Last season’s flu epidemic is now estimated to have killed 80,000 Americans — the highest level for at least 4 decades — and caused the death of 180 children. Many of these deaths could have been prevented with flu vaccinations, public health officials said Thursday.
They made these announcements as they kicked off their #FightFlu vaccination campaign.
According to U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, even when the vaccine’s effectiveness is not as high as hoped, as happened last season, the shots or FluMist can still boost the immune system enough to limit how hard the virus hits as well as minimizing its spread.
Worrisome trends seen last year, officials said, include lower vaccination rates for 3 vulnerable populations:
- Children aged 6 months to 17 years old: Vaccinations among this group dropped to 57.9%. “The decline in coverage in this age group is very, very worrisome,” Adams said. 80% of the 180 children who died from the flu last season in 2017–2018 weren’t vaccinated.
- Pregnant women: Vaccinations among this group fell to 49.1% and affect the ability of newborns to fight the flu as well.
- Health care workers: Vaccinations among this group slipped to 78.4%, particularly in long-term care workers.
The big picture: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends anyone 6 months and older receive the flu shot or FluMist before the last week of October, since it takes 2 weeks for antibodies to generate, said Daniel Jernigan, head of the CDC’s influenza division.
- Jernigan said the number of estimated deaths from the 2017–2018 season increased after the CDC searched thoroughly through hospital data. “Last year was just a horrible season,” he said, and added that the flu mimicked what happened in Australia.
What’s new: FluMist nasal vaccine has been determined effective and will be offered to those who meet its requirements. The full vaccine details are here.
Piglet says
October 6, 2018 at 6:07 pmAnd now there’s this:
Did 80,000 Americans REALLY Die From the Flu or Is This Big Pharma Propaganda to Push the Flu Shot?
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2018/10/no_author/did-80000-americans-really-die-from-the-flu-or-is-this-big-pharma-propaganda-to-push-the-flu-shot/
Excerpt:
The New York Times is reporting that 80,000 Americans died of the flu last winter and that it’s the highest death toll yet. Scary articles like these are thinly veiled attempts to push Americans into the vaccine regime (get your flu shots or you’re going to die!) out of fear, panic, and hysteria. Maybe it is the highest death toll yet, however, there is more than meets the eye.
The Big Pharma-media-government conglomerate has a lot staked in keeping you unwell, scared and dependent. Frightened, self-doubting, and unhealthy people are much easier to control.
Piglet says
October 6, 2018 at 6:13 pmThe last time I got a flu shot (well over 20 years ago, before I knew better), I got sick twice, and the second time was even worse than the first.
Later I learned that blood tests reveal that only 16% of what people think is the flu is actually something else — a cold, an upper respiratory infection, etc., that would not be helped by a flu vaccine, assuming it was actually effective (which it isn’t).
Lastly, my father, then 70, got a flu shot, had an adverse reaction because of it, went to the hospital, and had a seizure on the second night that left him brain dead.
No thanks. I’ll wash my hands regularly and stay away from sick people. It works much better than getting poison injected into me.