A couple of states over, and flu is 'barely on the radar'

[Guest guest]

We have Minnesota urging everyone to vaccinate and Michigan stating that flu is so rare that state health officials won't even track it this year. There has been only ONE case of flu confirmed in the entire state so far - a state with a population of just under 10 million people. But even so, everyone should go out and get the vaccine! There are some real beauties in this article. Like the US government estimating that 12,000 Americans died of flu last year. First off, last year was a pandemic year and we were supposed to be tracking flu deaths then - so why the need to estimate? Would guesstimate be a better term? Secondly, it is estimated that under 20,000 died across the globe from flu last year - did more than half of all flu deaths occur in the US then? What a shameful situation for the number one superpower to be in! Lastly, if it is estimated that 12,000 Americans died last year in a 'SHOCK - HORROR - PANIC' flu season. Maybe we should be checking out why AH1N1 swine flu is so much better for people then the normal seasonal flu which the guesstimates say kill 36,000 Americans a year.The last line is a corker! “If everybody would get flu vaccines,” Blum said, “there wouldn’t be an epidemic every year.” Well, very few Americans got a flu shot last year - between 25 and 30 percent of the country did - and there was NO epidemic. In fact, it was the mildest flu season since the US started keeping records. Perhaps we are on to something here. Stop vaccinating against the flu - see fewer cases and deaths. Things that make you go hmmmmm.*********************************************************************************************************Flu barely on the radar this season

There are so few cases reported in Mich. that health officials aren’t tracking them

One year after the swine flu sickened, hospitalized and killed

residents around the globe, this season’s flu is so mild that state

health officials aren’t even tracking cases.

Like the rest of the nation, flu activity is low in Michigan, said

McCurtis, spokesman for the state Department of Community Health.

This contrasts sharply with last year, when few were immune to the H1N1

flu strain that created a worldwide pandemic, leading people to stand

in line at clinics for a vaccine initially reserved for those deemed

most at risk.

McCurtis wondered if last season’s public health campaign encouraging

people to cover their mouths when coughing, wash their hands more often

and use sanitizers led to habits that have helped stave off seasonal

flu thus far.

“Maybe people are listening and adhering to the guidelines,” McCurtis

said. “This is a very good start. We’re at the end of November and only

seeing sporadic cases. That’s pretty good.”

The flu is a contagious respiratory illness that can be mild to severe

and sometimes fatal, mostly among people over age 65. Symptoms can

include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches and

fatigue.

Last year’s swine flu was the first global pandemic in 40 years. It was

first detected in the United States in April 2009 in a 10-year-old

California patient, and then spread to the rest of the nation. In

contrast with seasonal flu, the H1N1 virus preyed primarily on people

under age 65: Schools closed; people clamored to get the vaccine;

health officials gave regular reports of vaccine availability and

updated the number of people struck by the virus.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates more than 12,000 Americans died of swine flu last season.

But this year, flu is barely on the radar screen. McCurtis was aware of

only one case of seasonal flu that has been confirmed in Michigan, but

he added that people don’t always go to see their doctor when they are

sick. Even so, McCurtis cautioned that it’s early in

the season, which runs from late August through May, with the peak

usually occurring during January and February. That means people should still get a flu shot,

which includes protection against the H1N1 virus and two seasonal

strains. People can get the vaccine from their local physicians and

various retailers. The CDC recommends flu shots for everyone over

the age of 6 months, especially those at high risk of complications,

including children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with chronic

health conditions, such as asthma. An early surge of people have gotten flu shots at

Dr. Blum’s offices in Bingham Farms and West Bloomfield. Blum, a

pediatrician, has been trying to encourage others who are not

interested in the flu shot to get it. Some people have concerns about

the vaccine making people sick afterward and that is not true, Blum

said.

“If everybody would get flu vaccines,” Blum said, “there wouldn’t be an epidemic every year.” 26 Nov 2010

The Detroit NewsBY KIM KOZLOWSKIThe Detroit NewsNo web link