An Inoculation against Flu Panic

By Michael Fumento

Scripps Howard News Service, Oct. 9, 2003
Copyright 2003 Scripps Howard News Service

There’s no cause for panic over the flu. But this IS proving to be an unusual flu season for several reasons, and any disease that kills on average 36,000 Americans annually is serious stuff. Here’s what you should know.

People are panicking because the season started earlier, because of the highly-publicized flu deaths of several children, and because the media are dusting off and reprinting their stories about the great flu pandemic of 1918-1919. Further, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention arbitrarily decided to label this season an “epidemic.”

But “epidemic” means a higher-than-usual rate, while cases are currently being reported at merely an average rate. There’s also no evidence that this year’s primary strain, A/Fujian/411/2002, is any more harmful or easier to transmit than last year’s.

Unfortunately, there is a shortage of inoculations and manufacturers can’t make more before the season ends. BUT it can still be obtained from some distributors. Check with your local health department.

There’s also a plentiful supply of a newly-approved nasal vaccine called FluMist. While not everyone is eligible to receive it, for most FluMist provides quick and painless immunity.

Now here’s another “unfortunately.” Each vaccine, whether administered by needle or nose, can contain only three strains of the virus. Every year at the end of one flu season the World Health Organization and other health agencies make an educated guess as to which strains are most likely to be prevalent in the next. This year, with the primary strain, they guessed wrong.

On the other hand, the strains are related. So while you won’t get the protection you got from last year’s inoculation, you will get some. It’s like wearing a Kevlar vest as opposed to ceramic armor; if you were patrolling Baghdad and couldn’t get the ceramic, you wouldn’t turn down the vest. Likewise, don’t reject this year’s vaccine.

I was vaccinated and even as I was writing this column contracted the flu. But the symptoms were mild and gone within a day.

But you should take extra precautions as well. First, if you get it don’t spread it. Skip the macho practice of showing up at the office coughing and sneezing. Probably the only work you’re going to get done anyway is giving free samples of germs to other workers, who will then spread them to yet other workers and their family and friends.

As to defensive measures, avoid persons who appear infected, wash your hands several times each day, and avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. If you do become ill, there are several anti-viral medicines that can slightly shorten the duration of the disease if you get to the doctor right away.

Also consider pinning this column to the office bulletin board. It may prevent some flu transmissions and in any case should help increase my reader base.

As the CDC's own graph shows, the flu this year is exactly tracking that of 1999-2000, at least as of mid-December. Flu may become epidemic, but it's not yet.

Read Michael Fumento's other work on diseases. Michael Fumento is the author of numerous books.