Posted on 10/31/2009 6:51:14 PM PDT by Steelfish
Swine Flu Kills 19 Kids In A Week
114 children have died in U.S.; widespread in all but 2 states
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
ATLANTA (AP) | Swine flu has caused at least 19 more children's deaths - the largest one-week increase since the pandemic started in April, health officials said Friday.
At least 114 children have died from swine flu complications since the spring, up from 95 reported a week earlier, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Meanwhile, the government has decided to release the last of its stockpile of liquid Tamiflu for children because of reported shortages of the swine flu treatment. Enough to treat an estimated 234,000 children is being released.
"We didn't see a reason to keep it in reserve when we have so much illness in children now," CDC Director Thomas Frieden said at a news conference.
The government sent some of the stockpile to states in the spring and some more - about 300,000 courses - earlier this month. To replenish the supply, the government has ordered more from Tamiflu's manufacturer, Switzerland-based Roche Holdings, Dr. Frieden added. But that medicine is not expected to come in until early next year.
Pharmacies are able to convert adult Tamiflu capsules - which are in good supply - to pediatric doses, he added.
Dr. Frieden encouraged pharmacists to take adult Tamiflu capsules and, with careful measures, put it into a syrup palatable for children. To help make pediatric capsules palatable for children, he said, parents could consider mixing the contents with a sweet liquid such as chocolate syrup.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
H1N1 is Obama’s Katrina on a National scale...
...minus the media scrutiny!
“although the doctor and pediatrician shrugged it off and we weren’t tested for it.”
I’ve heard that nobody has been tested for H1N1 since July, and the alleged current cases aren’t diagnoses from actual testing, but guesses only. Suppose it’s easier to panic people that way; “never let a crisis go to waste”.
A reporter from CBS News, Cheryl Atkinson, has been trying to get info from the CDC via Freedom Of Information Act, and they are stonewalling her overtly.
Don’t know what’s true, so FWIW...
I'd like some confirmation that these kids actually tested positive for the swine flu. If they did, how many died from the actual flu and how many died from other causes?
Of course it's a crying shame when a kid dies. But, as cherry replied above, we need to keep this in perspective.
Personally I wish the CDC would just STFU about this. IMHO they are desperately trying to make a crisis where there isn't one.
Finally, I was in to see my doc this past week. We talked about this and he told me very few health plans will cover the expensive tests required to confirm swine flu.
KATRINA!
:)
I've wondered the same thing.
In a typical year 400 children under age 5 die from preventable poisonings
Also be advised that CDC counts all deaths up to age 18 as “childhood deaths”
Certainly it’s a sad event, but way too much media hype
IMHO at the behest of the feds. This is a power grab.
More deadly than what? - A Margarita? - A ride at Great America?
Why do people thrive on hype?
True. Three kids have died in my county from H1N1. All had underlying health conditions.
We're a nation built on hype. How else does a movie like "Transformers 2" make hundreds of millions of dollars?
At my hospital we are OUT of flu vaccine, I’m not talking H1N1, I haven’t even seen any of that come available, I’m talking regular yearly flu vaccine. We are expected to ask if people have had their flu shot, if they want one and if they do we have to tell them they can “go to Walgreens” after discharge to get one. Unbelievable! I can’t believe we have run out of flu vaccine and it’s not even November yet. I’ve never seen this happen before. We have Not been excessively busy either, a few “flu” cases that later tested negative for flu thank goodness. 0bama’s administration has really dropped the ball on this, they had all Summer to prepare for this flu season. Yet they want to run health care.
This is a joke!I had what was diagnosed as H1N1 and was sick for all of two and one half/three days,the secondary bacterial upper respiratory infection was worse and that didn`t stand a chance against the Z pack I was prescribed.It`s all hype and bull!
Two kids have died from verified H1N1 in our small city already and we are not in flu season yet.
So far this year, Margaritas-0, Amusement park rides-0
“Chicken Soup, and healthy diet will protect you from getting it in the first place.”
A good immune system will not prevent a disease that it has not seen before.
Hype is when a handful of people die from contaminated spinach or peanuts processed by a criminally negligent company, the media goes nuts and Congress revamps the health laws for the entire country.
I don't believe this is hype. The threat, for reasons of who is in the WH and how HHS has failed to deliver a fraction of the vaccine promised (178,000 doses in CT of half a million promised by Nov 1st), had been downplayed. this is no normal flu. Its not a 1918 nor even yet, a 1957, but it's bad.
Consider this teacher in Utah. 52 years old. Taught classes Monday. Couldn't breath that night, rushed to the ER and died Wednesday. Been other similiar cases.
But let's not forget those over 50 don't need the vaccine cause they, the HHS tells us, have immunity.
Sure many do. This guy didn't. Neither did many in Australia last summer when the average age of death from H1N1 was around 58 (as compared to 81 in a normal flu season in that country).
Know what percentage of mechanical ventilators and ECMO machines are in use now at your hospital? I suspect a shortage of vaccine is soon to be overshadowed by a shortage of those two devices. ECMOs in particular. Some people in Australia could not be put on ventilation because their lungs were so full of snot.
Sorry, but the vaccines for flu have been shown to cause more cases than they prevent.
Vaccinating for the flu is insane. Several products out there will wipe out a cold or flu when taken at first symptoms, usually within one to two hours. Del Immune is the best. (but of course it doesn’t make the money for pharma like vaccines do)
I have read this before and was very confused. If this strain is of the epic proportions being reported, why stop the testing? Why not track it?
Of course Sibelius (cough in your elbow) says YOU MUST GET THE VACCINE!!. Then our illustrious “leader” declares a National Emergency. And there is not enough vaccine to go around?
I really hate being a cynic...but this smells a little fishy to me.
I've been told by someone whose entire family was sick and thought they had the flu that their doctor didn't test for H1N1 because it's too expensive. They wondered if their "flu" visit to the doctor became an H1N1 statistic when the doctor could not indeed verify that it was. They could have had seasonal flu. Just something to think about when we read those H1N1 statistics. We don't know what input is going into those numbers, and apparently patients don't know if they have swine flu or seasonal flu even after a doctor's visit.
When you evaluate the odds kids are more at risk of dying or getting severely injured in the car ride to get the vaccine than they would from the swine flu.
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