Influenza - Page 8

Nonametoday · ‎03-09-2010

@Ruby Laine wrote:
In the 'flu season 2017-2018, 80,000 Americans died of influenza according to the CDC. This was the highest number in 40 years.

@Ruby Laine You know, it is hard to believe that many people died and we never heard of any in my community. I am not doubting it, but I just wonder who these people are and are they babies or homeless people, or a combination of both, both of whom probably do not get flu shots.

Nonametoday · ‎03-09-2010

@Zernia Rose wrote:
Please keep in mind that no flu vaccine will prevent anyone from getting the flu. Scientist attempt to create a vaccine that is effective against multiple types of flu. The formula changes yearly. Some years are more effective, others less so. I believe in vaccinations because they prevent pandemics. Heretofore controlled diseases are coming back: chicken pox, measles, whopping cough, etc. Our lack of robust antibiotic development has come to bite us: consider the emergence of rampant staph infections. We need to let the CDC and the National Institutes of Health receive full funding and support for their work. They are on the frontlines.

@Zernia Rose The problem is that people do not want to pay the drug companies who are doing the research for the products once they are developed. We criticize them for overcharging and we criticize them for not doing the research. We cannot have it both ways. We have used antibiotics for every little thing that came along and therefore, they have lost their efficacy. Antibiotics should not be used for viruses and yet most people go to the doctor with the expectation that they will get an antibiotic for every virus they have and this weakens the efficacy of the antibiotic and the patient's resistance to infections when they come in contact with them. Too many people are entering this country, bringing with them the old diseases that we had abolished here and therefore, we no longer needed to vaccinate for them. But as they are returning, we need to control the borders in order to make sure these diseases are not being brought in and spread rampantly throughout our population. I do love the fact that we are a melting pot. Otherwise, I would not be there, but we need to control the diseases by controlling the borders and ensuring all those who enter are vaccinated for the diseases we had long ago quit worrying about.