Swine flu"Break out"

[davisherm]

Not to turn this into an argument against vaccination, but it seems like I've already done that with my first post.

Warning: Rant Ahead!

My parents get the flu shot every year, like clockwork. And every year, like clockwork, they get sick immediately after. And it does nothing, at least from what I'm seeing, to stop them from getting sick with the flu throughout the year.

Our primary care doctor got the flu shot and had adverse side effects almost immediately. His arm swelled badly at the injection site and then went numb below it. He has pain still, at the injection site, and down through his lower arm years later.

When I joined the Army, I got injected with 9 different vaccines, one of which was the Anthrax Beta. Within hours, I was violently sick and diagnosed with a system wide infection that couldn't be singled out. I spent 3 days hospitalized, receiving IV fluids because I couldn't keep anything in me. I was finally strong enough to be released and almost immediately came down with what the doctor called either the worst case of Bronchitis he'd ever seen or a mild case of Pneumonia. The X-Rays weren't conclusive. I spent more time in the hospital and finally recovered enough to go to a physical therapy and recovery program where I got my strength back up so I could go to Basic. I lost 3 weeks to something that the docs couldn't identify immediately after getting my shots. And i wasn't the only one. PFC RUDD had it worse than I did. That dude didn't look well until about halfway through our advanced training 20 weeks later. That's almost 5 months.

In preparation for my deployment to Iraq, I got a smaller arsenal of vaccines. Most of which I'd already had when I first joined up, but the docs said it wouldn't hurt to double them up. I wasn't as sick this time around, probably because it was warmer and I didn't end up being exposed to 25 degree air when I walked out of the medic's area. But the next day, when we got our blood work done, my levels were all off and they had to retest me multiple times. I eventually suffered my first (and only) bout of Venal Vassal syndrome and passed the heck out shortly after the last tube of blood was drawn. I got to ride to the hospital in style this time, with flashing lights and everything. Docs checked me out OK but I spent the next couple months with a never ending low level fever and cough while also battling a badly sprained ankle, which probably didn't help my recovery time any. I was just about back to normal in February when I had to get the flu shot by mandate. I spent the next three days on my butt, sick as all get out... with the flu and felt generally miserable and weak for the next few weeks.


I don't have the numbers readily at hand, but there's no shortage of cases that describe similar results to what I've experienced and that makes me wonder if an artificial immunity through injection is such a terribly good idea. Did you know that there are now bacteria that are resistant to Penicillin and all of its derivatives? Bacteria have an amazingly fast life cycle and can adapt to changes over the course of a few generations. They are immune to our drugs because we made them so. How long till we see this kind of resistance in viruses? Now isn't that a sobering thought?


OK, I'm done ranting now.

[Mahala]

I've had one of those penicillin resistant bacteria, and it's not fun (MRSA leaves ugly scars). The reason sicknesses are turning penicillin resistant is because when people get sick, they get antibiotics. When they think they're getting better, they don't finish taking all the antibiotics, and effectively let the strongest strains of bacteria and sicknesses live to pass on to someone else. Magnify that 100x and you get what's happening globally.

[Crazy Healer Lady]

It's not just people taking antibiotics and stopping before they are done. It's people taking antibiotics when they really don't need to. Viruses are not killed by antibiotics, and yet doctors prescribe - and citizens demand - antibiotics for viral sicknesses, or for sicknesses which they have not researched the cause for (not even tested for).

Not only that, but as a society, we are far too clean. Leave the anti-bacterial soap for after touching meat or going to the bathroom. Otherwise, you do not need antibacterial. I'd rather get sick for an hour than catch a superbug and a) get VERY sick for days with no chance of help or b) more likely, pass that bug onto someone with a weak immune system and watch them die.

[Kitsune]

Very true. Actually, I have a theory. I know that a lot of People (mostly pagans I know, true) have been getting more sick lately... They've been catching all the little colds and flu's that come out it seems. It suddenly occured to me, that we could all be experiencing the little flu's now, to better prepare us for the big sickness on the way. Sort of the way a flu shot is supposed to work... We all get a little sick now, but we're better able to handle the sickness when it does come.

At least that's the theory, anyway. Any ideas from you guys on it?

[Max]

Interesting theory Kitsune. I've had a brief sickness recently but I put it down to change of season and that I was feeling psychologically (if that's the word) low. I'd like to hope your theory is right because there have been cases of swine flu a few towns away from me! Well, if S.flu comes as far as here I'll let you know if the mini-blerrgh was like a vaccination shot

[Mahala]

Not only that, but as a society, we are far too clean. Leave the anti-bacterial soap for after touching meat or going to the bathroom. Otherwise, you do not need antibacterial.

I know! One of our school teachers was laughing to himself because this girl freaked out over some clay on her hands after ceramics. He asked her, "Didn't your parents ever let you eat dirt as a kid?" Obviously not. Dirt has stuff that can KILL you in it! OoOh! Not really. We're meant to get sick, or else our immune system will become depleted with nothing to do. (Which is where I think AIDS/HIV came from - someone's body began attacking itself because it was 'confused'.) The body is naturally prepared for constant exposure to bacteria, the immune system evolved in multicellular organisms because of the need to fight off these harmful diseases and sicknesses. Eventually we won't have much of an immune system, I figure, because we'll live in sterile capsules or something more weird.

[Somber Sky]

So I'm pretty sure many people here heard of the swine flu? What do you think about it?

I think its nothing more than something to scare people because the government is loosing a strangle hold of its people... what a better way to scare some one than say the word

PANDEMIC oooooo

[Crazy Healer Lady]

There is an interesting email going around:

90 people get the Swine Flu and everybody wants to wear a mask.
A million people have AIDS and no one wants to wear a condom

AIDS is a touchy subject. Still, food for thought.

[Kitsune]

Worldwide on average, over 20 million people have the flu at any given time... Sure it sounds like a lot, but compared to our population of 6 billion, it's hardly a drop in the bucket...

Aids, as much as I hate to say it, is affecting even less of our population... Even so, It's still too common. People just don't fear it, especially now that they know its "treat-able" (meaning you'll have another 20 years to play around before you kick it).

97 deaths over anything therefore isn't even a consideration, in my book!