Swine Flu

[Fayax]

This thing is still growing but now people are not paying attention to it as much.

US swine flu deaths surpass 1,000

ATLANTA – More Americans have been vaccinated against seasonal flu this fall than ever before by this time of year, federal health officials said Friday.

Sixty million people have gotten the winter flu vaccine — probably because they're paying more attention to flu warnings in general, thanks to swine flu. It's an unprecedented number of seasonal flu shots for October; most usually aren't given until later in the fall.

Part of it is due to supply: There are already 85 million doses of seasonal flu vaccine available, a much larger amount than usual for this early in the fall. Most years, roughly 100 million doses are used during the season.

Spoiler: read on...

But a big factor probably is that swine flu — also known as the 2009 H1N1 virus — is drawing attention to public health warnings that seasonal flu is also a deadly illness that can be prevented through vaccinations, said Joe Quimby, a spokesman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"There's been a heightened awareness in the American public due to H1N1 this year," said Quimby.

Meanwhile, swine flu is more widespread now than it's ever been, and has resulted in more than 1,000 U.S. deaths so far. Flu illnesses are as widespread now as they are at the winter peak of normal flu seasons, said CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden.

"Many millions" of Americans have had swine flu so far, according to an estimate he gave at a Friday press conference. The government doesn't test everyone to confirm swine flu so it doesn't have an exact count.

Frieden updated some other estimates, too, saying there have been more than 20,000 hospitalizations.

Nearly 100 swine flu deaths in children have been reported, CDC officials also said.

Forty-six states now have widespread flu activity. The only states without widespread flu are Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey and South Carolina. There are at least two different types of flu causing illnesses; tests from about 5,000 patients suggest that nearly all the flu cases are swine flu.

This year's seasonal flu vaccine won't protect against swine flu; a separate swine flu vaccine is needed. Vaccine production takes several months, and the work on seasonal vaccine was already well under way when swine flu was first identified in April. It was too late for the swine flu virus to be included in the seasonal doses.

Because of swine flu production delays, the government has backed off initial, optimistic estimates that as many as 120 million vaccine doses would be available by mid-October. As of Wednesday, only 11 million doses had been shipped to health departments, doctor's offices and other providers across the country, CDC officials said.

"It's frustrating to all of us. We wish there were more vaccine available," Frieden said.

The flu virus has to be grown in chicken eggs, and the yield hasn't been as high as was initially hoped, CDC officials explained. "Even if you yell at them, they don't grow faster," Frieden said.

He added that 5 million new doses became available in the past week, and vaccine should be more plentiful soon.

[Fayax]

From Yahoo!

US swine flu vaccine outlook improving, CDC says


ATLANTA – More than 22 million doses of swine flu vaccine are available now, and most Americans should soon find it easier to get their dose, U.S. health officials said Tuesday.

"We're beginning to get to significant increases in the availability," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at a briefing.

Last week there were just 14 million doses on hand, despite initial predictions that as many as 120 million would be ready by mid-October. The government later slashed that estimate to 45 million. The slow supply trickle has frustrated Americans, who have stood in line for hours in some parts of the country.

The shortage has probably increased demand, Frieden said.

Spoiler: read on...

"It's quite likely that too little vaccine is one of the things that's making people more interested in getting vaccinated, frankly. When we have shortages, we see an increase in demand," he said.

The vaccine is grown in eggs in a reliable but slow process, and smaller amounts of it were being produced per egg than expected. There were other snags, too, but health officials say manufacturers have overcome most of those and are making the vaccine more speedily.

Over time, the government expects to have as many as 225 million doses of the new vaccine if needed.

CDC officials estimate that the swine flu virus, first identified in April, has killed at least 1,000 Americans and caused at least mild illness in many millions of others.

The pandemic started in a frightening burst of cases in certain parts of the country, including New York, Boston and parts of the Southwest. Illnesses diminished somewhat in the summer and then began increasing across the country as schools reopened roughly two months ago.

Swine flu cases are waning in Georgia and some parts of the country lately, but still increasing in others. Health officials say it's hard to predict what will happen in the next few months.

[dodo]

Ab toh uska ilaaj hai na  

[Fayax]

I guess swine flu is gone?   Havent heard about it in a while.

[dodo]

My cousin ke school main, they are getting the kids vaccinated. Aunt called up and told, ask the doc...rumours has it that, the flu can cause paralysis when given. How true is that  

[Fayax]

Well there has been issues with the flu vaccine itself. But the chances of getting that flu are very less, so why increase the chances of getting something wrong with you with the vaccine in the first place.

I think most of this hoopla was to sell the vaccine for the big pharmaceutical companies.

[DoubleChill]

And a dog in NYC was diagnosed with it.  Fox News stated that there has been other domesticated pets in the US which also have been diagnosed.

When it boils down to it, you might find that all of this is related to either Republicans or their non-disguised appearance, the roach

[Fayax]

...

When it boils down to it, you might find that all of this is related to either Republicans or their non-disguised appearance, the roach

  -->  lol


But it animals are going to start getting it too then it is more dangerous strain.

I wonder if pigs actually get the flu or they are just the carriers and never actually get sick from it.  hmm  

[DoubleChill]

Like most communicable diseases, the name is coined based on the animal they first discover it in (and always a domesticated one).  You will never hear about a crocodile flu, or a monkey flu, and NEVER a panda flu/disease.

If scientists would look past the animal where they first detected it and move backwards, they may find the true nature behind it.

[Fayax]

They shouldve called it oink flu!

[DoubleChill]

OK, let us get one thing straight: H1N1 (swine flu) and H5N1 (Avian Flu) are BOTH strains of Influenza A viruses with only a slight modification in the genetic strains.  In all understanding, they are almost identical.  What needs to be straight is that the 'Swine Flu' is actually just a modified H1N1 strain which caused the 1918 Flu Pandemic, and at that time it was known as the 'Spanish Flu'.  Now before you go off hating Spaniards, understand WHY it was called what it was called:  The term "Spanish" flu was coined because Spain was at the time the only European country where the press were printing reports of the outbreak, which had killed thousands in the armies fighting World War I. Other countries suppressed the news in order to protect morale and so the name stuck.

This strain has NOTHING to do with pigs other than the fact that scientists first noticed it in a large number of swine destined for slaughter.  Influenza A can easily spread from animals to humans and vice a verse so in the end, maybe one of us passed it along to Ms. Piggy.

Stop the hatred!  Pigs need lovin too!

(Haters)

[Miss KnowEverything]

Dchill i agree. but i am not in favor of keeping pets inside with you in rooms n beds n even in bath tub. thats not good.