The number of flu-related deaths in the United States has increased fourfold since the 1970s and now claims more lives than AIDS -- this despite the invention of the flu vaccine some 40 years ago.
This increase is blamed on the aging population, who are more susceptible to the flu, along with a recent, more lethal strain of the virus. About 65 percent of the elderly receive flu shots, however the shots are largely ineffective among this group of people aged 65 and older. According to a recent report, the shots do not protect aging immune systems as well as younger ones.
From 1976 to 1977 the number of flu-related deaths was 16, 263, compared with 64, 684 from 1998 to 1999. While previous estimates had gauged the average number of deaths from flu at 20,000 per year, researchers say the average number has reached 36,000.
In the mid-1990s new drugs contributed to a decline in U.S. AIDS deaths from 51,000 in 1995 to about 15,000 in 2001. The increase in flu-related deaths, despite the introduction of the flu shot, has led some to say that the importance of receiving the flu vaccination could be undermined.
The recent flu death toll pales in comparison to that of the worldwide flu epidemic in 1918, which killed more than 20 million people, including 500,000 Americans.
Along with the elderly, people with diabetes or heart disease are also particularly vulnerable to influenza. However, only about 30 percent of this group gets flu shots.
Washington Post January 8, 2003; Page A03
Yahoo News January 8, 2003
Vaccines are big business: revenues are expected to reach $10 billion per year by 2006.
In 2001, FluMist, the intranasal live virus vaccine, sought approval and was defeated because of a lack of data to prove its safety.
However, with more than $1 billion potentially on the table for this "no-needles" vaccine, you can bet that the drug company is not going to take the defeat lying down. They are going to do everything in their power to get this vaccine approved.
As for the issue of flu shots, I believe they are worthless and should be avoided. Not only are they loaded with toxic chemicals including mercury and aluminum, but many people come down with the flu shortly after receiving the shot. I have never received a flu shot and haven’t missed a day of work due to illness in over 20 years.
It doesn’t make sense to inject foreign, potentially toxic chemicals into your body to prevent illness. Instead, give your body healthy food by following the nutrition plan and implement an exercise program. It is as simple as that, if you provide your body with the right fuel it will naturally provide you with immunity.
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