"Across the UK the number of new cases of swine-flu are falling. Department of Health figures show that in the past week there were 5,000 infections in England - compared to over 100,000 at the start of the month."
BBC News, Friday, 28 August 2009 06:54 UK
Is this what the WHO and the CDC mean by a pandemic?
I am not trying to be glib about swine flu, or any influenza. I understand that the flu, swine, avian, or whatever variety of flu I contracted many times over the course of my life in Canada, can kill some people. Flu complications may bring my brief visit to this planet to an end some day but I have difficulty seeing why people around the world have been whipped into a panic over this specific flu, billions of dollars invested, testing of the safety and efficacy of vaccines rushed ... and possibly compromised ... based on available rate of infection and death information to date. And their previous track record at pandemic prediction ... the 1976 swine flu "pandemic" for example ... is not that great.
The figures below are taken from the Public Health Agency of Canada web site and indicate the number of people that have died from Swine Flu (H1N1) across Canada:
Every death is a tragedy for that person and those that know and love them. But the figures above, for an estimated population of 33,760,560 according to Statistics Canada's daily estimate, and like the UK information from the BBC above, are not what I think of when I think of a pandemic. The flu does kill significant numbers of people every year. In New Brunswick where I live we have been exposed to the Swine Flu already. A number of cadets visiting nearby Base Gagetown this summer contracted Swine Flu. They all survived. And New Brunswick has not, to date, recorded a single death, (yes, thankfully), but this humble, ignorant, non medical person has a hard time seeing the information to date as justifying the panic, the billions of dollars spent around the planet on vaccines, and their rush into production, with possible compromises to the safety and efficacy of the vaccines.
But what do I know. I am just a humble parent. And they are intelligent, well informed public health authorities who know better. If the WHO, the CDC and the Public Health Agency of Canada say there is a Swine Flu pandemic then I guess there must be a Swine Flu pandemic.
I am not trying to be glib about swine flu, or any influenza. I understand that the flu, swine, avian, or whatever variety of flu I contracted many times over the course of my life in Canada, can kill some people. Flu complications may bring my brief visit to this planet to an end some day but I have difficulty seeing why people around the world have been whipped into a panic over this specific flu, billions of dollars invested, testing of the safety and efficacy of vaccines rushed ... and possibly compromised ... based on available rate of infection and death information to date. And their previous track record at pandemic prediction ... the 1976 swine flu "pandemic" for example ... is not that great.
The figures below are taken from the Public Health Agency of Canada web site and indicate the number of people that have died from Swine Flu (H1N1) across Canada:
Every death is a tragedy for that person and those that know and love them. But the figures above, for an estimated population of 33,760,560 according to Statistics Canada's daily estimate, and like the UK information from the BBC above, are not what I think of when I think of a pandemic. The flu does kill significant numbers of people every year. In New Brunswick where I live we have been exposed to the Swine Flu already. A number of cadets visiting nearby Base Gagetown this summer contracted Swine Flu. They all survived. And New Brunswick has not, to date, recorded a single death, (yes, thankfully), but this humble, ignorant, non medical person has a hard time seeing the information to date as justifying the panic, the billions of dollars spent around the planet on vaccines, and their rush into production, with possible compromises to the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. But what do I know. I am just a humble parent. And they are intelligent, well informed public health authorities who know better. If the WHO, the CDC and the Public Health Agency of Canada say there is a Swine Flu pandemic then I guess there must be a Swine Flu pandemic.
autism
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