Be Informed: What the General Media is not Telling You Apparently, the fears over a swine flue epidemic are really affecting relationships down at Pooh Corner.--Andrew C. Thompson Andrew also wrote not long ago about his thoughts on how we react to Looming Threats. You can find that story at this link. A Word from the Administrator... As the Administrator of Village Health I want to reach out to you with information from the CDC, National Vacine Information Center and Dr. Mercola with more information for you to consider regarding this "pandemic" scare. It is my assumption, as patients of Village Health, you are actively involved with your wellness, and will review this information before taking any action. Stay informed and research the truth before going into reaction. If you have any concerns or questions, remember we are here to serve you. My hope is this information will provide a context for what is going on and help you continue to make informed decisions regarding your health choices. Be Peace/Be Well-- Dawn Gandalf, Administrator of Village Health Services From the Center for Disease Control: 2009 H1N1 Flu ("Swine Flu") and You Take these everyday steps to protect your health: Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way. Try to avoid close contact with sick people. If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.) Keep away from others as much as possible to keep from making others sick. For the full text of article with symptoms and prevention tips click here. History Repeating Itself? Watch this video of a CBS 60 Minutes expose of the last Swine Flu vaccine scare in 1976 Swine Flu 1976 & Propaganda From the National Vaccine Information Center Just the Facts, Not the Hype So, here are the facts: The new swine influenza is mild for most people even though a small number have developed complications and died. The swine flu vaccine has been tested for only a few weeks on a few thousand healthy children and adults, including very few pregnant women. We don't know how safe it really is for pregnant women or children and adults with chronic illness even though they are being specially targeted for vaccination by government health officials. There is very little information about how safe it is to give swine flu vaccine with other vaccines, including seasonal influenza vaccine. There is very little information about whether the swine flu shot will keep you from getting swine flu. For More Swine Flu Information Funny, but Poignant From Dr. Mercola: What We Have Learned About the Great Swine Flu Pandemic An in depth analysis of many available studies most from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the New England Journal of Medicine. For Example: Actually LESS Flu Deaths this Year One must always keep in mind that the CDC has told us that 36,000 people die every year from influenza and influenza-related complications. Thus far, we have seen (accepting their data) about 900 deaths and 21,829 cases of pneumonia. This is far below the 36,000 figure. In fact, perhaps we should be breathing a sigh of relief that 35,000 fewer people have died this year from flu-related disorders. This would go down on record as the fewest flu-related deaths in recorded history. In fact, worldwide, according to CDC and WHO data, far fewer people have died form H1N1 than any seasonal flu in the past. This graph from the CDC showing the "Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality for 122 US Cities" also show that, so far, this year's flu mortality is far below that of 2008. To see the article: click here.