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Cannabis could alleviate many of the symptoms and harmful effects of the H5N1 bird flu and H1N1 swine flu viruses, according to a report from Cannabis Science, an emerging pharmaceutical cannabis company based in San Francisco. The timing could not be better for New York, which has the largest number of confirmed cases of swine flu in the United States, and where identical medical marijuana bills have been introduced in the Assembly and Senate for the first time.
SWINE FLU COULD ‘KILL HUNDREDS OF UK CHILDREN’
Read more: www.express.co.uk... FLU epidemic could claim hundreds of young lives this winter, an expert has warned.
Nine of the 27 flu fatalities this year have been children and the figures are set to rise, influenza expert Professor John Oxford has predicted.
Figures show that in the run-up to Christmas the infection rate among those aged five to 14 rose from 58 to 160 per 100,000 people – close to the epidemic threshold of 200 per 100,000.
Professor Oxford, of Bart’s and the Royal London Hospital, said that within a week rising infections in all age groups could bring the first flu epidemic since 2000, when thousands of elderly people died.
This time, he warned, many of the victims are likely to be children, who are particularly vulnerable to swine flu, the most dominant strain of the virus.
Prof Oxford said: “The infection rates in the five to 14-year-old age group have almost reached epidemic levels already, and I think they will go up.
“If the trend continues I would not be surprised if we get to epidemic levels within one week. The over-60 age group has got immunity because they have probably seen this virus before.
Read more: www.express.co.uk...[/e x]
Children going back to school will trigger major flu epidemic
The decision to cancel the flu vaccination programme for the under-fives risks starting the first epidemic for a decade when schools return next week.
Doctors believe that infection levels are likely to rise dramatically over the next few weeks.
Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary, was yesterday accused of “serious misjudgment” for cancelling the under-fives programme.
By Jenny Hope and Sophie Borland
Last updated at 9:24 AM on 29th December 2010
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As GP practices open for the first time after the extended bank holiday weekend, demand for swine flu vaccine is expected to soar
As GP practices open for the first time after the extended bank holiday weekend, demand for swine flu vaccine is expected to soar
A ‘perfect storm’ of winter illness will batter Britain’s health services today.
Hospitals will be pushed to breaking point by a post-Christmas deluge of patients suffering from flu and the winter vomiting bug.
Accident and emergency departments are bracing themselves for a surge of referrals as GP practices open for the first time after the extended bank holiday weekend.
They are also expecting high numbers of elderly patients to be brought in as they are visited by care workers for the first time in four days.
Soaring levels of both seasonal and swine flu will heap extra strain on hospitals already dealing with cases of the sickness bug norovirus, which usually peak at this time of year.
It is feared many potentially seriously ill patients will have waited until after the four-day weekend to see their doctor, pushing services to the limit.
The swine flu outbreak sparked a furious war of words last night as Health Minister Simon Burns accused Labour of exploiting the virus for political ends.
He rejected claims by Shadow Health Secretary John Healey that the Government had ‘cancelled’ a flu jab plan for under-fives to save money.
Mr Burns insisted that ministers ruled out a blanket vaccination programme for youngsters on medical grounds.
But as the virus continued to sweep the country yesterday, an expert warned that Britain is on the ‘cusp’ of an epidemic.
Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk... 9UyzcD00
www.thesun.co.uk...
A PREGNANT mum of four is fighting for life in a medically induced coma after contracting swine flu.
Gemma Escott, 27, is on life support with her kidneys failing after husband Martyn took her to hospital on Christmas Day when she could not breathe properly.
Doctors have now diagnosed six-months pregnant Gemma with swine flu and pneumonia.
Martyn, 33, of Evercreech, Somerset, is keeping a constant vigil as doctors at Yeovil District Hospital are battling to save her life
Originally posted by tarifa37
Originally posted by KatieVA
There's absolutely nooooooo way they're giving my little one the swine flu vaccination, they can pin me down and beat me with sticks for all I care.
As a parent I share your concern over this vaccine although if your child heaven forbid was taken ill there is a point where you will do anything for them. And that was where we found ourselves last year with my daughter who was sent home early from school because she had suddenly become unwell ( although I think the school was in a swine flu tizzy at the time). We got her home and my wife phoned a doctor who over the phone diagnosed her 100% with having swine flu.This was before the automated phone line had been set up. She did have an upset stomach which seems to be one of the symptoms that points towards swine flu. Anyway he prescribed tamiflu and It seemed to work because she was a lot better by the next day. I was very concerned about her taking the tamiflu however until you are in a position with a sick child that is getting worse by the minute you won't really know how you will react.
Flu cases have risen again in England and Wales, according to figures from GPs.
Levels of flu - including H1N1 swine flu - have gone up by almost 50% in the past week, says the Royal College of GPs.
The flu tally reached 124 per 100,000 people in the week to Christmas, up from 86 cases in the previous week.
GP Dr Alan Maguire spoke to the BBC's Fiona Trott to give some practical advice about vaccinations and what to do if you should fall ill
www.guardian.co.uk...
Flu deaths continue to rise
Number of victims of this year's outbreak up to 39 from 27 last week, forcing government to adopt new preventative measures
The government has been forced to take new steps to tackle seasonal flu after new figures showed there were 12 more deaths in the past week, and 738 people seriously ill in hospital.
The total number of deaths from this winter's outbreak now stands at 39, up from 27 last week, the Health Protection Agency confirmed.
Of those, 36 died from H1N1 swine flu, which is the most virulent of the two main flu strains circulating this winter. The other three died from Influenza B. All but one of the 39 was under 65, and four were under five years old.
The number of people with known or suspected flu being treated in critical care units in hospitals has jumped from 460 to 738 - a rise of 278 in a week.
FLU CRISIS AS DEATH TOLL SOARS
BRITAIN is in the grip of a dangerous flu outbreak with more than 700 patients seriously ill in hospital.
The death toll has risen to 39 and the number in critical care has soared by 60 per cent in a week – and is now higher than at the peak of the original swine flu epidemic.
The size of the outbreak yesterday forced the Government into an embarrassing U-turn over its decision not to run a national flu awareness campaign. And experts were asked to look again at whether the right people are getting the flu jab after an earlier decision not to vaccinate the under-fives. Figures released yesterday show that 42 children under five are now in critical care and this age group is also most likely to succumb to flu viruses.
Overall, one critical care bed in five in Britain’s hospitals is now taken up with flu patients, up from one in seven the previous week.
Read more: www.express.co.uk...
was posted in the last couple of hours and to me rings alarm bells.
Keeping a sense of proportion about swine flu
Fergus Walsh | 14:14 UK time, Friday, 31 December 2010
3. At 3:28pm on 31 Dec 2010, kd0983 wrote:
Good article, although as an Intensive Care Nurse, I think the swine flu epidemic of last year was blown out of propotion, we had no Intensive care patients with H1N1 that did not have serious underlying health conditions (or were pregnant) where I work. This year however the ICU in which I work is under unpresedented strain because of H1N1, and we have many patients who are young (under the age of 45) and have no previous medical problems who are critically ill with suspected or confirmed H1N1. I cant help thinking that the governments lack of interest, lack of media coverage and lack of adverts promoting hygeine and the flu jab my be partially to blame.
Massive rise in Northern Ireland swine flu cases
Flu cases in Northern Ireland have jumped dramatically in the past week, with cases of swine flu up by almost 200%.
Out-of-hours services experienced a massive 114% increase in flu-related calls during the week ending on Boxing Day.
The number of swine flu cases increased from 45 in the previous week to 129, a jump of 186%, and there were 17 influenza B detections, compared to only three in the previous week. The majority of these detections were in the under 65 age group. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) weekly detection increased by 29%, with 22 cases diagnosed last week in Northern Ireland.
Read more: www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk...[/e x]edit on 1-1-2011 by tarifa37 because: (no reason given)
[Swine flu spreading faster in Britain than rest of Europe
Swine flu has spread more rapidly in Britain than in the rest of Europe, the World Health Organization has revealed, as the Government faces growing criticism over the country's preparations for an epidemic.Experts have warned that the surge in flu cases in Britain has still not yet peaked and say the number of cases will continue to rise rapidly over the next two to four weeks.
Figures released by the WHO show the rate of influenza-like illnesses is still low across continental Europe but has risen dramatically in Britain since the flu season began in October. The majority are swine flu cases.
There are currently 738 patients now receiving intensive care treatment for flu in the UK and at least 17 have required life support because their heart and lungs have failed.
Swine flu kills animal trainer on Harry Potter films
Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk...
An animal trainer who worked on the Harry Potter films has become the latest swine flu victim.
Caroline Lois Benoist, 26, died on the Christmas weekend, only days after being sent home from her job at a film studio when she complained of feeling unwell
Writing to friends on her Facebook page on December 17, her final posting read: ‘Loving being back home even if I do feel like death warmed up!’. She died just over a week later.
From the home they shared in Hemel Hempstead her French boyfriend Guillaume Grange confirmed that doctors believe ‘fit and healthy’ Miss Benoist was a victim of swine flu. ‘She was sent home from work feeling unwell. She died last weekend. I am finding it all very difficult,’ he said.
‘She was a lovely, fit healthy girl. She had no health problems. There was nothing wrong with her.’
Posting on Facebook, he wrote: ‘Thank you everybody for all this support. This [sic] messages warm up my heart. Goodbye Caroline, I will love you for ever!!!!’.
Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk...
Originally posted by benintheuk
From what I gather this particular outbreak isnt any higher than the authorities expected it to be. As for the uptake of the jab even my partner (who is a nurse) refused it due to the long term effect not being known.
What these vaccine advocates absolutely will not admit, however, is how many of those who are sick with the flu this year also got vaccinated last year. This little detail is left out of every mainstream media report on vaccines and the flu. They simply refuse to mention this all-important number, leaving readers to leap to the incorrect conclusion that only those who were not vaccinated get sick with the flu.
Such statistics are never made available to the public or the press, of course. To release such statistics would expose the Great Lie of the vaccine industry: That flu vaccines simply don't work on 99 percent of people!
In fact, the people who are most susceptible to catching the flu are precisely the very same people who get vaccinated. Why is that? Because vaccines weaken the immune system in the long run, leaving you more vulnerable to future infections. They deny your immune system the opportunity to practice its own adaptive response to invading microorganisms or viruses, thereby causing your immune system to atrophy in the same way that a wheelchair-bound person will experience leg muscle atrophy.