H1N1

So we are all hearing about H1N1 in the news today and lots of people are worried with what to do if you get it or if you should get your family vaccinated.

I decided that I should chime in on this current pandemic.

Did you know that the CDC estimates that just over 36,000 Americans die of flu-related causes each year in the US? This estimate comes from a 2003 study and a 2009 study both published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

I tried to get specifics for the past few years for deaths caused by flu, but the CDC can not calculate the exact number of people who die of flu related causes from one year to the next. They must wait and gather information from several years in order to calculate an average.

This being said, on 10/23/09 USA Today had published an article stating over 1,000 people in the US have died of Swine flu this year.

We all ready know that 36,000 Americans will die this year from flu related illness. So why scare everyone?

The H1N1 is a strain of flu that can lay you up for weeks. But it is still just the flu. It is just a new strain that our body's are not use to, so they have to make the anti-bodies to become immune to it.

If you should get sick, get rest, drink lots of fluids, and if you need to; control the fever with motrin or ibuprofen.

Let your body build its immunity naturally, you may be sick for a week or so, but if you rest, drink plenty of liquids, and watch your temperature so it does not get too high above (104 degrees) you and your kids will be fine.

If you have a question about getting vaccinated, I would recommend that you don't. There are a lot of different chemicals in the vaccine mixture that are more harmful to your body then the flu. Also the last time the government put up such a huge push to get vaccinated for the swine flu in 1976 there was a large increase in the cases of Guillain Barre Syndrome which is a paralyzing neuromuscular disorder of which about 50% of the cases were linked to the vaccine.

(I would recommend you go to Wikipedia look up swine influenza for some great general information)

If you have a disease that suppresses your immune system, or have moderate asthma you should ask your medical provider the best option for you. If you are a typical American with no major health issues then be smart, wash your hands or use anti-microbial gel often. If you do get sick follow the instructions above, if complications arise like respiratory stress or difficulty breathing seek medical attention.

For the vast majority of us it is just the flu!