Influenza Ready!

Swine Flu Vaccine Side Effects

We hear the talk about the Swine Flu Vaccine everywhere. The government has “strongly encouraged” everyone to get it and in most places there have not been enough to accommodate those who want it. That may be a good thing. With another perspective of the Swine Flu Vaccine and its side effects and to be blunt whether or not you should get the shot, here is Dr. Russell Blaylock.

Dr. Blaylock is a board certified neurosurgeon, author and lecturer. He attended the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans and completed his general surgical internship and neurosurgical residency at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC.

Dr. Blaylock does not recommend the new vaccine.

DR. RUSSELL BLAYLOCK ON SWINE FLU:

“No one should take this vaccine-it is one of the most dangerous vaccines ever devised. It contains an immune adjuvant called squalene (MF-59) which has been shown to cause severe autoimmune disorders such as MS, rheumatoid arthritis and Lupus. The newsletter for August covers this and it may not be out yet. This is the vaccine adjuvant that is strongly linked to the Gulf War syndrome, which killed over 10,000 soldiers and caused a 200% increase in the fatal disease ALS (Lou Gehreg disease). This virus H1N1 kills by causing a “cytokine storm”, which means that it causes the body’s immune system to overreact and that is why it is killing young people and is a mild disease in the elderly. (The elderly have weakened immune systems.) This vaccine is a very powerful immune stimulator and carries the real possibility of making the lethality of the virus much greater.

One’s best protection is vitamin D3. One should take 5000 IU a day and when the disease begins to spread increase the dose to 15,000 IU a day. Vitamin D3 modulates the immune reaction, reducing the chance of an overreaction and stimulates the body to produce what are called antimicrobial peptides, which are powerful killers of viruses that does not involve immunity. This is dose related, which means the higher the dose of vitamin D3 the better the protection.

Fish oils (the best is Carlson’s Norwegian lemon flavored fish oil) also reduce immune overreaction. One teaspoon a day should be sufficient. For severe symptoms, take one teaspoon twice a day. Antioxidants of various kinds also help-this includes, quercetin, curcumin, grapeseed extract, vitamin C and natural vitamin E.

A good multivitamin/mineral is also essential.”

Well, that is a bit different from what we would normally hear. Thank goodness for it. Now you have both sides of the story. So what does that mean? Some of the vitamins and minerals Dr. Blaylock talks about are essential for good health all year round. All the antioxidants and multivitamin you need can be found from a company with over 50 years of dedication to pioneering the best natural, proven, health products in the world. Find out more about Shaklee and how to improve your health and well being.

Cold vs Swine Flu Symptoms

You know that feeling; achy body, sneezing and chills. Aaah, the age old question, is it the cold or is it the flu now has a third question; could it be the swine flu? In today’s society with global travel and news reports scaring everyone half to death it is more important than ever to know the distinctions between them.

Let’s start out with some background.  In general, the flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses caused by a virus; however they are different viruses.  Colds are caused by many different viruses that are why you can get more than one cold a year.  With the flu and H1N1 they are caused by a specific virus strain.  Before getting into more specifics with the flu is and what a cold is, here are the basic differences in symptoms:

Cold VS H1N1 Flu Symptoms

FILL

The flu strains we are dealing with today are directly related to flu strains of the past. To explain better, consider this condensed history of the flu.

412 BC the first major epidemic of disease was recorded by Hippocrates, more than likely it was the flu.

1580 the first recorded influenza pandemic begins in Europe and spreads to Asia and Africa.

1700s saw influenza pandemics six times.

1831 and 1833-34 influenza pandemic hit.

1878 a disease causing high mortality rate in poultry it becomes known as the fowl plague which is now called HPAI, the avian flu.

1889 to 1890 the “Russian flu” spreads through Europe and reaches North American 1889 that led to a major pandemic in 1900.

1918 to 1919 the “Spanish flu” circled the globe; caused by the H1N1 virus was the worst influenza pandemic to date with around 50,000,000 people dead worldwide, give or take a few million, and is the basis for all subsequent influenza A sicknesses we see today.

1933 Sir Christopher Andrewes, Wilson Smith and Sir Patrick Laidlaw isolate the first human influenza virus.

1976 swine flu breaks out among a handful of soldiers stationed at Fort Dix, New Jersey.  One soldier complained of being tired and not feeling well one day; he was dead the next.  President Ford called for a crash vaccination program; there were 25 deaths from a rare paralytic complication of the vaccine (Guillain-Barre syndrome).  No one else died of the swine flu that year.

2009 April, swine flu begins in Mexico and spreads. As of October 30 all but 2 states report widespread activity.

The point is, all of these different times and pandemic/epidemics viruses have genes from the previous generations, they are all related.  The current H1N1 found its origins in the pig.  The greatest burden for the disease is in people 7-25 years of age. The older generation, 65 and plus, are not affected by H1N1 but are affected by the regular seasonal flu. This is because they were exposed to an earlier strain of the H1N1 virus.

Pigs are susceptible to flu viruses from both humans and birds.  Originally this virus looked like a lot of genes for virus’ in pigs, then it mutated and became a quadruple reassortant having two pig virus genes that circulate in pigs in Europe and Asia, one bird or avian gene and one human gene allowing it to pass between all three.

The history of the common cold is just as common.  The ancient Egyptians had hieroglyphs for the cough and the common cold.  In the 5^th century BC, Hippocrates described the disease. Aztec and Mayan civilizations were very familiar with the cold. The Aztecs had remedies such as a mixture of chili pepper, honey and tobacco to treat the cold. The “common cold” phrase came into use in the 16^th century because of the similarity to symptoms of exposure to cold weather. In the 18^th century Benjamin Franklin hypothesized that the common cold was passed between people through the air and recommended exercise, bathing and moderation in consumption of food and drink. The first half of the 19^th century it was still thought that wet feet and clothes contributed to getting a cold. It was not till the 2^nd half of 19^th century that viruses were being looked at as the culprit when, in 1914, Walter Kruse, a professor in Leipzig, Germany, showed that viruses caused the common cold. In 1946 the Common Cold Unit was set up by the Civilian Medical Research Council in Britain. They discovered the rhinoviruses there and did many experiments to discover the cause and treatments of the rhinovirus. In the 1970s, it was also shown that treatment with interferon during the incubation phase of rhinovirus infection protects somewhat against the disease, but at that time no practical treatment could be developed. The unit was closed in 1989, just two years after showing benefit of zinc gluconate lozenges in the prophylaxis, from the Greek for an advanced guard, and treatment of rhinovirus colds.

All in all the severity of our reactions to the viruses is the main difference between the cold and flu, Swine Flu or H1N1. The cold is milder than the flu and there are usually no serious risks for hospitalization or death. The flu has been a killer since the beginning, usually in those with weakened immune systems or others with high risk factors. Keep a close watch on kids with the flu as their health can quickly deteriorate.

Campus Swine Flu – Is Your College Campus Safe?

College campuses all over the United States have been feeling the pressure brought on by the health scare, H1N1 aka the swine flu. We have the government, health professionals and news reporters saying how bad and dangerous the swine flu is. What is the real story and what are colleges doing to prepare? General information about college campuses and the swine flu is patchy and hard to find. Individual campus websites will give the best up to date information for your area.

In general, however; the swine flu has hit some campuses hard while it has not caused too much trouble at others. Most campuses are keeping up to date with the CDC and health officials and are handing out fliers and pamphlets with information about the flu and what students can do to minimize their risk of exposure. Campuses are also handing out hand sanitizers and making use of the internet to spread the word around campus.

If you ask college students, most say they are not too worried about the dangers of the swine flu, they are washing their hands.  The swine flu can be deadly though and should be treated with caution. A student at Grand Valley State University in Michigan recently died fighting encephalitis brought on by the H1N1 virus. He fell sick and after a few days it seemed he was getting better until he became incoherent and the family took him to the hospital. This virus does not just affect the young or old. In fact most people 65 and older are at more risk from the regular seasonal flu than the H1N1 virus, unless they have underlying complications and risks. Think of the “Spanish” flu epidemic from 1918 and 1919; it infected over 1/3 of the world’s population and killed more than 50 million people. Thank goodness we have antiviral drugs today that were not existent back then. We still need to be aware that all age groups can be affected, even the young and healthy. Now this is all being said not to scare you but to make sure you keep an eye on your health and that of your loved ones.

Yes, there have been deaths related to the swine flu, H1N1 on college campuses and all over the world. The good news is that most of the people infected get better with the proper medicines and nutrition. The key is to stay away from people who are sick and stay away from people if you are sick. Get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids, preferably water. Wash your hands with soap and warm to hot water for at least 30 seconds and try not to touch public objects. Seek medical treatment if you have any conditions that make you more at risk for complications or are not getting better after a few days. 

The situation will be different depending on where you are located. The best thing to do is stay informed but don’t panic. Take precautions and get the right treatment if you get sick. There should be no reason not to continue on with life and be prepared.

Swine Flu Precautions, Symptoms And History

The swine flu, also known as H1N1, has been causing a major uproar lately. Local schools and college campuses to businesses and homes have been feeling its impact since spring. What precautions can we take to limit the impact in our lives?

From ancient history to recent history the flu virus has been around and a deadly adversary. The influenza epidemic of 1918 and 1919 in which 1/3 of the world population was infected and 50,000,000 people died was nickname “Spanish flu” because Spain, a neutral country in World War I, had no special censorship for news against the disease and its consequences. Therefore, the most reliable news regarding the disease came from Spain, giving the false impression that Spain was the most—if not the only—affected zone or that it originated from there. This strain has been the basis for almost all cases of influenzaA worldwide since and is related to the strain of H1N1 that we are fighting today.

The flu was not eradicated; it found hosts in pigs where it was able to mutate. Pigs are susceptible to flu from humans and birds. Some genes from humans, pigs and birds mutated together to form a quadruple reassortant virus which includes 2 pig genes, one from the bird and one from us which became the H1N1 virus. The swine flu itself is caused by the type A flu virus and affects the pigs’ respiratory system, but while many get sick few actually die. The first case of our recent “outbreak” was in March 2009, a five year old boy from La Gloria, Mexico who eventually recovered.

From August 30 to October 10, 2009, the CDC broke down the numbers of the 4,958 people hospitalized to those that died by age group.

Age Group Hospitalized Deaths
0-4 19% 3%
5-18 26% 14%
19-24 9% 7%
25-49 24% 32%
50-64 15% 32%
65+ 7% 12%

Those with greater risks are those with underlying problems are the most risk of severe reactions.

The greatest risk group includes people with conditions such as:
Asthma
Diabetes
Suppressed immune systems
Heart disease
Kidney disease
Neuro-cognitive and neuro-muscular disorders
Pregnancy

So, what does H1N1 look like and who does it affect? Symptoms include; fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Others can have symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea and respiratory problems without fever.

What are the emergency warning signs? You need to keep a close eye on children because this can turn serious extremely fast, within a day or two instead of a few days like with adults. Look for fast breathing or trouble breathing, bluish skin color, not drinking enough fluids, not waking up or not interacting, being irritable or not wanting to be held, flu symptoms improve then we turn with a fever and worse cough and fever with rash. In adults you want to look for difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness, confusion and severe or persistent vomiting.

The good news is most people recover without any need for medical assistance. There are precautions that you can take to avoid getting sick or if you do get sick to shorten the length and severity and to keep others from getting ill as well.

If you are not sick:
1. Make sure you’re getting good nutrition, you want your immune system as strong as it can be.
2. Wash you hands often the soap and water for at least 30 seconds if no soap or water is available use an alcohol based hands sanitizer
3. Avoid touching non porous surfaces that you hands come in contact with, for example: ATM machines, banisters, door handles etc.
4. Avoid contact with sick people
5. Get plenty of rest
6. Drink plenty of fluids
7. Disinfected common areas with an effective germicide
8. Decide on immunization
9. Avoid touching your eyes nose and mouth

If you get sick:
1. STAY HOME!
2. Cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough
3. Throw out your tissues, don’t leave them lying around
4. Wash you hands often with soap and water for at least 30 seconds, if no soap or water is available use an alcohol based hand sanitizer
5. Seek medical treatment if you are sick and not getting better for more than four days
6. Seek medical treatment if an emergency situation comes about

If you do get sick and aren’t getting better there are anti-viral medications doctors will prescribe.