While what you say is true, Jed, not all vaccines are equally safe or
effective, especially when it involves influenza. In my case, I got a
flu shot a few years ago and suffered from a sore shoulder for months
and still got the flu. I find that certain natural immune enhances and
antiviral potions work well and make the flu much easer to take. The
issue in the present case is the unproven effectiveness and safely of
the vaccine because it is being rushed into production. Personally, I
would rather wait to see how many people suffer from the shot and how
many people get the flu before I take the risk. Besides, I resent the
government telling me to do anything because their advice is always
bad in the long run.
Ed
On Jun 29, 2009, at 8:48 AM, Jed Rothwell wrote:
John Berry wrote:
Short version, Swine Flu is not especially deadly and compared to
the numbers killed by regular flu it isn't a concern . . .
Influenza is always a concern. It kills 30,000 to 50,000 people in a
normal year, and ~200,000 when a relatively new variety appears.
This one is likely to kill far more than the usual number,
especially younger people. Fortunately it probably evolved from a
human variety that went to pigs and then came back, so it is not too
bad. A variety that humans have not been exposed to, such as the
1918 influenza, kills far more people. The 1918 epidemic killed
roughly twice as many people as World War I did, including many more
healthy young people than normal. The proximate cause of death was
an allergic reaction that was far more powerful in healthy young
people than elderly people. If the H1N1 virus has this same
tendency, which still seems likely, it would be prudent to stock up
unusually large numbers of vaccines.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, there will be no
exemptions. "A certain amount of human wastage" is expected.
As Lawrence de Bivort pointed out, this is nonsense, and this
message is propaganda.
I doubt any expert mentioned "human wastage" but all experts know
that all vaccines always carry some risk. Indeed, all medical
interventions of any kind have some level of risk, including
treatment for hangnails. Every vaccine kills or disables some number
of people, but the number is far lower than the number who would die
without the vaccine. If you are at risk for serious influenza it is
highly irrational not to get the vaccine. This is like saying you
will drive 600 miles rather than taking an airplane because
airplanes sometime crash. They do, of course, but the fatality rate
per passenger mile is far lower than for cars.
I wasn't kidding about hangnails. You have to fill in medical forms
saying you will not sue if the local anesthetic kills or disables you.
- Jed
