I have been listening to the news and radio about different flu hot spots that are popping up throughout the country. There are two things that I noticed. One- so far all reports of the H1N1 virus have been mild although very contagious and two- that it has not caused a spike in deaths. The flu season is just beginning but certainly this is good news so far.

Now keep in mind H1N1 is still a flu virus, and flu viruses are still quite uncomfortable if you get them. Stock up now on cold medicines, vitamins, hand sanitizers just in case you catch it. Also since it has caused deaths in healthy people make sure you are still vigliant and give the doctor a call should anything seem more serious.

Well I may sound a little peeved in this post, and if that offends anyone I am terribly sorry. Hopefully the tirade I am about to go into will be informative at least.

First off you must protect yourself against swine flu and regular flu. I firmly believe that. Swine flu kills children and people age 21-49 which is not like the regular flu.

How should you protect yourself?

With basic prevention methods-hand washing, hand sanitizer, mask if necessary, cough and cold, medicine, a trip to the doctors if you present with symptoms, probiotics, healthy habits, sleep, and education

What about the Vaccine?

I suppose this is the part where I go into the tirade. First the latest news - in a race among the pharmaceutical companies to develop vaccines, word is (courtesy of the AP) that Novartis is testing their vaccine which is a one dose vaccine made with cell culture, which is the process in which cells are created in a lab. It includes the use of adjuvants- another chemical, which supposedly increases it's effectiveness.

First of all the amount of money being diverted to these pharmaceutical companies by our government is disgusting. 1 billion originally and millions more awarded in contracts as we go along.

For goodness sake unemployment is almost at 10% and we are giving away millions of dollars to multiple companies for different versions of the same vaccine which people may not want anyway, because many people do not want to take a vaccine with formaldehyde in it.

All companies say it is safe for people starting at age 3, but they are not testing 3 year olds on this new vaccine. Also, consider how you feel about the chemicals that they put in the vaccines- formaldehyde, gelatin, a disinfectant, and mercury in multi dose vials. Depending on the maker there are other chemicals that they might use all which seem like they shouldn't be injected into your body.

Millions and billions of dollars to big companies while our country's economy is at a standstill and people are jobless and homeless. Yes, all the homeless and jobless  will be lining up at CVS to get a flu shot.

How about giving out the flu shots to kids at school?

The testing for these new vaccine are are people starting at age 18 except for the 2 dose chicken egg swine flu vaccine which they are currently testing on children .

Furthermore Thimerosal is still included in multi-dose vaccines and you will not be at school to read the pamphlet with the ingredients list of the vaccines the schools will use, and even still single dose vials may contain trace amounts of Thimerosal.

If you want to protect yourself from swine flu- get hand sanitizer, wash your hands!, sanitize the house when you clean. 

If you or anyone in your family shows symptoms stay home to keep from spreading the symptoms- also sanitize your desk at your office, consider taking vitamins that help your immunity, try probiotics which support immune health, and get some sleep. All of these are are great ways to prevent the swine flu or prevent seasonal flu. 


Allow Me One Exception

The thing with vaccines is this- does the benefit outweigh the risk?

In the event that the swine flu or seasonal flu reaches a pandemic level with a high mortality rate, or if the swine flu is heavily circulating in your area- it may be time to reconsider whether or not to get vaccinated.

 Like I said the virus effects younger people than the seasonal flu so if the number of infections and deaths increases in your locality or even if you have an underlying medical issue, you must consider the benefits and risks then decide. and it should be an ongoing process as we head further into flu season.
 

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Did you know that part of staying healthy and preventing the flu has a lot to do with your overall health?

Are you getting enough sleep?

Are you running rampant without a break?- kids, groceries, dry cleaning, cleaning the house?

Do you feel stressed? Do you feel tired?

Are you eating right?

Are you taking a multivitamin?

I know this is a flu prevention site but I wanted to check in with you about your overall health? I mean really how do you feel? If you aren't OK it will be harder to fight off infection. So flu prevention tip today?   Take A Day Off!   :)

Many pictures of people in countries experiencing the flu- swine, avian, or other, can be seen wearing masks. Are you wondering if masks fo are effective?

There is no evidence that are or are not effective, but common sense says the less respiratory particles you breathe in from sick people, the better. They certainly can't hurt, but I bet they would help.

Of course they aren't necessary really in the United States as this point unless there is an abundance of flu cases and then of course it is up to you if it is a precaution you want to take. It would be good to have on hand if you have an underlying medical condition or if someone gets sick in your house.

Try to remember that if you don't practice all the other aspects of flu prevention masks are useless.

Here it is - this virus mainly affects young adults and children. While the regular seasonal flu affects the elderly this virus, as sad as it is to say most people don't think about it.

Everyone keeps saying this flu season won't be worse than any others.

Average flu season deaths- 36,000 of which 80-100 are children

I am quite positive people will feel differently if instead of 35,900 elderly or older people it is reversed and those deaths are mostly young mothers and fathers, pregnant women, and children.

Plan for the flu and protect your family, it is a simple as reading a book

The swine flu virus hit India a few months ago, the latest death toll reached over 100 today with 102 people dead from the virus and 15 people in critical condition and close to 4000 people infected.  8/31/09

What are H1N1 symptoms or swine flu symptoms?

Swine flu symptoms, H1N1 symptoms are just like seasonal flu symptoms although there have been more reports of diarrhea and vomiting. If you experience diarrhea and vomit be very careful, dehydration can be dangerous when your body is fighting the flu.

• Fever (will be high)
  
• Headache
• Tiredness/Fatigue (can be extreme and last longer than the flu itself)
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Body aches
• Diarrhea and vomiting (more common in children than adults, more common with swine flu than with seasonal flu)

If you believe that you haveswine flu or H1N1 flu, it is important to see your doctor and especially important if you have any underlying medical conditions.

Let the doctor's office know when you make an appointment that you suspect that you have the swine flu virus. They can make arrangements for when you come in, so you don't spread the virus.

The only way to know for sure is to be swabbed at your doctor's office usually in the nose. they will send the swab to a lab for results.

The swine flu virus can impact younger people and healthy people it is really important to be seen to reduce the risk of deadly side effects.   

One of the best preventions against swine flu is to wash your hands correctly. One problem is that people don't wash their hand long enough. One good way to know how long to wash them is to say your ABC's slowly while you wash.

How is the swine flu transmitted?

Swine flu, like other influenza viruses is transmitted person to person usually through coughing and sneezing. If you come in contact with an infected person it is likely you may get the swine flu virus.  The flu virus can live surfaces for hours at a time this is why it is recommended to keep hands clean and away from the face.

The swine flu virus can live on clothing for a short time also. It is important when coughing and sneezing to use a tissue, as you can dispose of these and they will no longer pose a risk.

Many people were afraid that they may get the swine flu virus from eating pork. While it is always important to cook your meat to the correct temperatures, you cannot acquire swine flu from eating pork.

Keep in mind, people who have had the virus are contagious at least 24 hours after their fever subsides.