concern - Flu

[igraf]

Here is some real information as reported by CNN.

 

Quote:

 

"So far, according to the CDC, this year's North American vaccine matches well with the most predominant type of flu spreading in the United States, but is less well matched to the No. 2 type of virus.

 

This year's North American vaccine is made from three viruses: two types of influenza A virus (H3N2 and H1N1) and an influenza B virus. As of January 5, the CDC said Friday, the predominant virus in the United States was an influenza A (H3N2) virus that matched well with the H3N2 virus represented in the vaccine. Of the H3N2 viruses tested at that point, 99.4% matched the type that the vaccine protects against.

 

The match for influenza B viruses, the second-most common this season, wasn't as good. Of the influenza B viruses tested between October 1 and January 5, 66.7% were the type represented in the vaccine. The match for H1N1, much rarer this season, was 100%, the CDC said."

 

End quote.

 

 

 

Bottom line: Most of the flu cases were entirely preventable if only people would get their annual flu shot. I know several people who refuse to get the flu shot because of irrational fears concerning vaccines. It is these people that are responsible for much of the flu problem and they cause great harm, even death, to themselves and others.

 

Also, as others have pointed out, there is no treatment for the flu per se. Antibiotics are only for secondary bacterial infections.

 

 

igraf

[Typhoon1]

What do you do? The first thing would be insurance...

 

Paramount to that Bruce, was getting an influenza vaccination.

[localady]

I'm not doubting you at all. I just would like to know where you're getting this information.

 

Also, wondering if it's true that the ship's dodn't have to report flu cases to the CDC? Localady, how do you know this?

 

We know that the CDC requires the cruise lines to report cases of Noro when there is a certain percentage of the ship exposed. I have never read of any ship having to report any other illnesses like they do Noro. If I am mistaken or wrong, I would hope a more knowledgeable cruiser would enlighten us.:D

[rafinmd]

http://www.cdc.gov/media/matte/2011/11_flucruiseship.pdf

 

Roy

[Watson's aunt]

Local news in Boston reported tonight a young child (under 6) has died today. flu. I don't watch Fox news.

 

 

Mary

[Langoustine]

The best thing you can do to protect yourself is to get a flu shot every year. While antibiotics are useful for treating secondary problems (several of which can kill you; there are now at least 20 children dead from this), the only thing that seems to help with the flu itself is TAMIFLU (and even that only works if you take it early at the onset of illness), and I can pretty much guarantee you that no cruise ship is going to carry enough of that to treat everyone on board who gets ill. If you're ill, and think it may be the flu, don't get on the ship; that's the worst place you want to be sick for a week, confined to your cabin. Buy insurance, and stay home,

[sail7seas]

Local news in Boston reported tonight a young child (under 6) has died today. flu. I don't watch Fox news.

 

 

Mary

 

 

I just heard that on local Boston news. So very sad.

Who thinks they'll lose an otherwise healthy child to flu? It's terrible.

[Langoustine]

Who thinks they'll lose an otherwise healthy child to flu? It's terrible.

My late mother (born 1917) lost several of her older siblings to the so-called Spanish Flu: the 1918 flu pandemic (January 1918 – December 1920), an unusually deadly influenza pandemic which infected 500 million people across the world, including remote Pacific islands and the arctic, and killed 20 to 50 million of them—1 to 3 percent of the world's population at the time—making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in human history. What my late grandmother told me is that the dreadful thing about that particular flu is that perfectly healthy people would seem fine in the morning and be dead by the evening; including several of her children. Get a flu shot; it won't protect you from everything, but it's better than nothing.