What’s all the hype about the FLU?
Flu Season, Flu shots, Bird flu, Spanish Flu, Swine Flu, Avian Flu, Hong Kong Flu, Asian Flu, Pandemic, Epidemic, H1N1, H5N1, H2N2.
Oh man! I’m Flu Dizzy.
What is Influenza?
The Influenza is a Virus (Latin, poison) and as such is Inanimate or not Alive. It is inaccurate to think of a virus as a small living organism; it cannot use the environment to produce energy; they cannot persist for extended periods on their own in the environment; and most importantly they are incapable of reproducing themselves.
Viruses are a geometrically shaped hollow structure whose outer coat is comprised of protein molecules, they are very small and a thousand to millions can fit on the end of a pin.
As a virus is not alive antibiotics have no affect on them.
The influenza virus is very good at invading a living organism and using the host’s cells to perform the functions that it requires to replicate. The influenza virus is totally dependent on a host for their existence and as such is THE PERFECT PARASITE.
Influenza comes in three recognized varieties A, B, and C.
Influenza B is generally found in humans and seals, while Influenza C is found in humans and pigs, both of these are less infectious and found less frequently than Influenza A. Influenza A is generally considered to originally be a bird to bird infection that has mutated to infect humans, birds, pigs, horses, dogs, seals and whales.
What we call the “Seasonal Flu” is usually a form of Influenza A and infects 5 to 20 percent of the American population annually hospitalizing approximately 200,000.
This influenza/virus is a master at continuously mutating or changing its personality and thusly receives a new name. There are approximately 400 influenza A variants. In the realm of science these are named as an H and an N type.
Interestingly enough the seasonal flu can cause no symptoms in some people, slight symptoms in others and can be deadly to others. Usually the most affected are the young, and the old infirmed.
The symptoms of the flu can come on quite suddenly. One minute you feel fine and the next you might be terribly sick with symptoms of cough, fever, sore throat, fatigue, body aches, and conjunctivitis. In severe cases it causes breathing problems and pneumonia which can be fatal.
The Grim Reapers
There have been 3 major influenza epidemics since the turn of the 20th Century.
In 1918 the “Spanish Flu” which was designated H1N1, killed an estimated 80 to 100 million people world wide 1/16TH. OF THE WORLD’S THEN CURRENT POPULATION.
It killed approximately 675,000 people in America. This flu was unusual in that 50% of those killed were young adults.
In 1957 and 1958 the “Asian flu” arrived. It was considered to be a mutation from the Spanish Flu H1N1 and is classified as H2N2. It started in China where it killed 10 million people and then came to the U.S. and killed more, approximately 70,000. This influenza rarely infected those under 65 years of age.
Once again in 1968 and 1969 a new flu arrived that was named the “Hong Kong Flu”. It was another mutation of the Asian flu H1N1 and was designated H3N2. It killed 750,000 people and infected 40% of the world population.
Since then we have had a constantly mutating variety of Type A Asian flu infecting the world’s population on an annual basis. Type A Influenza kills at least 36,000 in the U.S. annually.
The Bad News
The International medical community, government agencies including the intelligence communities is all in agreement, it is not if we will have an Influenza epidemic but when.
President Bush has issued an official warning as of November 30th of 2005. In this Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response warning President Bush states “Our country has been given fair warning of this dander to our homeland”. President Bush outlined a $7.1 billion pandemic strategy and he asked Congress for and as of December 2005 received $3.8 billion for new vaccine technology. This is hopefully good news.
On November 6th of 2006 an official mandate to federal workers in Hong Kong ordered a stock piling of a 12 day supply of food and water. Further guidelines for “Self quarantine” were issued.
The Blue Ribbon Committee on Mega Catastrophes has issued a study stating that it will take 6 months to develop a vaccine and it will take until 2011 to vaccinate all Americans even then a perfect match vaccine is not possible.
Figuring out which version of the flu will attack next season is the job of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Influenza Surveillance Network. They determine which strains are likely to be this year’s flu and try to design a specific vaccine to inoculate against that strain.
Because of the very nature of the influenza virus it is a bit of a guessing game as to which strains will hit in any given geographical region at a given time. This uncertainty means that the flu vaccine can be ineffective. It is important to realize that vaccination is not immunization, just because you get a flu shot doesn’t mean you will not get the flu.
The new Seasonal flu vaccine is a trivalent vaccine which means that it contains elements from three different influenza viruses. This vaccine has shown good protection.
Vaccines work by stimulating our immune response against specific organisms as indicated by the vaccine given. If effective it stimulates an immediate immune response, both a cellular and antibody response. When, in the future we are exposed, or confronted, with the same or very similar influenza/pathogen our immune system is Primed for an adequate Response.
We will more quickly mount a specific response.
This is a Good Thing.
The Federal government in an effort to increase production of vaccines has lowered restrictions on vaccine purity allowing the use of formaldehyde, aluminum, and mercury (thimerosol). Google thimerosal/ autism. However the food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Does an adequate job of insuring Effectiveness and Purity.
The flu shot is not an immunization it is an inoculation, it is not a cure. At this time inoculation with the trivalent vaccine is a good idea, and the Avian Flu H5N1 is the reason.
Avian Flu H5N1 – A Perfect Killer
This bird flu is a new variant that is extremely virulent and contagious. It can infect and be carried in domestic chickens, turkeys, pheasants, ducks, geese, guinea foul, migratory waterfowl, pigs, horses, and has a mortality rate of 100% in domestic chickens. Over 100 million birds have died or been culled in 13 nations.
Ground zero for the H5N1 virus was Hong Kong in 1997. Before 1997 H5N1 had infected birds and was transmitted bird to bird but in 1997 it made the shift from bird to human. H5N1 has infected people in Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Thailand. The death rate of those infected is 50% and as of January 2006 147 people have been infected. Compared to the 5 to 12% mortality rate of the 1918 Influenza P, H5N1 Influenza is a PERFECT KILLER. Worse, there have been several cases where it is likely person to person transmission has occurred.
If, or some experts say when H5N1 mutates and is transmitted human to human the resulting Pandemic could spread globally in 6 days. Estimates on deaths in the U.S.A. are at 500,000 and world wide at well over 6 million.
GOOD NEWS: A VACCINE THE PRIMARY WEAPON
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has announced that an experimental vaccine for H5N1 works. We have 2 anti-viral medications (Tamiflu and Symmetrel) that are helpful against H5N1 and antibiotics to fight off secondary bacterial infections.
BAD NEWS:
This vaccine for the H5N1 has to be 6 times stronger that the seasonal flu trivalent vaccine and to produce an effective immune response and 2 doses are required. The CDC also announced they are producing 20 million doses but it will take 4 years. The 600 million doses needed to vaccinate all 300 million Americans will take 7 years to produce. As the H5N1 virus continues to mutate the above vaccine will confer limited immunity. The production of Tamiflu has been quadrupled but it will still take 10 years to produce enough for just 20% of the world’s population. Several recent H5N1 cases in Vietnam have already shown resistant to Tamiflu.
Strong vs. Weak
I must apologize in advance for the Coldness of this next paragraph.
We live in a sea of micro-organisms and their purpose is to digest us back to the environment hopefully after DEATH.
Nature Culls the Herd and as the living, we are the Herd, Human Kind, Homo sapiens. Bipedal primates.
OUCH.
Now I am not a proponent of a pre-mature death or the tragedy of the loss of a loved one, but have you noticed nature is not under our complete control. We as a Global Community suffer catastrophes all the time, just read the papers or watch the news.
HOPE
Really NOW!
We are Gifted and Given an Innate Power which Controls, and Coordinates all Function Down to the Cellular Systems.
This Power is Energetic. Energy is defined as the potential for causing change.
As such our Spritual, Moral, Neurological, Neuro-Skeletal, Neuro-Chemical and Physiological Systems are in Coordination with one another which equals.
The basic premise of microbiology is that “if the virulence of the pathogen is greater than the immunity of the host it gains entrance.
However, if the resistance of the host is stronger than the virulence of the pathogen then it cannot gain access or entrance.
In simple words if your immune system (YOU) ARE stronger than the flu bug you won’t submit to the pathogen.
My Job is to Keep You STRONG. Ah Ha!
My name is Dr. Jenison I am a practicing Chiropractic Doctor of over 28 years in Lake Tahoe California. North Tahoe is my Home.
Thought it was time for a proper introduction.
I have had the blessing of learning many natural healing methods. Over my years of service to more than 10,000 patients, I have developed a Specific System of Analysis using Muscle Resistance Testing. This Technique is called Total Integrated Technique or T.in.T.
Total Integrated Technique allows me to determine where the stress or im-balance is in you body and then determine the optimum therapeutic course of treatment. I can evaluate your immune systems strength and determine what can help.
I have an impressive arsenal of Therapies.
I administer Spinal, Cranial Sacral, and extremity manipulation as well as Physical therapy to reverse neural impingement and aberrant neurological function. Spinal and or Cranial subluxations can interfere with normal function and cause lowered immune system functions.
My arsenal includes Whole food Nutrition, Herbal, Homeopathic Medicines, Clinical Detoxification, Laser and Light Therapies, Auricular, Body point accupoint therapies, and Dietary/Exercise recommendations. I have an extensive global Pharmacy of Natural Medicines.
Strength or Weakness is a CHOICE
Making a positive Choice to change, improve or protect our lives and health is personal. Your health and well being is our purpose and mission in practice. I have dedicated my professional life to restoring and protecting your health.