Blithely, Blithely

Cynthia rebuts

More on the flu business, replying to Marta:

While it’s true that antibiotics do not treat viruses, it is still true that the reason more people live older today is because of antibiotics. (And there are plenty of antivirals now available, both natural and chemical, but that’s another discussion.) A vastly higher percentage of the population is now growing old than has ever been experienced in the history of the world. This is not just an opinion, but the results of research at the University of Chicago, where they are studying the aging process both for individuals and population groups.

Everyone I know who gets flu shots gets the flu. Only the people I know who don’t get flu shots but boost their immune systems stay well. This is the choice I’ve made.

The thing that concerns me is that it is beginning to look like flu shots will be mandated. They should still be a choice. They do contain mercury, they do have a well-established track record of causing flu in a lot of those who get the shots. They also are very often not for the type of flu that strikes in a given year. They do, however, boost the immune systems of some older patients, and of those some don’t develop flu after getting the shot, and therefore shots may have value for some. They should still be a choice, and more information should be published about other options.

And there should be lots less hysteria. The avian flu virus is predicted to mutate so that it will afflict humans, but it hasn’t done it yet. We are now at the point where everything is a crisis, and the media try to cause panic at every event. Of course, as the President tries to react to the panic, he has now come under attack for making the drug companies rich. That’s the other thing the media like to do — make everything a political football.

So whichever way you fall on the shot/no shot debate, at least don’t panic, and don’t blame the President.

posted by Jim Bowman @ 11/16/2005 05:46:00 PM