January 2007 Snowbabies

So I admit, I dont watch the news. I think the media blows everything out of proportion and it makes me sad to hear how many people were shot that day. So I guess I missed this information. I have been doing some research on the h1n1 flu vaccine and found out that according to the cdc 36000 people die every year from the regular flu!!! Thats like a person every 15min, 24/7, 365days a year!! I know it says its usually older people but still, thats A LOT of grandparents dying every year. Thats horrible. Everyone is freaking about getting swine flu, screw that it hasnt killed nearly as many people. Ok I guess I'm just out of the loop, I have never gotten a flu shot but I may get one now :o Just wanted to share *my* new found information that I'm sure everyone else has probably known about :)

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm

"Each year, in the United States, on average 36,000 people die from flu-related complications and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu-related causes. Of those hospitalized, 20,000 are children younger than 5 years old. Over 90% of deaths and about 60 percent of hospitalization occur in people older than 65."

Hi there,

Besides the older people, are most of the deaths in people/kids with underlying health conditions?

 

          

      

                                      

I had heard that before but I know that the news doesn't really talk about it much.  That's why I believe that the news is completely hyping up the H1N1 stuff - because thousands die every single year from the regular flu and they don't bat an eye, but a small percentage of that number dies from H1N1 and it's like the end of the world.

IMO, all kinds of flu should be taken seriously, but there is no reason to get paranoid about any of them.  I think just knowing the symptoms, knowing when to stay home, knowing what symptoms require a visit to the doctor - this is the kind of knowledge that everyone needs and all the hype and paranoia beyond that is just news fluff.  That's my opinion anyway.

It is sad that so many people die from it but it does make sense that such a large percentage are elderly.  Their bodies and immune systems are so much weaker anyway, I'm going to guess (no proof here, just a hunch) that many of them are in a condition that any illness has a great chance of ending their life.  It's just that the flu is among the most common to be spread.

I totally agree that the media is creating a panic unnecessarily. Yes, know when to stay home, yes, wash your hands, and yes... still live your life. I think prevention goes a long way. Here are a few things we are doing to help with the H1N1 stuff... advice from our Naturopathic Dr. who has researched this inside and out (and who says 'no way' to the flu shot)...

1. eat coconut oil and coconut milk. These contain an enzyme that actually attack the outer lipid layer of the flu virus in your gut, and break up the virus so it doesn't reproduce resulting in you getting ill. 3 tbsp/ day of oil in smoothies, in place of margerine/ butter or up to a can of milk (use in squash soup... yum!)

2. don't use tylenol etc. to squelch a fever. Let your body burn it off unless the fever reaches 104.5 degrees - then try to bring it down with homeopathic remedy Belladona. Research has found that those who have used tylenol etc. in the early stages have done poorer overall - and are those who end up driving the virus deeper into their lungs, therefore requiring hospitalization.

Just a couple of thoughts!!

Jenn