Southern hemisphere, where flu season is in full swing. Flu viruses mutate easily, and scientists are watching to see if the current H1N1 virus undergoes genetic changes that make it easier to spread, more resistant to vaccine protection, or more lethal.

Officials are also trying to coordinate with state and local officials. They need to set up protocols for vaccine distribution, anti-viral drug distribution, and guidelines for closing schools where infected students are found.

Hundreds of schools across the nation closed for days or weeks at a time during the spring after students became infected with swine flu. In New York City, where the outbreak was particularly strong, 55 schools closed, 900 people were hospitalized, and more than 45 people died.

Officials still have not decided exactly which age groups will be recommended to get the vaccine. That decision is likely to come at the end of July when the federal Advisory Council on Immunization Practices meets in Atlanta.

Anne Schuchat, MD, who heads the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, told state and local officials to expect "a very busy fall."

"This is a time for aggressive planning, and I hope you recognize that we have a lot to plan for," she said.

Look folks, I do not get the flu shot. I nearly never get sick. I do not believe all that much in the necessity of it. But I understand those that do. I understand that some folks want as much protection as they can get from getting sick. That is natural.

I do not agree with the folks that think this is all a scam for profit. But I DO agree that we need to make sure that we do NOT have a repeat of the 70s. Perhaps just as important as is it effective, we need to make sure that it is safe.
Peter

Sources:
Web MD - Swine Flu Vaccination May Target Schools

Swine Flu Update 042909

Update: Swine Flu, Money, Vaccines, and Fear.

Hey folks,

Yes, I'm aware there is more news out there. Yes I am aware that some would like to dismiss this, or even ignore it. I will get to so of the other news and answer some of your questions in just a second. But first, sorry, I do find this very important to keep an eye on with all the MIS-information out there. Here is your Swine Flu Update, for Wednesday 042909. When you read this, you make your own judgements on the money, Vaccines, and fear aspect of all this. Right after this, I will be talking about Obama's first one hundred days, and my honest feelings on Arlen Specter switching Parties.

Bloomberg - Swine Flu Extends Reach to Countries Outside Mexico (Update2) By Tom Randall

April 29 (Bloomberg) -- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said hundreds of students in his city are sick with suspected cases of swine flu, an indication the disease may be taking root in countries outside Mexico.

President Barack Obama asked Congress for $1.5 billion in new funding to brace for an outbreak, a White House spokesman said. New York accounts for 45 of the 65 confirmed U.S. cases in six states. New Zealand today confirmed 14 people have swine flu in Auckland city, the first cases in the Asia-Pacific region.

Mexico, where the virus toll is highest, said 159 people may have died from the malady, with seven of those verified by laboratory tests. Seven countries have confirmed swine flu, including the U.K., Canada, Israel, New Zealand and Spain, laying the seeds for a possible global pandemic, according to the World Health Organization. Officials in Bavaria said Germany confirmed its first case today.

“The zillion-dollar question is how long will this transmission activity last and what will be the evolving picture of disease severity,” said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease and Policy at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. “If transmission continues and severe illness is documented, WHO will have to raise its pandemic alert level further.”

The WHO, a United Nations agency based in Geneva, said it’s watching New York to see whether the virus has become rooted in a second country, a finding that would boost the level of the pandemic alert system.

Hospitalization, Deaths

The U.S. can expect hospitalizations and deaths, and businesses and schools should plan for a pandemic, Richard Besser, acting head of the Atlanta-based CDC, said yesterday.

New York, America’s largest city, has about 45 confirmed cases, most originating at St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens, Bloomberg said yesterday. At P.S. 177, a public school for autistic children, 82 students have called in sick and six students are being tested at Ascension school in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, , he said. Most family and staff suspected of having the flu haven’t been tested, the mayor said.

Two other people, a woman in Brooklyn and a boy in the Bronx, were hospitalized with suspected cases associated with travel to Mexico, Bloomberg said. Five patients with confirmed swine flu cases have been hospitalized in the U.S., Besser said.

Alert Raised

WHO raised its global pandemic alert this week, saying the disease is no longer containable and health authorities need to prepare for outbreaks. It’s the first time the warning has been raised to a 4 since the six-step system was adopted in 2005. It had been at 3 since 2007, when it was elevated for an outbreak of avian flu.

A pandemic, rated 6 on WHO’s alert system, is an unexpected outbreak of a new contagious disease that spreads from person to person across borders. In such cases, almost no one has natural immunity.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama requested more money yesterday to help build stockpiles of anti- viral drugs, work on vaccines and coordinate the U.S. response with other governments.

The money is meant “to ensure we have the resources available” at federal, state and local levels to deal with any wider spread of the virus, Gibbs said.

The biggest concern is whether the virus is establishing itself outside Mexico, Keiji Fukuda, WHO’s assistant director- general for health security and environment, said on a conference call yesterday with reporters.

Speed, Ferocity

WHO is tracking the speed and ferocity of the New York- based transmissions with U.S. and state health officials to determine how the flu may spread in the future, Fukuda said.

“There is definitely the possibility that this virus can establish that kind of community-wide outbreak capacity in multiple countries,” Fukuda said. “It’s a very serious possibility, but it’s still too early to say that it’s inevitable.”

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency to help the most populous U.S. state with 37 million people prepare for an outbreak. Health officials said yesterday they had confirmed an 11th case, though the added instance wasn’t reflected in the CDC data. The state also has seven more “probable” cases, said Bonnie Sorensen, chief deputy director of the California Department of Public Health.

Travel Advisories

Schwarzenegger ordered state agencies to use whatever government personnel, equipment and facilities needed to help the health department. He also authorized the agency, along with the state’s Emergency Medical Services Authority, to enter contracts with private companies without competitive bids.

The outbreak in Mexico City prompted the local government yesterday to order all 35,000 restaurants shut.

U.S. officials recommended that nonessential travel to Mexico be avoided and the European Union told travelers to avoid outbreak areas. Malaysia today asked the WHO to ban outbound travel from Mexico.

Japan suspended visa-free entry for Mexican nationals, countries including Australia, Singapore and South Korea are screening air passengers, and Taiwan advised against visiting Mexico.

Australia is testing 90 people for swine flu, and authorities are searching for 15 people who were on a plane from Mexico two days ago, Health Minister Nicola Roxon said.

Trade Curbs

South Korea will suspend imports of live hogs from North America starting today, the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said. Indonesia said April 27 it will destroy all imported pork and swine products and fumigate agricultural goods bought from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico as a precaution.

China, the world’s top pork consumer, banned imports of swine products from Mexico and parts of the U.S.

The WHO isn’t recommending travel restrictions and has said people can’t get swine flu from eating properly handled pork.

“We’re in a pre-pandemic phase and it’s going to be hard to know until we’re much further along what this is going to progress to,” Besser said in an interview.

Scientists are trying to determine why swine flu, a respiratory disease of pigs caused by a type-A influenza virus, has been more severe in Mexico. The disease results in symptoms similar to those of seasonal influenza, such as fever, lethargy and coughing, and may also cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, according to the CDC.

Pandemic Alert

“In terms of defining a pandemic, there is no requirement that it cause severe disease,” said Arnold Monto, a scientist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “It doesn’t have to be killing millions. The virus may be bad in terms of the likelihood of getting infected, but not necessarily in terms of severity.”

The Mexican government requested that bars, movie theaters and churches close in Mexico City. It also extended its school closure to May 6 and may shut down more activities.

The World Bank, in a worst-case scenario published in October, said a flu pandemic that’s similar in scope to the 1918 outbreak known as the Spanish flu could kill 71 million people worldwide and push the economy into a “major global recession” costing more than $3 trillion.

Flu Treatments

Production of influenza vaccine for seasonal outbreaks, which U.S. health officials have said is ineffective against the new flu, should continue, Fukuda said. The WHO is working with companies to prepare for a swine-flu vaccine, and would help produce it if the outbreak becomes a pandemic, he said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration signed emergency authorizations April 27 that will permit the CDC to use an unapproved lab test for swine flu and more dosing options than currently recommended for influenza treatments Tamiflu, sold by Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG, and Relenza, from London-based GlaxoSmithKline Plc.

If the world is facing a pandemic, “this is a nice, gentle pandemic,” said John Oxford, a virologist at Queen Mary’s School of Medicine in London. “Virulence seems low.”

The New York City mayor is founder and majority owner of Bloomberg News parent Bloomberg LP.

To contact the reporter on this story: Tom Randall in New York at trandall6@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: April 29, 2009 03:50 EDT

CDC Update:

The human swine flu outbreak continues to grow in the United States and internationally. Today, CDC reports additional cases of confirmed swine influenza and a number of hospitalizations of swine flu patients. Internationally, the situation is more serious too, with additional countries reporting confirmed cases of swine flu. In response to the intensifying outbreak, the World Health Organization raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 4. A Phase 4 alert is characterized by confirmed person-to-person spread of a new influenza virus able to cause “community-level” outbreaks.” The increase in the pandemic alert phase indicates that the likelihood of a pandemic has increased.

CDC has activated its emergency operations center to coordinate the agency’s emergency response. CDC ’s goals are to reduce transmission and illness severity, and provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this swine influenza virus. Yesterday, CDC issued a travel warning recommending that people avoid non-essential travel to Mexico. CDC continues to issue interim guidance daily on the website and through health alert network notices. CDC’s Division of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) is releasing one-quarter of its antiviral drugs, personal protective equipment, and respiratory protection devices to help states respond to the outbreak. The swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is susceptible to the prescription antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir. This is a rapidly evolving situation and CDC will provide updated guidance and new information as it becomes available.

AS of 11 AM yesterday, the CDC breaks it down like this.

California 10 cases
Kansas 2 cases
New York City 45 cases
Ohio 1 case
Texas 6 cases
TOTAL COUNT 64 cases

There is an investigation of two deaths in LA to see if they died of this. More updates to follow.
Peter

Sources:
Bloomberg - Swine Flu Extends Reach to Countries Outside Mexico (Update2)
CDC - Website

Swine flu shots at school: Bracing for fall return

UPDATE: Swine Flu Update

Hey folks,

I'm still getting, well, before the Email Change, NEW EMAIL opntalk@gmail.com, from some of you wondering why I keep following this so closely. Here is why. Normal Flu has a season. When it turns warmer, it goes away to return during "Flu Season" then goes away again. Not with Swine Flu. It is still very much alive and is STILL Spreading. So what happens when actual "Flu Season" DOES come back around? Will it be more deadly? Will it spread MORE easily? Will it mutate to become something else? This is why it HAS to be watched. According to the AP - Swine flu shots at school: Bracing for fall return By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard, Ap Medical Writer – 1 hr 10 mins ago

WASHINGTON – U.S. swine flu vaccinations could begin in October with children among the first in line — at their local schools — the Obama administration said Thursday as the president and his Cabinet urged states to figure out now how they'll tackle the virus' all-but-certain resurgence.

"We may end up averting a crisis. That's our hope," said President Barack Obama, who took time away from the G-8 summit in Italy to telephone another summit back home — the 500 state and local health officials meeting to prepare for swine flu's fall threat.

No final decision has been made on whether to vaccinate Americans, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius stressed. That depends largely on studies with experimental batches that are set to start the first week of August — to see if they're safe and seem to work and to learn whether they require one or two doses.

But if all goes well, the federal government will buy vaccine from manufacturers and share it for free among the states, which must then "try and get this in the arms of the targeted population as soon as possible," Sebelius said.

First in line probably will be school-age children, young adults with risky conditions such as asthma, pregnant women and health workers, she said. Unlike regular winter flu, the swine flu seems more dangerous to these groups than to older people.

"Schools are natural places" to offer those vaccines, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said.

Go home and get schools, mayors and other community leaders to spread that message, Sebelius said.

"The last thing we want is millions of parents to be surprised" the day the get-your-kid-vaccinated-at-school note comes home, she said.

Schools do occasionally team up with local health officials for special flu vaccination clinics, but it's not common. More than 140 schools around the country scheduled flu vaccination days last fall, some providing free vaccine. Some vaccinated only students bearing parent consent forms; others opened their doors to entire families.

It will be a confusing fall, Sebelius acknowledged. Doctors' offices, clinics and even grocery stores will be in the midst of dispensing 100 million-plus doses of regular winter flu vaccine — and the swine flu vaccine, which will roll out slowly, will require at least one completely separate inoculation.

"We know a mass vaccination program of even modest scale will involve extraordinary effort on your part," Sebelius told state health workers.

She also announced $350 million in grants to help states prepare, money to be used partly to brace hospitals for a surge of demand from the truly sick and the well-but-worried.

"We want to make sure we are not promoting panic but we are promoting vigilance and preparation," Obama told the gathering.

State officials welcomed the funds but had more practical questions for the feds, starting with what they learned from the chaos when swine flu first burst on the scene last spring and schools around the country closed because of sick students.

Since then, the virus has infected an estimated 1 million Americans and still is spreading, remarkable considering influenza usually can't tolerate summer's heat and humidity.

"What I need from all of you is an idea of when it is best to close, when it is necessary to close and when it's not," said Belinda Pustka, superintendent of Texas' Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District.

"Closing school is a last resort not a first resort," Duncan stressed, but he said schools need to plan how they'll keep students learning if they do have to close for extended periods.

Pustka's schools posted assignments online. But Sue Todey of Wisconsin's Department of Public Education said that between rural geography and poverty, many students don't have the necessary Internet access and she's exploring using public television or old-fashioned sending home of paper assignments.

An even bigger problem: When schools close and working parents need to stay home — or any worker gets sick — too often, they don't get paid, said Paul Jarris of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. So they come to work, spreading infection.

"How are we going to assist people who don't have benefits?" he asked.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said she was working with the Labor Department to address that question, and she urged employers to allow telecommuting and make other provisions should swine flu hit their workplaces this fall.

Swine flu outbreaks in the fall are all but certain given its continued spread here — 50 outbreaks in children's summer camps so far — and abroad, with major problems in parts of the Southern Hemisphere.

What doctors can't predict is how bad it will be during the U.S. flu season, but Obama's team of heavy-hitters spent Thursday warning against complacency.

Even if swine flu proves no more deadly than regular winter flu, that kills 36,000 Americans a year — and with swine flu, teenagers and young adults are being disproportionately hit, said Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And both types could very well spread at the same time this fall.

"If it doesn't happen, we'll be fortunate," Sebelius added.

CDC Update Case count on their site?

Alabama 400 cases 0 deaths
Alaska 122 cases 0 deaths
Arizona 762 cases 11 deaths
Arkansas 42 cases 0 deaths
California 2461 31 deaths
Colorado 146 cases 0 deaths
Connecticut 1364 cases 6 deaths
Delaware 347 cases 0 deaths
Florida 1781 cases 7 death
Georgia 138 cases 0 deaths
Hawaii 722 cases 1 death
Idaho 115 cases 0 deaths
Illinois 3259 cases 14 deaths
Indiana 273 cases 0 deaths
Iowa 156 cases 0 deaths
Kansas 136 cases 0 deaths
Kentucky 130 cases 0 deaths
Louisiana 183 cases 0 deaths
Maine 107 cases 0 deaths
Maryland 686 cases 2 death
Massachusetts 1328 cases 4 deaths
Michigan 489 cases 8 deaths
Minnesota 634 3 death
Mississippi 188 cases 0 deaths
Missouri 68 cases 1 death
Montana 67 cases 0 deaths
Nebraska 215 cases 0 deaths
Nevada 327 cases 0 deaths
New Hampshire 237 cases 0 deaths
New Jersey 1289 cases 10 deaths
New Mexico 232 cases 0 deaths
New York 2582 cases 52 deaths
North Carolina 312 cases 2 deaths
North Dakota 58 cases 0 deaths
Ohio 147 cases 1 death
Oklahoma 150 cases 1 death
Oregon 403 cases 4
Pennsylvania 1794 cases 6 deaths
Rhode Island 177 cases 2 death
South Carolina 176 cases 0 deaths
South Dakota 34 cases 0 deaths
Tennessee 213 cases 0 deaths
Texas 4463 cases 21 deaths
Utah 953 cases 14 deaths
Vermont 50 cases 0 deaths
Virginia 306 cases 2 death
Washington 636 cases 4 deaths
Washington, D.C. 45 cases 0 deaths
West Virginia 179 cases 0 deaths
Wisconsin 6031 cases 4 death
Wyoming 99 cases 0 deaths
Territories
Guam 1 case 0 deaths
Puerto Rico 18 cases 0 deaths
Virgin Islands 15 case 0 deaths
TOTAL (54)* 37,246 cases 211 deaths

We need to keep watching this so we have ANY kind of hope in dealing with it if it DOES mutate. Diligence and readiness is key.
Peter

Sources:
AP - Swine flu shots at school: Bracing for fall return

NOTE: New Email opntalk@gmail.com

SWINE FLU UPDATE

UDATE: Emergency declared as 20th swine flu case confirmed

Continuing Update on Swine Flu

U.S. officials say the public health emergency is a precaution. Americans are told to prepare for outbreaks but not to panic. By Jim Tankersley

11:06 AM PDT, April 26, 2009

Reporting from Washington -- Federal officials today declared a public health emergency involving human swine flu, warning Americans to prepare for widespread outbreaks now or in the future, yet urging them not to panic.

In a briefing at the White House, the acting head of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Richard Besser, confirmed a 20th case of the flu, this one in Ohio. He said the government will likely find more cases -- and cases that are more severe than the relatively mild ones seen in the United States so far -- as it ramps up detection efforts.

Meanwhile, Nova Scotia's chief public health officer said today that the east coast Canadian province has four confirmed cases of swine flu. And in Mexico, the country's health minister said the disease had killed up to 86 people and likely sickened more than 1,400 since April 13.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the government would release a quarter of its 50-million-unit strategic reserve of antiviral medications, which combat the disease in infected patients, to states where outbreaks have occurred. Besser said the CDC has begun laying the groundwork to manufacture a swine flu vaccine if one becomes necessary.

The officials cast the moves as aggressive but precautionary, and they counseled calm.

Swine flu is "serious enough to be a great concern to this White House and to this government," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said on NBC'S "Meet the Press," adding that President Obama is receiving frequent updates on the situation.

"We are taking the proper precautions to address anything that happens," Gibbs said. "It's not a time to panic."

Napolitano said the "emergency" declaration was a routine move to ensure the government is prepared "in an environment where we really don't know, ultimately, what the size or seriousness of this outbreak is going to be."

A swine flu outbreak in Mexico is being blamed for at least 1,000 infections and 81 deaths. There have been 20 reported cases in the United States, none fatal. That includes cases in California, Kansas, Texas, Ohio and New York, where officials confirmed infections today in eight students of a private high school in Queens.

The U.S. patients have ranged in age from 9 to 50. All are recovering or have recovered.

Only one U.S. patient has been hospitalized so far, Besser said. But given the experience in Mexico, he said he expected "that, over time, we are going to see more severe disease in this country."

"This is moving fast," Besser added later, "but I want you to understand that we view this more as a marathon."

The symptoms of swine flu are nearly identical to the symptoms of other influenza, including high fever, aches, coughing and congestion. It appears to spread through human-to-human contact and human contact with live pigs but not by eating pork products, officials said.

Countries around the world moved quickly to limit the disease's spread today. Some issued travel warnings for the United States or Mexico. Others began screening some incoming international air travelers for signs of high fever.

Besser and other officials at the press conference stressed simple steps that the U.S. public can take to limit spread of the disease: Wash hands frequently, stay home, and don't board airplanes, if you feel sick, and keep sick children out of school.

Gibbs said it was too early to speculate about economic effects of an outbreak. And he dismissed reporters who asked if the federal response was hampered by the fact that the Senate had not yet confirmed President Obama's nominee to lead the Health and Human Services department, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas.

"It's all hands on deck and we're doing fine," Gibbs said. "I would say that we hope we have a new secretary shortly."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

LA Times

From the CDC

Human Swine Influenza Investigation

April 26, 2009 12:45 ET

Human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection have been identified in the United States. Human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection also have been identified internationally. The current U.S. case count is provided below.

U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection State # of laboratory
confirmed cases

California 7 cases
Kansas 2 cases
New York City 8 cases
Ohio 1 case
Texas 2 cases
TOTAL COUNT 20 cases

International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection

Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the infection and whether additional people have been infected with swine influenza viruses.

CDC is working very closely with officials in states where human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) have been identified, as well as with health officials in Mexico, Canada and the World Health Organization. This includes deploying staff domestically and internationally to provide guidance and technical support. CDC has activated its Emergency Operations Center to coordinate this investigation.

Laboratory testing has found the swine influenza A (H1N1) virus susceptible to the prescription antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir and has issued interim guidance for the use of these drugs to treat and prevent infection with swine influenza viruses. CDC also has prepared interim guidance on how to care for people who are sick and interim guidance on the use of face masks in a community setting where spread of this swine flu virus has been detected. This is a rapidly evolving situation and CDC will provide new information as it becomes available.

There are everyday actions people can take to stay healthy.

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.

If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

UPDATE: SWINE FLU CONFIRMED IN NYC

UPDATE: CDC NOW CONFIRMS SWINE FLU IN NYC AND WARNS OF TRAVEL

Hey folks,

This is getting serious now.

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control confirmed that eight students of a high school in Queens had been infected with swine flu, the first confirmed cases in New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a news conference on Sunday. Mr. Bloomberg said that all of the cases had been mild and hospitals in the city had not seen more patients with severe lung infections.

YET. First California and Texas, Now NYC. So far over 61 people died in Mexico, over a thousand Cases suspected. So how did it get from Mexico to NYC?

“So far there does not seem to be any outbreak,” Mr. Bloomberg said. “We don’t know if the spread will be sustained. What’s heartening is the people who tested positive have only mild illnesses.”

No Outbreak? Try possible Terrorism. This is man made folks.

About 100 students at St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows, Queens, became sick in the last few days, and some family members have also taken ill. Mr. Bloomberg said the school would be closed on Monday, and that officials would then reassess whether to reopen the school.

Other New York City schools will be open as usual on Monday, Mr. Bloomberg said.

Yeah sure, why not. Let's help this thing spread even more. Moron.

In Washington, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and top health officials were due to speak at a news conference Sunday afternoon to address what the government was doing to control the spread of the disease. Eight students from New York City are likely to have contracted swine flu, and there have been 11 confirmed cases in California, Kansas and Texas.

So far, not so good in containment.

No deaths from swine flu have been reported in the United States. On Sunday, the government of Hong Kong announced some of the toughest measures yet of any jurisdiction in response to a swine flu outbreak in Mexico and the United States.

Officials urged residents not to travel to Mexico and ordered the immediate detention at a hospital of anyone who arrives with a fever and symptoms of a respiratory illness after traveling in the previous seven days through a city with a laboratory-confirmed outbreak.

New York is not yet on the list of cities with outbreaks because the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta is still testing samples from the eight students from Queens.

They better add them. I just found out about Kansas the same time you did. I hope they are finally taken this seriously. Can't wait to see what Obama and Crew are planing on doing.

I really would like to know how this made it from Mexico to the US. What is the "self life" of this thing. What is the incubation of the Swine Flu? Someone has it, they can give it to me, how? How long until I see signs? And please, do not tell me to wash my hands. GIVE US REAL INFORMATION!

One legacy of SARS is that Hong Kong may now be better prepared for a flu pandemic than practically anywhere else on the world. Fearing that SARS might recur each winter, the city embarked on a building program to enlarge its capacity to isolate and treat those infected with communicable respiratory diseases.

Hong Kong now has 1,400 beds for this purpose each equipped with mechanical ventilators for treating those with severe pneumonia or other respiratory difficulties. But only 80 to 100 of these beds are needed on any given day, so they have been used until now for patients with other medical problems, Dr. Chow said.

The city has also expanded its flu research labs, already among the best in the world and leaders in tracking the H5N1 avian flu influenza virus. The so-called bird flu virus, which kills an unusually high share of its victims, has periodically triggered fears over the past decade about a possible pandemic but is different from the H1N1 swine flu influenza virus now causing illnesses in Mexico and the United States.

We already know that this is a combination of SARS, Bird Flu, and Swine Flu. Which means that it most likely HAS to be man-made.

More updates to follow.
Peter

Sources:
NYT - As Nations Try to Contain Flu, N.Y. Cases Are Confirmed

New Moms Be Extra Careful

Health and Science for Sunday 122709

Hey folks,

Now we have known that Pregnant Women are at a greater risk. Basically, in layman terms, this is due to hormones being out of whack. The body is generating more for the Fetus than for the Mother. However, now we are learning that new Mothers, just after birth, are still in this high risk category. According to the AP - Study: Swine flu poses a threat to new moms. By ALICIA CHANG, AP Science Writer Alicia Chang, AP Science Writer – Wed Dec 23, 5:03 pm ET

LOS ANGELES – Swine flu is not only dangerous to pregnant women, but it's a threat to new mothers too, the first study to document this risk shows. An analysis of pregnant women and new mothers who were hospitalized with swine flu in California found that those who had a baby in the previous two weeks were at higher risk of severe flu complications.

The swine flu threat to pregnant women has been well-documented, and public health officials urged them to get vaccinated. Previous research showed expectant mothers infected with the virus are more likely to be hospitalized and face a greater risk of death than the general population.

The new report, released Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine, is the first to look at the risk to women who recently gave birth and highlights "the continued high risk immediately after pregnancy," the researchers wrote.

As a result of the research, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently revised its guidelines, recommending that flu drugs be given to women who show signs of the flu soon after they give birth.

Same reason as with Pregnant Women. As for the Flu Shot itself, that still remains your own personal choice.

The study was done by the California Department of Public Health and the CDC. California, the nation's most populous state, has stepped up surveillance of the disease since the 2009 H1N1 strain was discovered in April in two California children.

The study involved 94 pregnant women and eight new mothers who were hospitalized during the first four months of the pandemic before a vaccine became available, in October.

Most of those pregnant women were in their second or third trimesters, when the risk of flu complications is believed to be highest. Many were otherwise healthy and went to the hospital with mild symptoms like fever or cough, but their health rapidly declined.

A total of 22 women — 18 pregnant and four who had delivered — needed intensive care. Eight died including two new mothers. The study found all eight women who died did not receive prompt treatment with flu drugs.

Why would ANYONE, showing signs of the Flu, NOT be given Flu Drugs?

Researchers estimated that swine flu killed more than four pregnant women per 100,000 live births in California. The pandemic has proven so deadly to pregnant women that researchers say it may increase the nation's overall maternal mortality for 2009. The rate was 13.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2006, the latest year for which data was available.

Death from childbirth remains fairly rare in the United States. One of the most common causes is excessively bleeding.

"This is unusual in that an infectious disease may increase the overall mortality rate," said Dr. Denise Jamieson of the CDC, who was part of the study.

In a separate study also appearing in the journal, doctors in Argentina determined the death rate from swine flu in children was 10 times higher than in a normal flu season. More than two-thirds of children who died had chronic health problems.

So all you new Moms out there, and those soon to be, please be extra careful. Take the extreme precautions. If you are in line at a store with someone showing signs of being sick, leave the line. Wash your hands. Do not be around ANYONE that may be showing signs of sickness. If you start feeling ill, see a Doctor right away.

This is good advice for anyone. But for those in High Risk categories, Kids, Pregnant Women, now Women who just gave birth, and the Elderly, please take extra care. It is far better to avoid any kind of sickness, than it is to treat it.
Peter

Sources:
AP - Study: Swine flu poses a threat to new moms

Swine Flu Update 060309

UPDATE: Swine Flu Spreads to All 50 States

Hey folks,

It is NOT Flu Season. It is NOT subsiding. It is NOT going away. This is why I'm tracking it. H1N1, AKA Swine Flu has now shown itself to be present in all 50 States. According to AOL NEWS / Reuters - Swine Flu Spreads to All 50 States

WASHINGTON (June 2) -- Cases of the new H1N1 flu virus have been found in all 50 U.S. states and tests have confirmed the virus in more than 10,000 people across the country, U.S. officials said on Monday.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said the confirmed tests represent about one in 20 of the actual number of infections, which would bring the total number of U.S. cases to around 200,000.

California health officials reported the state's first two deaths from the swine flu virus, bringing the nationwide total to 19 fatalities.

Both involved middle-aged people, a man from San Bernardino County and a woman from Los Angeles County, who had pre-existing medical conditions.

"While, overall, we have seen predominantly mild flu cases in the state, these fatalities remind us that all flu viruses can be deadly, including the H1N1 flu," Dr. Mark Horton, director of the California Department of Public Health, said in a statement.

California has identified 802 people with confirmed or probable cases of the disease, with 47 requiring hospitalization.

Most of those hospitalized had underlying medical conditions that included lung disease, weakened immune systems and heart disease, and a smaller number had diabetes or were obese or pregnant.

The virus, which spreads easily and causes mostly mild disease, has been diagnosed in 17,564 people in 64 countries, killing 115, according to the World Health Organization.

It was found this week in patients in Bulgaria, Vietnam and Jamaica.

Although H1N1 swine flu appears mild, it affects mostly older children and young adults, and experts worry it could change into a more dangerous form.

That is the concern. What happens when actual Flu Season returns? Will it mutate to become more deadly and drug resistant? They DO seem to be hard at work in finding a way to help ward it off, and lesson the blow. Here is the official CDC Case Count as of June 1.

CDC Update Case Count as of 060109 at 11AM

Alabama 84 cases 0 deaths
Alaska 1 case 0 deaths
Arkansas 7cases 0 deaths
Arizona 547 cases 4 deaths
California 804 cases 0 deaths
Colorado 61 cases 0 deaths
Connecticut 196 cases 0 deaths
Delaware 121 cases 0 deaths
Florida 166 cases 0 deaths
Georgia 29 cases 0 deaths
Hawaii 73 cases 0 deaths
Idaho 13 cases 0 deaths
Illinois 1103 cases 3 deaths
Indiana 146 cases 0 deaths
Iowa 71 cases 0 deaths
Kansas 79 cases 0 deaths
Kentucky 77 cases 0 deaths
Louisiana 122 cases 0 deaths
Maine 11 cases 0 deaths
Maryland 48 cases 0 deaths
Massachusetts 470 cases 0 deaths
Michigan 234 cases 0 deaths
Minnesota 60 0 deaths
Mississippi 16 cases 0 deaths
Missouri 36 cases 1 death
Montana 14 cases 0 deaths
Nebraska 43 cases 0 deaths
Nevada 102 cases 0 deaths
New Hampshire 40 cases 0 deaths
New Jersey 74 cases 0 deaths
New Mexico 108 cases 0 deaths
New York 605 cases 4 deaths
North Carolina 14 cases 0 deaths
North Dakota 6 cases 0 deaths
Ohio 23 cases 0 deaths
Oklahoma 82 cases 0 deaths
Oregon 148 cases 0 deaths
Pennsylvania 123 cases 0 deaths
Rhode Island 14 cases 0 deaths
South Carolina 46 cases 0 deaths
South Dakota 7 cases 0 deaths
Tennessee 104 cases 0 deaths
Texas 1403 cases 3 deaths
Utah 247 cases 1 death
Vermont 3 cases 0 deaths
Virginia 31 cases 0 deaths
Washington 575 cases 1 death
Washington, D.C. 20 cases 0 deaths
West Virginia 3 cases 0 deaths
Wisconsin 1641 cases 0 deaths
Wyoming 2 cases 0 deaths
TOTAL*(51) 10,053 cases 17 deaths

For those of you out there that want to continue to wave this off and say, "So what? No big deal." I say GOOD. We should be THANKFUL that it is as mild as it is. But we also need to answer those questions that STILL have not been answered. Is this a Man-Made Virus? By whom, where, when, how? Why? Would be a good one also. If not, then HOW did Swine Flu, Bird Flu, and Human Flu combined together to form this naturally?

Peter

Sources:
AOL NEWS / Reuters - Swine Flu Spreads to All 50 States

If New Strain, Does The Vaccine Work?

"So you still warn against the vaccine shots?"

Hey folks,

YES. I do. Someone pointed this article out to me and asked me the above question. They pointed out this part of the article:

Federal health officials said Friday 11 more children have died in the past week because of the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about half of the child deaths since September have been among teenagers.

And overall for the country, deaths from pneumonia and flu-like illnesses have passed what CDC considers an epidemic level.

then asked me this.

"So you still warn against the vaccine shots?"

The answer is YES! I do. I'm not getting it. Nor will I allow Joshua to get it. Why?

1- It really has not been tested yet. It was rushed into production, and we know from history what can happen with untested Flu Vaccines. Remember the 70s? Then I read the whole article. It's from the AP - Hitting early, swine flu claims 11 more kids in US By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer. I read this.

This new strain is different from regular winter flu because it strikes the young far more than the old, and child deaths are drawing particular attention. Eighty-six children have died of swine flu in the U.S. since it burst on the scene last spring — 43 of those deaths reported in September and early October alone, said Schuchat.

That's a startling number because in some past winters, the CDC has counted 40 or 50 child deaths for the entire flu season, she said, and no one knows how long this swine flu outbreak will last.

Also in contrast to regular winter flu, swine flu sometimes can cause a very severe viral pneumonia in otherwise healthy young adults, the World Health Organization warned.

Typically, influenza weakens people so they're vulnerable to bacterial pneumonia, especially those over age 65. But the new H1N1 can dive deeper into the lungs, in "small subsets" of patients who go into respiratory failure within days, said WHO medical officer Dr. Nikki Shindo.

OK. So 2 - If this is a NEW strain of the H1N1, does the Vaccine that has been produced actually work AGAINST it? Every year the Drug Companies have to create a NEW Flu Vaccine and they do so by guessing which strain will emerge. Basically it's like a game of Whack-a-Mole. I think he is going to pop up here and look like this, but then, sometimes he pops up somewhere else looking totally different. Hit and miss. But when we are talking about injecting the Flu INTO people with the hopes of building up their immunity to THAT particular strain, regardless of if it is THAT strain or not making rounds? Sorry. I have never been for that. If you get the Flu, there are many treatments that you can take to get well. I'd rather wait to see if I NEED to deal with it or not.

But I still remember hearing the Infectious Disease Expert telling a News Show that he was more concerned with the H1N1 Vaccine than he was that actual Flu. Ditto.

Here is your CDC Official Update.

Situation Update

During the week of October 4-10, 2009, influenza activity continued to increase in the United States as reported in FluView. Flu activity is now widespread in 41 states. Nationwide, visits to doctors for influenza-like-illness continued to increase and are now about equal to or higher than what is seen at the peak of many regular flu seasons. In addition, flu-related hospitalizations and deaths are continuing to go up and are above what is expected for this time of year.

I was looking for the State by state breakdown, I found they do not do this anymore.

Why did CDC stop reporting confirmed and probable 2009 H1N1 flu cases?

Individual case counts were kept early during the 2009 H1N1 outbreak when the 2009 H1N1 virus first emerged. As the outbreak expanded and became more widespread, individual case counts become increasingly impractical and not representative of the true extent of the outbreak. This is because only a small proportion of persons with respiratory illness are actually tested and confirmed for influenza (including 2009 H1N1) so the true benefit of keeping track of these numbers is questionable. In addition, the extensive spread of 2009 H1N1 flu within the United States made it extremely resource-intensive for states to count individual cases. On July 24, 2009, CDC discontinued reporting of individual cases of 2009 H1N1, but continued to track hospitalizations and deaths.

So folks, it really is this simple. If you CHOSE to get the new Swine Flu Shot, go for it. As for me and my own, I think we will skip it. Just be careful and do what you would to protect yourself from the regular Flu, and if you get sick, which I know all about lately, TRUST ME, do EVERYONE a favor and just stay home and do whatever the Doctors tell you.
Peter

Source:
AP - Hitting early, swine flu claims 11 more kids in US

Swine Flu Update 050509

UPDATE: You think America is going Overboard about the Swine Flu?

Hey folks,

Coming right up will be another "I told you so." Did you catch this yesterday? A lawyer is claiming that the White House told him that they would unleash the Mainstream Media on his company and destroy it? Should be no surprise to you. That in just a minute.

Happy Tuesday to you. Actually, Happy Cinco de Mayo, "fifth of May." The day where some celebrate Mexican army's unlikely defeat of French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.

Well today, Mexico is starting up a new battle. This time with China. They are going their to get their people out of the country. China on a hunt for anything Mexican and anyone that has come into contact with anyone Mexican. I'm not kidding. I know some of you think that the US is going over board with the Swine Flu thing. What do you think about this? According to BBC News - Mexico starts China flu airlift

A Mexican plane has arrived in China to collect dozens of Mexicans who have been quarantined because of fears they may be infected with swine flu.

About 70 Mexicans were confined despite just one confirmed case of the virus.

The issue sparked a diplomatic row, with Mexico accusing China of targeting its citizens unfairly, and Beijing saying it was a "purely medical" issue.

Some 26 people have died of the virus in Mexico and more than 1,000 cases have been reported in 20 countries.

But just one fatality has been recorded outside Mexico - a two-year-old Mexican boy who died in the US while on a visit.

In other developments:

• The World Health Organization says 1,124 people around the world have so far contracted the H1N1 swine flu virus. However, WHO figures often lag behind those announced by national government laboratories

• Mexico puts the number of infections within its borders at 727, higher than the WHO's figure of 529

• President Felipe Calderon appears on Mexican TV praising the country's precautions against swine flu. "Thousands of lives have been saved not only in Mexico but in the world," Mr Calderon said

• In the UK, delivery begins of specially-produced leaflets offering advice on swine flu and advice on how to prevent its spread

• South Korea reports its second confirmed case of swine flu, the first instance of human-to-human transmission in Asia.

Second row brewing

The row between Mexico and China developed after a 25-year-old man who had flown from Mexico to Shanghai and Hong Kong was diagnosed with swine flu - or H1N1.

CONFIRMED CASES
Mexico: 101 suspected deaths - 26 confirmed; 727 confirmed cases
US: One death, 286 confirmed cases
Canada: 140 confirmed cases
Spain: 54 confirmed cases
UK: 27 confirmed cases

China decided to track down everyone on his flight and put them into quarantine. It also isolated everyone in the traveller's hotel in Hong Kong.

Mexican officials say more than 70 of their citizens in China have been confined. It is not yet clear whether or not these people had any contact with the infected traveller.

About 50 are being held in Shanghai in two five-star hotels, with 10 in Beijing and several more in the city of Wenzhou.

A charter plane landed in Shanghai at about 1300 local time (0500 GMT) to pick up the first group of Mexicans.

The flight will then stop in Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong before returning to Mexico City.

One traveller quarantined in Beijing told Mexican radio that soldiers were guarding the hotel gates.

"This is like a kidnapping for us," Mirna Elisa Berlanga said.

Mexico has issued strongly-worded statements over the past few days condemning Beijing's response.

"I think it's unfair that, because we have been honest and transparent with the world, some countries and places are taking repressive and discriminatory measures because of ignorance and disinformation," said Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu denied there was any discrimination, saying: "The measures concerned are not targeted at Mexican citizens. This is purely a medical quarantine issue."

Meanwhile, another diplomatic row could be brewing after Canada asked China to explain why a group of at least 20 Canadian students had been quarantined in the north-eastern town of Changchun.

Canada said none of the students had shown any flu symptoms.

The US embassy said on Tuesday that four American citizens had also been quarantined in China due to swine flu fears.

So here is your official CDC update for Tuesday, May 5, 2009

CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to an expanding outbreak caused by novel H1N1 flu.

CDC’s response goals are to:

Reduce transmission and illness severity, and Provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this emergency. CDC continues to issue and update interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation. CDC will issue updated interim guidance for clinicians on how to identify and care for people who are sick with novel H1N1 flu illness. This guidance will provide priorities for testing and treatment for novel H1N1 flu infection. The priority use for influenza antiviral drugs during this outbreak will be to treat people with severe flu illness.

CDC has completed deployment of 25 percent of the supplies in the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) to all states in the continental United States. These supplies and medicines will help states and U.S. territories respond to the outbreak. In addition, the Federal Government and manufacturers have begun the process of developing a vaccine against the novel H1N1 flu virus.

Response actions are aggressive, but they may vary across states and communities depending on local circumstances. Communities, businesses, places of worship, schools and individuals can all take action to slow the spread of this outbreak. People who are sick are urged to stay home from work or school and to avoid contact with others, except to seek medical care. This action can avoid spreading illness further.

Alabama 4
Arizona 17
California 30
Colorado 7
Connecticut 2
Delaware 20
Florida 5
Idaho 1
Illinois 8
Indiana 3
Iowa 1
Kansas 2
Kentucky* 1
Louisiana 7
Maryland 4
Massachusetts 6
Michigan 2
Minnesota 1
Missouri 1
Nebraska 1
Nevada 1
New Hampshire 1
New Jersey 7
New Mexico 1
New York 73
North Carolina 1
Ohio 3
Oregon 3
Pennsylvania 1
Rhode Island 1
South Carolina 15
Tennessee 1
Texas 41 1
Utah 1
Virginia 3
Wisconsin 3
TOTAL (36) 279 cases 1 death

Be right back with the story about the MMD Threat. {Mainstream Media Drones} Journalism is truly dead.
Peter