Tag: influenza

The U.S. Has Been Through A Vaccine Rollout Like This Before – Here’s What Went Wrong

“This government-led campaign was widely viewed as a debacle and put an irreparable dent in future public health initiative, as well as negatively influenced the public’s perception of both the flu and the flu shot in this country.” – Rebecca Kreston, writing for Discover Magazine

After a soldier named David Lewis died from a newly emerged form of influenza, then-US Secretary of Health F. David Mathis announced that this virus indicated “a return of the 1918 flu virus that is the most virulent form of flu,” and in extension the most deadly pandemic since the start of the 20th century.

The CDC decided that in order to prevent another pandemic, 80% of Americans would have to be vaccinated immediately. Ultimately, 46 million Americans received the vaccine for a virus which never actually emerged.

Resulting from what Rebecca Kreston believes to be then-President Ford’s “increasingly politically motivated” election campaign was that over 450 mostly elderly folks came down with a rare neurological disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome, an illness that causes full-body paralysis and of which there is no cure.

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Fauci: “Possible” Mask Mandates Could Last Indefinitely to Fight Flu

Anthony Fauci told NBC’s Chuck Todd that it’s “possible” mask mandates could continue indefinitely in order to reduce seasonal flu infections.

During his appearance on Meet The Press, Fauci was asked when Americans could take the masks off given that the CDC is now advising vaccinated Americans that they can remove the face coverings when outside.

“At what point, if vaccinated people get together, do you take the mask off? Are masks going to be something we have with us in a seasonal aspect?” Todd asked Fauci.

“You know, that’s quite possible, I think people have gotten used to the fact that wearing masks, clearly if you look at the data, diminished respiratory diseases. We’ve had practically a nonexistent flu season this year, merely because people were doing the kinds of public health things that were directed predominantly against COVID-19,” responded Fauci.

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Report: Flu Has ‘Virtually Disappeared’ From U.S.

AP suggests that it is also possible that “the coronavirus has essentially muscled aside flu and other bugs that are more common in the fall and winter.”

Lynnette Brammer of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledged, “This is the lowest flu season we’ve had on record.”

AP noted that only one pediatric flu death has been reported so far this season, while 92 were reported at the same point last year.

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UK: Health Authorities Announce Not a Single Case of Flu Detected This Year

Health authorities in England have announced that not a single case of influenza has been detected this year, with one professor suggesting that mask wearing should be kept in place during winter to drive down flu deaths to “zero.”

“The social restrictions brought in to curb transmission of coronavirus, combined with an increased uptake of flu vaccine, have both been credited with driving down infections,” reports the Independent.

Of the 685,243 samples tested at the PHE’s laboratories since the first week of January, not a single flu infection was discovered.

Professor Christina Pagel went on to suggest that some of the measures brought in to fight coronavirus could be kept in place to combat flu infections.

Asserting that “we can reduce flu deaths to pretty much zero,” Pagel said it is “worth encouraging people to wear masks” on public transport and in other busy environments every winter.

As we previously highlighted, other health experts have suggested that flu cases are so dramatically low because influenza cases are being falsely counted as COVID cases.

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