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- New Studies on Flu Shots
- Flu Shots and Bird Flu
- Bird Flu Facts
- Be Well - 17 Immune Defense
Nutrients!
- Save 10% on Your Order!
Flu Season
is Coming...
Last year, the
shortage of flu shots put people in a panic. This year, fear of Avian flu
pandemic is creating worries around the world. In this and several
upcoming issues, It's Your Health will discuss these concerns in
depth.
Flu Shot Studies Show Low
Effectiveness
A new study published
online in the British medical journal, The Lancet (9-05), found that flu
shots are far less effective than previously thought. International
researchers analyzed studies on the flu vaccine performed worldwide
in the past 37 years and discovered that vaccines were just 28%
effective in preventing influenza or its complications in elderly people.
A previous study done by U.S. National Institutes of Health also that
found flu shots for the elderly in the United States had not saved
lives.
"The runaway 100
percent effectiveness that's touted by proponents was nowhere to be seen,"
said Tom Jefferson, a researcher with the Cochrane Vaccine Fields project,
a group of scientists who perform reviews of research data. "What
you see is that marketing rules the response to influenza, and scientific
evidence comes fourth or fifth. Vaccines may have a role, but they appear
to have a modest effect. The best strategy to prevent the illness is to
wash your hands."
Flu Shots & Bird Flu
In the same online
issue, The Lancet published a study from the Centers for Disease Control
which found that flu viruses, particularly those from the bird flu strain,
had developed high rates of resistance to older and cheaper antiviral
drugs - rates that have escalated rapidly since 2003, particularly in
Asia.
The research is
alarming because it demonstrates how quickly and unexpectedly flu viruses
can become resistant to medicines once they are in common use, as would
happen in the case of a pandemic. Also, at their best, antiviral medicines
do not cure influenza. They cut down on transmission of the disease and
may reduce the symptoms and complications in those already
infected.
Be Well: 17 Immune Defense
Nutrients
Prevention is the best alternative. How? First of all, if you get
the virus it does not mean you'll get sick. The key is to build your
immune system - your natural defenses. Regular exercise, nutritious foods,
good sleep and keeping stress levels low can really make a difference. Be
Well, our newest supplement formula, can help. Read
about it here.
Bird Flu
Facts
Unless you are handling live poultry daily and
have a compromised immune system, you are very unlikely to ever get bird
flu. The press-driven fear is that the virus, if given enough
opportunities, could change into a form that is highly infectious among
humans. But many experts feel that this is a very unlikely
scenario.
- Humans have to be in prolonged close contact with an
infected bird, usually in a confined space, as the virus can be carried in
faecal dust or have direct contact with surfaces contaminated by infected
droppings or secretions.
- It is relatively difficult to transmit from bird to human.
Read the
full bird flu facts story here.
Send letters to the editor here:
editor@quantumhealth.com
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©Quantum, Inc. 2005
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