Just a follow up to my last thread remarking on the radio announcement this evening that Flu vaccine may now become unavailable because manufacturers were "having trouble getting the vaccine out the door". Curious, I did a search of the news and found another announcement today by the CDC that one state (Maryland)has reported and "outbreak" of Type A Influenza, while thirteen others (Alaska, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming) have reported confirmed cases of the disease. A "higher than average percentage of deaths at selected hospitals for three consecutive weeks was reported." MY COMMENT: Let's hope those manufacturers are not having computer problems!

-- Ann Fisher (Tom Fisher1@prodigy.net), October 20, 1999

Answers

Nice work Ann, and interesting. I'm not sure, but the vaccine wouldn't do any good for someone who already has the influenza, would it? Maybe they are having computer problems, would have been smarter to fix everything before flu season though huh, or store enough beforehand.

-- @ (@@@.@), October 20, 1999.

Is the flu vaccine available this year actually for the flu that hit early? One year the vaccine turned out to be for the wrong strain.

-- helen (sstaten@fullnet.net), October 20, 1999.

Let's imagine, if you will - the materials and vaccine ordered and taken in large volumes for a large need - shelters and storage caches for large numbers. - in a pre-emergency posture.

-- Living in (the@real.world), October 20, 1999.

Given the way vaccines for flu work, and the predictive nature of that particular effort by the CDC-Atlanta, it is POSSIBLE (but HIGHLY unlikely) that they have the wrong strains. This is such an interesting field of research, as they predict, from what is present in the Asian Theatre, what will show up in the US.

Chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), October 20, 1999.

This years flu shot is made from last years flu virus. Now go figure how that is going to keep someone from getting this years virus...

-- y2k dave (xsdaa111@hotmail.com), October 20, 1999.

y2kdave,

Where did you hear/see that?

-- Wilferd (WilferdW@aol.com), October 20, 1999.

Dave you are wrong. The years flu vaccine is designed by the CDC doing analysis of the strains that are emerging in Asia earlier THIS year. Historically the emerging strains break out in Asia then spread thoughout the rest of the world They pick the top 3 candidates and get the vaccine out. It's not perfect but it's far better then nothing. For a real thrill read about the World Pandemic of 1918, which killed more people then WW1.

-- kozak (kozak@formerusaf.guv), October 20, 1999.

My mother got the flu shot for the past 5 years and still got the flu. This year she's not going to get one. Stay away from crowds, don't put your hands to your face and wash your hands frequently with antibacterial soap. If you feel a cold or flu coming on drink some lemon grass tea or New York penicillin with garlic.

-- works for me (worksforme@worksformeee.xcom), October 20, 1999.

...and I got the flu shot for the past dozen or more years and have not had the flu in all that time. Everyone is different, and your mother may have something wrong in her immune system that no amount of vaccine can aid. If there is something available to deter a serious illness like flu, then we should be grateful for it and avail ourselves of it NOW, what with the medical uncertainties of Y2K ahead. Had mine last week.

-- Elaine Seavey (Gods1sheep@aol.com), October 20, 1999.

We got our flu shots last Saturday. I read somewhere that this year's shot is a combination of three flu anti viruses, but cannot find the article now. There is a website: http://www.cdc.gov/nip.

-- Helen (Helen@garlic.com), October 20, 1999.

for the record, I never had a flu shot in my life, until 1994. I always got he flu, and when I got it in 1993, I said enough is enough. I have had a flu shot every year since then, and have'nt had the flu since. get your flu shot!

-- ed (edrider007@aol.com), October 20, 1999.

for the record, I never had a flu shot in my life, until 1994. I always got the flu, and when I got it in 1993, I said enough is enough. I have had a flu shot every year since then, and have'nt had the flu since. get your flu shot!

-- ed (edrider007@aol.com), October 20, 1999.

The flu shot you get now was produced this SPRING. I found this interesting little article to help explain that notion. It is true that flu shot help in a great way statistically. I have never received a flu shot and never have contacted it. So it doesn't hurt to have one.

Currently, U.S. vaccine manufacturers produce 75 million doses of a vaccine containing three viral strains. They start in early spring, using predictions about what will be happening, flu-wise, in the fall. Producing a single-strain vaccine could be quicker, but there are plenty of unknowns. One concerns the amount of warning. The soaring rate of international travel could bring the pandemic to our shores more quickly than in the past. But the 1918 epidemic predated jet travel, and Arden notes that the 1957 and 1968 flus "spread very quickly without the level of jet travel we have today."

-- y2k dave (xsdaa111@hotmail.com), October 20, 1999.

Sorry, no flu shot here. I've seen too many of my employees get sicker from the shot than actually contracted the flu (of what ever the current season of vaccine is provide)-this in over 20 years. True flu diagnosis is inaccurate, at best. It is usually, food poisoning. I will not put dead germs in my bod for the sake of "protecting myself" and I work with very sick people every day, as do my staff. Anyway, who REALLY knows what ELSE is in there. Do you trust the CDC???

-- Big D (ddac@yahoo.com), October 20, 1999.

Big D,

You are confusing gastrointestinal upset with true influenza, which usually manifests as an upper respiratory infection gone berserk. The symptoms can drag on for literally weeks, the body's immune system is drastically compromised and secondary infections are fairly common.

-- Wilferd (WilferdW@aol.com), October 20, 1999.

sorry about that double posting. i swear i only hit it once!

-- ed (edrider007@aol.com), October 20, 1999.

I am sure this will tick many off...but here goes...Imagine this: Whoever gets innoculated is now a carrier for ten days, so whoever they come in contact with is being given the gift of virus. Why do we westerners think that western pharmacies are interested in our health? Why do so many people die in hospitals? Just kidding..I know

-- Marilyn (Me@MarilynEllis.com), October 21, 1999.