|
|
People in many industrialised coutries are constantly urged to take flu vaccinations because, according to the health authorities, tens of thousands of people die from the flu each year.
In the US, for example, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that about 36,000 people die from the flu each year.
But the real number is just a few hundred - maybe one or 2 percent of the reported numbers. Most of the other people died from pneumonia, not from the flu.
You see, the flu is not a usually a direct killer. But it often leads to more serious conditions like pneumonia, which can prove to be fatal.
A New York Times report (23 Nov 2004) further explained:
|
Another reason for these skewed figures is that the system for obtaining this death toll number is complex, imprecise and anonymous. In fact, in 2002, city health officials estimated there was roughly 2,500 deaths in New York caused by the flu virus. The actual number of deaths caused by the flu was two. Further, according to city health records, not a single death certificate from 2001 listed the flu as the culprit. Here's where the numbers come from: The health department and the CDC start by looking at the average number of pneumonia deaths during a given period of time. If the flu is present at that time, the marked increases in the number of pneumonia deaths are noted. All deaths that exceed the initial average number of pneumonia deaths are classified under the flu. The annual influenza-caused deaths are a "best guess," according to an epidemiologist with the New York City Health Department. |
Commented Dr Joseph Mercola, who runs the popular health website www.mercola.com:
|
These flawed numbers are a perfect example of why we shouldn't believe EVERYTHING we hear. Just because health officials send out warnings of the impending flu season and a possible flu outbreak doesn't mean you should run out and get a flu shot. Take a look for yourself at the number of deaths attributed to the flu. If you go to the the CDC's main flu page you will find the 36,000 deaths number and a link to the actual flu table that has the death statistics. But if you go to the more comprehensive overall death report you will find that only 753 people in the United States died of flu in 2002, which is an example of how many less deaths there are, than what is actually being reported by the CDC. |
Another report stated:
|
According to the CDC’s death statistics located on their Web site, influenza and pneumonia killed 62,034 people in 2001. That means, in light of the current statistic, that just over half of those deaths resulted from the flu. This however is far from true. Upon further investigation of the Web site, the actual number of deaths caused by the flu came to 257, with pneumonia accounting for the remaining number of deaths. |
Critics have charged that the CDC and vaccine manufacturers deliberate exaggerate the flu deaths figures to instil fear and anxiety among the population, in order to boost vaccine sales. Whether or not this is being done deliberately, it certainly does have that effect. People do rush out to get their flu shots, turning flu vaccination into a multi-billion business.
And these are numbers during ordinary times. When there is a flu epidemic - or fear of a flu epidemic - the predicted flu deaths get even more outrageous. Ever since a new avian flu virus emerged around 2003, former US President George Bush had warned a few times that there would be two million bird flu deaths each year in the US alone.
That never happened. As of January 2009, the cumulative number of bird flu deaths was only 248. Of course, those 248 still represent precious, wasted lives. But 248 people dying worldwide from the flu, over a period of about six years, is not a reason for panic.
The 2009 swine flu outbreak also led to some initial panic. But very qucikly, it emerged that even though the swine flu Type A H1N1 virus is highly contagious, its effects are genrally mild. Of course, there is a possibility that the swine flu could later mutate into a deadly form. But if you acquaint yourself with how to prevent the flu, then you will not be so easily frightened by some flu deaths statistics.
There is no need to rush out to get flu shots, which are not very effective and come with some potentially serious side effects. There is also no need to stock up on antiviral flu drugs like Tamiflu, which, in this case, come with risks of bizarre side effects that include suicide!
Perhaps pneumonia, rather than flu deaths, is a greater cause of concern? In a sense, yes.
A lot more people die from pneumonia than from the flu. But if you read the article on causes of pneumonia, you will understand that it is not so easy to "catch" pneumonia the way some people "catch" the flu. You need to get pretty sick first - either with the flu or with cancer, Aids or some other serious diseases. That will not so easily happen if you take good care of your health.