Overall flu deaths down during H1N1 pandemic - New strain ‘crowded out’ seasonal illness

Baltimore Sun ^ | April 25, 2010 | Rachel Leven

[Zakeet]

Although experts are not sure to what degree, seasonal flu cases and deaths dropped in Maryland and nationwide this year, during the height of the novel H1N1 pandemic.

While flu cases are not perfectly tracked, epidemiologists believe the decreases were caused by increased health campaigning and vaccination rates, a weaker seasonal flu strain, and other causes.

Epidemiologists all over the world think next flu season's primary strain will mutate around H1N1, or swine flu. Although officials and health professionals do not know how strong the 2010-2011 flu season will be, they are encouraging vaccination.

"Overall flu deaths are down this year because H1N1 flu crowded seasonal flu out," said Jeff Dimond, a health communications specialist for the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "But this is a drastic oversimplification."

According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, about 36,000 Americans die from seasonal flu in an average year. That would translate to about 600 to 1,000 people in Maryland.

This year, 45 people in Maryland and an estimated 12,000 people in the United States died from novel H1N1

[Zakeet]

Wise words from the Wee Wee: I'm still glad we had the biggest panic since Y2K even though there were only one third as many deaths from the flu epidemic as in normal years -- because it shows the government can effectively manage a major crisis even though everyone pretty much ignored the idiots.

[kittymyrib]

Hmmmmm...the last time there was such a steep decline in flu deaths there was also a shortage of flu vaccine so fewer people could get the shot. Cause and effect?

[Caipirabob]

“It’s getting hard and harder to fake these crisis...”

[denydenydeny]

Total hype, as many of us called it from the beginning.

[nmh]

Yes, he phony “crisis” is over!

They can't even give the shots away.

Stay away from government shots, even if they are for “free”. LOL!!!

[Sacajaweau]

I think stats showed that seniors had more H1N1 deaths. And guess what, they were denied that shot for the majority of the time it was being distributed.

[SteamShovel]

New strain ‘crowded out’ seasonal illness

Bull Crap.....

.....The level of proof required by the left is ZERO.

They don't have to prove anything, what they say IS truth (to the weak minded).

[Cheryllynn]

My Pediatrician said it was a slow flu season at her office........our family did not vaccinate (never has) none of our close friends vaccinated......no one got the flu?

[PghBaldy]

Not true Most deaths were in young people.

[luckystarmom]

It’s been a very long illness year in our house. Lots of kids were sick with H1N1 at my kids’ school. Many of them were sick for week.s My daughters and I had the flu vaccine.

I know my daughters had a very bad respiratory illness in December, and I almost wonder if it was H1N1 because you can still sometimes get sick even if you have the vaccine.

Since my daughter was sick in December, she has had numberous colds. All of them settle in her chest and she has to go on anti-biotics. She has missed so much school.

She also is on anti-seizure medication and it strips her of vitamin D. We’ve been supplementing, but it’s still low.

It’s been a horrible year illness wise for her (and she is still sick).

[PghBaldy]

They were right to be concerned about it. It may very well mutate and come back different. Hopefully, less lethal, but who knows? It killed a lot more kids than “normal” flu: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2009-2010/IPD15.htm

[buffyt]

And Glowing Bull Warming is the next hoax up Obama’s sleeve

[buffyt]

I had the seasonal flu vaccine and the H1N1 vaccine and was healthy until the week before Easter. Caught Swine Flu, took antibiotics because it got into my ears, nose, throat, lungs, sinuses, etc. I was well in about three days.

[hinckley buzzard]

At first the gubbermint couldn't get flu shots out. Now they have thrown out millions of doses because they have expired. No one wanted them or needed them, but the gubs went all out to provide what they wanted to provide--too late, at that.

[SteamShovel]

I'm just saying this isn't proof H1N1 caused the "regular flu" season to be slow.

Correlation isn't causation. It could be just a slow season...

[GonzoGOP]

One thing that is overlooked is that a little panic is a good thing. Because people were afraid they all washed their hands frequently. Every restaurant had little antiseptic hand lotion at the entrances. The company I work for sent people home if they came in sick. Old fashioned good hygiene and common sense probably knocked down the flu rate more than any super drug ever could.

Another advantage of a little panic is that people went to the doctor when they got the flu rather than waiting until it was so bad that it killed them. So while people still got sick they didn't die. Note that the statistic in the headline is reduced deaths, not reduced infection rate.

[BurbankKarl]

I have been getting the regular flu shot for about 5 years now...havent had the flu in all that time...

I asked about the H1N1 shot and was told I wouldnt qualify....so I dropped it.

Arent they destroying 70 million doses now?

Now they are reporting side effects from the H1N1 shots (as predicted).....and that people that were given shots in the 1970s may not have been as susceptible to H1N1 as others.

[stevie_d_64]

So says the Wee Wee in Chief...

It’ll be like this again this year...