the FLU is still INCREASING....29 states at epidemic levels (CDC web site)

[diamond14]

bush* and his cabal did NOT provide enough flu vaccine ON TIME for America...now, Americans are being KILLED by the FLU because of this massive bush* failure...the whole horror of this bush* mistake is being covered up by big-time PR-SPIN on the CDC web site...that spinning is deceiving US and medical doctors, and preventing proper efforts to save American lives....it's ghastly and it's criminal....

--------------------------------------------

CDC = Center for Disease Control...a United States Government Agency...and the buck stops at bush* desk....the manipulation of the data is horrorifying....it's more than just SPIN, it prevents DOCTORS and MEDICAL CAREGIVERS from fully understanding and responding to this crisis....DEMAND that CDC publish the NUMBER OF DEATHS in every state, every week....it's the only way to battle this disease...





http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/


Weekly Report: Influenza Summary Update
Week ending February 12, 2005-Week 6
The following information may be quoted:


Synopsis:

-snips

During week 6 (February 6-12, 2005)*, influenza activity continued to increase in the United States.... The proportion of patient visits to sentinel providers for influenza-like illness (ILI) has been above the national baseline for 5 consecutive weeks (PR-spin - this means EPIDEMIC LEVELS of FLU).... The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza is below the epidemic threshold (PR-SPIN - no data provided, data cut off at week 50, mid December 2004, no further data posted on CDC site). ...Twenty-nine states reported widespread influenza activity, 19 states and New York City reported regional influenza activity, and 2 states and the District of Columbia reported local activity. (PR-SPIN - WIDESPREAD means EPIDEMIC...but CDC won't say that to cover for bush* mistake in failure to provide enough vaccine on time)....



OUR Government, the CDC, STOPPED providing data to this graph, 8 weeks ago....we are now in WEEK 6 data (for 2005), yet Physicians, and Medical Personnel are NOT being provided the data necessary to save lives....all more PR-SPIN to protect bush*, who made a massive mistake costing thousands of American lives...

CDC stopped graphing in mid-December (week 50 of the year 2004)...the current data is from WEEK 6 (the 6th week of 2005)...which bush* CDC doesn't want YOU to see....so bushites just ELIMINATED that data....'no see data' to bushites means 'no epidemic'....

[glitch]

1. FUBUSH situation normal, all fucked up. nt

[Warpy]

2. Privatizing vaccine production was a bad idea

There are only 3 companies in the world that make flu vaccine, and it has nothing to do with regulation. Quite the opposite, it has more to do with megamergers and near monopolies and the fact that vaccines are not terribly profitable items.

Companies make barely enough for the season and call it quits.

If something goes wrong during the 3 to 5 month production period, we are sunk.

In 2000, the virus failed to grow. This year, one company experienced a contamination problem.

This is one of the things a national healthcare system should oversee, at the very least.

At some point, the richest 1% are going to figure out that pubic health also keeps them healthy.

Until then, they don't care if we're neglected to death as long as they have their concierge medical care.

[diamond14]

5. bush* has DE-REGULATED prescription drug laboratories...NO INSPECTIONS

NO REGULATIONS under bush*...this means that we can expect MORE contaminated prescription drugs and vaccines....this DE-REGULATION of prescription drug production was a bush* payback to his "big drug" campaign contributors....


and MANY Americans are being KILLED because of this bush* de-regulation...many more will die....

adding it to the 45 MILLION Americans without health insurance coverage, and it's a bush* formula for the massive KILLING of seniors, people with disabilities, people battling with other diseases and children.....

[mzmolly]

10. That's the way it is with all or most vaccines. Including those given to

children.

[WillowTree]

12. LOL!!

In 2000, the virus failed to grow. This year, one company experienced a contamination problem.

This is one of the things a national healthcare system should oversee, at the very least.

How do you figure this, exactly? The government is going to force someone to make more vaccine? Or maybe the government is going to make it themselves? Do you think it's impossible, or even less likely, that a government-run lab will not run into a culture that refuses to grow or a contamination problem? You know, the companies that are making it now, for profit, lost money on those batches that they wound up not being able to sell, so it pretty much comes under the heading of "Stuff Happens".

And what about the years when a different strain developed from the one that everyone thought was going to be "this year's flu" so the vaccine wound up not protecting against the strain that was most prevalent those years? Was that someone's fault, or was it just another example of the fact that we can neither forsee nor protect ourselves against everything and that wouldn't be any different if the government was regulating it.

This flu thing is a tempest in a teapot, really. The incidence and severity of the flu hasn't been significantly different this year than in other recent years when anyone who wanted a flu shot could get one just about for the asking no matter what the "blame everything on Bush no matter how silly it makes me look" crowd would have us believe.

Which makes me question just how much good the shots do in the first place.

[oneighty]

13. For the good of our citizens

our government which we pay for should get into the vaccine business as well as national health care cradle to grave.

One for all and all for one.

I do hope that you are not one day the victim of "Shit happens."

By the way; I belong to one of the best socialized groups in the country. Military and military veterans retired. I wish everybody had it. And why don't they?

180

[diamond14]

15. Our government should PAY America's great drug manufacturers to

create and distribute the FLU vaccine every year....

FLU vaccines for everyone would eliminate COSTLY trips to emergency wards, massive amounts of lost work time, and long painful deaths for OUR seniors, children and those suffering from disabilities and diseases....


a few $ Million for vaccines is CHEAP compared to the cost of going without the vaccine....

and VACCINATIONS are the easiest, quickest, most cost-effective approach to controlling contagious disease in OUR country....

in addition, we must have REGULATION for the Pharmaceutical Drug industry: regular inspections of their manufacturing facilities, Quality Control and Quality Assurance enforced for their laboratories, Good Manufacturing Practices enforced for their production lines....


bush* has ELIMINATED regulations entirely for the Pharmaceutical Drug Industry, as a payback for BIG campaign contributions (ALL drugs, not just FLU)....while America has the BIGGEST and the BEST drug manufacturing operations, bush* OUTSOURCED our Flu vaccine to Britain...and only allowed ONE American company to manufacture Flu vaccine.....damn !.....pay at least 5 or 10 manufacturers to create FLU vaccine for every American...inspect the operations/labs, enforce regulations, and give the vaccine to everyone at OUR taxpayer expense....SAVE LIVES....

if you end up with a little extra...so what?....bush* throws away $ 300 BILLION on his useless STUPID perpetual wars...but won't spend about $ one MILLION on FLU vaccine???????

where's the OUTRAGE????

[robcon]

3. The data shows otherwise. This is a milder flu.

It appears from the data (chart) that the flu was much less deadly at the end of 2004 than it was at the end of 2003.

[diamond14]

6. here's the data....for February 2004 and today, February 2005...

you can get this off the CDC web site...because bush* did not provide enough vaccine for Americans, on time...it's a major KILLER this year....WAKE UP AMERICA !! Call your Congress reps and DEMAND that CDC post the actual NUMBER of AMERICANS KILLED every week all across America....there is nothing 'MILD' about this years FLU....it's an EPIDEMIC and it's KILLING LOTS of AMERICANS....


FEBRUARY 2004






TODAY....FEBRUARY 2005...bush* failure....45 MILLION Americans without Health Insurance AND no FLU Vaccine...

[robcon]

18. I don't understand, diamond14

You wrote "...there is nothing 'MILD' about this years FLU....it's an EPIDEMIC and it's KILLING LOTS of AMERICANS...."

Yet you give no statistics on your claim of "KILLING LOTS of AMERICANS" and your other statistics show this flu to be widespread, but not nearly as much of a killer as last year, or three years ago, and about the same as two years ago.

This sounds like overstatement on your part.

[realFedUp]

4. Bush Inc. keeping people stupid and sick

now that isn't Godly is it.

[Codeblue]

7. Well yeah

It's gone around Western State College about twice now. That's in Gunnison, Colorado for those of who you don't know.

[paineinthearse]

8. MSM sure is keeping a lid on this one nt

[signmike]

9. I finally got my Flu Shot Monday (VA)

I've been trying since October. Up 'til now one had to be over 65 to get it - I'm a youngster, only 60 - The VA used to have us on a 3 month waiting list, now maybe it''s 5. They did something with the VA, here (L.A.) - I don't know if it's privatization, but I no longer see a doctor, I see a "Tech", who speaks to a "Provider" for me, haha - sure.

The first time I went to the VA for care it was for a heart arrhythmia/tachycardia problem, which I still have. My appointment was for 90 days into the future. On my day, my doctor - the one doctor in the facility, East L.A. - got into an auotomobile accident and no-showed. It was another 90 'til I actually got in. In the ensuing 6 years I have only spoken to a cardioligist once. About a year ago they hired one more doctor to help with the 80,000 patient load, then they completely changed the whole thing around -- since Bush.

I have a feeling if we ever do get a national health care it will be like this. I used to have a friend in Canada who told me similar stories about their health care. He died from their allergy medicine.

[oneighty]

14. I do very well with the VA

They did make a terrible mistake years ago. But I was compensated. Like another poster said "Shit happens"

180

[elfin]

11. What's going around Milwaukee is really nasty... BUT

doctors are not callig it "the flu". Fever, chills, "hit by a truck" aches for a few days or more, followed by bronchial congestion which lasts a long time. Why this isn't "the flu" doesn't make sense to me. Maybe they think it is another flu and not THE flu - or maybe they're covering for ineptitude at the FDA? Some of the people I know felled by this had their shot this year.

[oldlady]

17. same in Madison

husband had the shot (health care worker) and got the flu last week. saw doctor right away & was put on an anti-viral medication. doctor refused to let him return to work for 7 days -- guess the vaccination didn't know this one was coming?

[eek MD]

16. i'm amazed i've been healthy all winter so far......

i'm sure i just cursed myself by saying that....... =)

I work in hospitals on a regular basis..........but i usually get to avoid alot of human contact, and didn't go home for christmas, so i got to avoid being around kids all winter........which i think may explain at least part of it......

[CornField]

19. There are two types of flu in Eastern Iowa

At least that's what the kid's pediatrician told me on Wednesday. One is the respiratory kind and the other is a gastric type.

[Ian David]

20. The 3 big flu vaccine manufacturers all have same-sex partner benefits

We should get the fundies to boycott them.