CDC: the FLU is epidemic in 33 States...sad...so many are being KILLED

[diamond14]

bush* FAILED to provide FLU vaccines ON TIME, so this is the result....so many are being KILLED, due to bush* failure...the buck stops on bush* desk....


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



Weekly Report: Influenza Summary Update
Week ending February 19, 2005-Week 7
The following information may be quoted:


Synopsis:
During week 7 (February 13-19, 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 6 consecutive weeks. The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza is above the epidemic threshold.

Thirty-three states reported widespread influenza activity, 15 states reported regional influenza activity, and two states, New York City, and the District of Columbia reported local activity

[oneighty]

1. But CBS news

was saying "Was there really a flu vaccine shortage?"

Who can we believe anymore?

180

[Verve]

3. Kind of like-Is there really global warming? According to * there

is no such thing as global warming. Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised if he stated the flu is overrated as well. He and his admin are such liars!

[scottty]

23. I think

that the whole "flu vaccine shortage" was nothing but a political hot potato that the bush and Kerry could throw back and forth. I live in a small town and there is plenty of vaccine to go around now.

[diamond14]

24. "NOW" is really too late....to prevent this DISASTER, bush* needed to

have enough FLU vaccine available by OCTOBER 2004....

[scottty]

28. I was surfing and found this link,

http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/165/3/265

Just to make it easy for you, here is the AMA's conclusion

Results For people aged 65 to 74 years, excess mortality rates in A(H3N2)-dominated seasons fell between 1968 and the early 1980s but remained approximately constant thereafter. For persons 85 years or older, the mortality rate remained flat throughout. Excess mortality in A(H1N1) and B seasons did not change. All-cause excess mortality for persons 65 years or older never exceeded 10% of all winter deaths.

Conclusions We attribute the decline in influenza-related mortality among people aged 65 to 74 years in the decade after the 1968 pandemic to the acquisition of immunity to the emerging A(H3N2) virus. We could not correlate increasing vaccination coverage after 1980 with declining mortality rates in any age group. Because fewer than 10% of all winter deaths were attributable to influenza in any season, we conclude that observational studies substantially overestimate vaccination benefit.

WOW- Isn't that kind of strange.

[diamond14]

2. compare last year with TODAY....adequate FLU shots with NOT ENOUGH

TODAY (2005), week 7, when bush* failed to deliver adequate amount of FLU vaccine on time....epidemic levels of FLU in 33 States, and FLU ACTIVITY CONTINUES TO INCREASE (according to CDC).....






Last year (2004), week 7, when there was an adequate amount of FLU vaccine delivered on time....

[smirkymonkey]

10. I have it again, this time it's worse than it's been all winter.

I did not get the flu shot, because I am pretty healthy and usually never get sick but I have been sick off and on since early November and it seems to get worse with every bout.

I think it's too late to do anything now, I'll just have to ride it out, but I am so uncomfortable I am even having a hard time trying to sleep.

[seabeyond]

4. 6 throw ups last night and 3 underwear changes for 7 year old

last nite. always thru the nite. why is that. for total exhaustion the next day. oh lordy. all the years of kids never had so much mess, lol lol

oh, well sleep all today, he is still hot, but feeling better.

yes, the flu is here in texas

4 more in the house to catch it, fingers, tooes arms legs and eyes all crossed

[Ilsa]

5. I feel your pain, from seasons past,; hopefully not this time.

My kids haven't had the crud yet, as it is being called around here. Neighbors have had it though.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

14. Sounds like me last week,....

....only I was the one throwing up and changing underwear.

I know...I know! Too much information! :-))

And I live in Alabama where nearly everyone I know has had something at least once this winter. The State of Alabama doesn't appear to be reporting the facts to CDC, does it?

[seabeyond]

15. lol lol media funny yet full of empathy

i am glad that is over for you

[Media_Lies_Daily]

18. Thanks! Gosh...I hope I've seen the last of it! Hope your 7-yr-old is...

....up and running in a couple of days....nothing worse than watching/helping a sick kid. I've got two myself...6 and 4.

[Ilsa]

6. I thought I heard earlier this month that the vax wasn't even helping

with this particular flu bug. Like the CDC anticipated the wrong strain, or something. Perhaps it mutated enough already that the vax isn't helpful. Anyone else hear this?

[blondeatlast]

9. I'm high-risk, got the vax, and came into direct exposure.

Thank God I didn't get it. I had heart surgery in January and am healthy as a horse now.

No vax? I'd probably be dead. Period.

[Ilsa]

22. Thank goodness it helped you.

There was so much variety of information out there, I wasn't sure of what to think anymore. That news report wasn't very helpful, IMO.

I usually get the flu vax every year or two years. I didn't get it this year because I do not fall into a high risk group.

I'm glad you're well on the mend from your heart surgery.

[megatherium]

11. A colleague of mine had the vaccine and got nailed by the flu. nt

[Media_Lies_Daily]

16. The vaccine is only good for innoculating people against LAST year's.....

...flu bugs. Whatever hits the country this season will have a field day.

[blackcat77]

7. Last year the flu started early

This year it started late, but from what I've read, the incidence is about the same.

[Stop_the_War]

8. I wonder who the Republicans will try to blame it on...hmmm...

the same person they always blame everything on...bill clinton.

[Lone Pawn]

12. Oh, come on now.

With all the things we can be reaming him for, must we go after something that really wasn't his fault? Iraq? Bush's fault. 9/11? Bush's fault. The deficit? Bush. The economy? Partially Bush. Flu Vaccines? Now we just start to sound ridiculous.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

17. The economy? You bet it's Herr Busch's fault....

...when the economy collapsed well into Herr Busch's dictatorship.

And yes, decisions were made at the highest levels to limit the amount of flu vaccine prepared for this season. Can't blame that on anyone else, either.

[Lindacooks]

20. And how is Iraq NOT bush's* fault??

He's the pig who invaded a country that was no threat to us after his minions (Rumsfeld et al) spent millions of dollars building up Hussein (remember the 1983 photo of Rumsfeld shaking Hussein's hand???).

9/11 is certainly his fault - the misadministration received hundreds of warnings about hijackings and al Quaida in the months before 9/11, and Bush WENT ON VACATION.

And the economy AND the deficit is 100% Bush's* fault - he crippled us permanently with his obscene tax giveaways to the rich (taking a surplus to a deficit in record time), while reducing spending on programs like job training and Pell grants.

As far as the flu vaccine goes, that's his fault too. The outsourced company contracted to produce them was contaminated:

"Three years ago, medical experts warned George Bush that a dangerous shortage loomed. Instead of fixing the problem, production of the vaccine was sent to a factory overseas -- the vaccines were contaminated. Now Bush wants Canada to help, even though his own policies make it illegal for us to import medicine from Canada."



Do your research.

[proud patriot]

13. I got the flu 2 weeks ago , I'm still coughing

but am finally feeling better just the last 3 days
or so ...

[Dem2theMax]

19. I've got a suggestion for anyone who has/gets the flu.

My aunt, who was a nurse, taught me this years ago when I had a really bad flu bug. Sounds icky, but it works like a charm.
Aspirin or Tylenol suppositories. I'm not kidding. You know how even your hair hurts when you have the flu, you ache so much? And you can't take anything by mouth because you can't keep anything down? Well, suppositories don't go in the mouth, so no problem. You can get them in adult or child dosages, in aspirin or Tylenol form, NO prescription needed. Just ask your pharmacist for whatever you need. The suppositories last for about six to eight hours, giving a person 'non-ache' time so you can get some much needed sleep. I swear by these darned things.

[Digit]

21. Alittle squirt of Nyquil will do ya?

At least it would not "taste" so bad. ;-)

[AusTexDem]

25. my mother has been in ICU for 4 days now.

this is very serious, she will be 60 yrs old next month and has never been sick a day in her life.this hit very hard very fast. now she is sedated and on a respirator.

[ReverendDeuce]

26. Not sure I buy this...

My state is "widespread"... but I live in a major city and I don't know a single person with a family member suffering from a flu. What do they consider an "epidemic"? Huh.

[diamond14]

27. here's the DEFINITIONS for 'epidemic' and for 'widespread'....

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

122 Cities Mortality Reporting System

Each week, the vital statistics offices of 122 cities report the total number of death certificates filed and the number of those for which pneumonia or influenza was listed as the underlying or as a contributing cause of death. The percentage of all deaths due to pneumonia and influenza are compared with a baseline and epidemic threshold value calculated for each week.

The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza is above the epidemic threshold.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/

During week 7, 8.5% of all deaths reported by the vital statistics offices of 122 U.S. cities were attributed to pneumonia or influenza.

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

State and Territorial Epidemiologists Reports

State health departments report the estimated level of influenza activity in their states each week. States report influenza activity as no activity, sporadic, local, regional, or widespread. These levels are defined as follows:

No Activity: No laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza and no reported increase in the number of cases of ILI.

Sporadic: Small numbers of laboratory-confirmed influenza cases or a single influenza outbreak has been reported, but there is no increase in cases of ILI.

Local: Outbreaks of influenza or increases in ILI cases and recent laboratory-confirmed influenza in a single region of the state.

Regional: Outbreaks of influenza or increases in ILI and recent laboratory confirmed influenza in at least 2 but less than half the regions of the state.

Widespread: Outbreaks of influenza or increases in ILI cases and recent laboratory-confirmed influenza in at least half the regions of the state.


ILI = Influenza-Like Illness (these are those fortunate people with actual health insurance, who actually got into a DOCTOR's office or Emergency Ward)....

Influenza Sentinel Providers Surveillance Network
Each week, approximately 1,000 health-care providers around the country report the total number of patients seen and the number of those patients with influenza-like illness ( ILI ) by age group. For this system, ILI is defined as fever (temperature of >100°F) plus either a cough or a sore throat.