Feel free to say your piece anytime, that's what this is all about.

First of all, who is really creating an environment of fear?
Conspiracy fact sites who get read by a small # of people,
or mainstream media, largely funded by Big Pharma
reaching the majority of the populace
with all the money in the world to be gained?

Who has the real agenda?

Yes, people SHOULD do their own research
always ask yourself who is doing the majority of the advertising on whatever media.

What does this site really have to gain by stopping people from getting vaccines? They dont' even have ANY advertising!

I really don't get your point at all.

And you didn't really explain how Spanish flu started very well. They didn't say it was a flu shot. They said it was a Typhoid shot.

Read it again!!

Don't be surprised if you get some auto-immune disease down the road. It may take a while to appear.


So hmmm, another medical created problem. The over-use of antibiotics CREATED these viruses. And the best place to pick one up....THE HOSPITAL!!!!!!

Scared of the flu? No way.
Scared of the medical system?
Oh Yea

I think these types of threads are fun and helpful in many ways. It lets us share our knowledge and experiences with our fellow minglers (Lady, I am truly sorry to hear about your child's bad experience).

However, it would be helpful to do a little research before taking a posted website's information as fact.

For example, the overuse of antibiotics is a real problem in that some strains of bacteria have been strengthened by improper use (they are called superbugs) and the effectiveness of the antibiotic is now limited by it's over use ... but creating these viruses? No way. viruses and bacteria have almost nothing in common other than symptoms of some of the diseases they cause. Antibiotics are not used to treat virus infections. If used at all, they prevent secondary infections while the body's immune system is weakened.

Antibiotics are used to fight bacteria, usually by killing them. Antivirals are used to treat some viruses, usually by slowing the replication process so the immune system can clear them out. Almost anything powerful enough to kill a virus would kill the host.

I remember getting a Rubella/German Measels shot (sp?) when I was younger. I was sick for three weeks.

If you want to get healthy, wash with antibacterials less and take in more germs, give your body a fighting chance to protect itself

Shh, my age is a secret!! I don't want anyone to know I'm in my 80's.

I think these types of threads are fun and helpful in many ways. It lets us share our knowledge and experiences with our fellow minglers (Lady, I am truly sorry to hear about your child's bad experience).

However, it would be helpful to do a little research before taking a posted website's information as fact.

For example, the overuse of antibiotics is a real problem in that some strains of bacteria have been strengthened by improper use (they are called superbugs) and the effectiveness of the antibiotic is now limited by it's over use ... but creating these viruses? No way. viruses and bacteria have almost nothing in common other than symptoms of some of the diseases they cause. Antibiotics are not used to treat virus infections. If used at all, they prevent secondary infections while the body's immune system is weakened.

Antibiotics are used to fight bacteria, usually by killing them. Antivirals are used to treat some viruses, usually by slowing the replication process so the immune system can clear them out. Almost anything powerful enough to kill a virus would kill the host.

I agree with you entirely, the big drug companies create their own atmosphere of terror which they relay to people like the WHO / CDC / Dept of Health / Homeland Security and many of their "facts", are over inflated statistics and worst case scenarios. The drug companies really don't care if people actually get the shots as long as they have a contract with the government that guarantees the purchase of however many millions of doses.

My biggest issue with the conspiracy type sites is only that they cross the line between fact and fiction. *Most of them go far beyond inflating existing numbers or being too liberal with their projections and will knowingly provide entirely fabricated stories and "reports of real life events", to create fear. They know that the more ridiculous the claim that they make - the faster it will become a viral story and be spread around as fact.

For me - the big factor is this...the government will pump millions of tax dollars into advertising to spread the story around to complacent viewers who really don't care, in the hopes that roughly 10% of the population will be panic stricken enough to run out and get the shot.
The government is operating under the premise that the Department of Health has accurate data from the CDC and World Health Organization who in theory did a detailed investigation of the statistics provided by the drug companies who claim to have a "silver bullet", cure.

The Conspiracy sites know that they are reaching far fewer people but that their viewers are much more passionate about the subject and as long as they make it sound like the government is trying to kill half the population then they know the story will become viral and spread like wildfire throughout every social media source available without costing them a cent. The part that gets left out is people taking the time to trace the information source which from my experience usually goes along the line of:

"I read it on a blog that got it from a web site who quoted another site that copy and pasted it from another site that was written by a scientist who discovered that ground monkey dung smeared on crystals found in an ancient Mayan ruin can cure cancer, acid reflux, back pain, pulmonary embolisms and hemorrhoids...he just published a book that tells you of other amazing cures and you can buy it on his site for $19.99 + S/H"

To be entirely honest - both sides are sure that they are the only ones who have the populations best interest in mind...The people who read the conspiracy sites spread the message because they either genuinely care about people and their health or distrust the government enough to want to undermine any actions they are taking to protect their assets.

The government does it to protect the population because they want people to be healthy enough to make sure that there is a good business continuity and minimal disruptions that could cost them tax dollars and votes.

I have my own personal reasons for being a little sensitive about this type of thing.
4 1/2 years ago, my father was diagnosed with liver cancer. The Oncologist said that it was easily treatable by surgery and a round of chemo....a couple of my father's friends had heard about this new product that was discovered by a scientist.

Their children had read blogs with a link to a site that had quotes from and a link to the company website. His friends were also battling different forms of cancer, the blogs claimed to have known people who had been diagnosed with non operational tumors who were miraculously cured - the web site claimed to have clinical proof that it not only cured cancer but it prevented people from ever developing cancer.

Needless to say, my father being more than a little worried about surgery and chemo went along with his friends - after all, they claimed to have clinical proof and testimonials from people who had been cured...well, after 6 months and $3000 his liver started to shut down. The Oncologist gave him less then a month to live because he didn't act on it when he was first diagnosed, 10 days later he died. Both of his friends also passed away within a year.

I guess you could say that my problem with conspiracy web sites is that 99% of the time, their information stems from sites like http://www.1cure4cancer.com/ and other "natural medicine", sites.

As far as I know, the bloggers and conspiracy sites aren't intending to be malicious and they are spreading the information as a public service derived from their own distrust of modern medicine.

The only problem is that it usually links back to 1 sleaze bag who wants to line his pockets rather then a corporation wanting to line their shareholders pockets...the difference is, corporations can be held legally accountable for their actions but just try and find the guy who owns the 1cure4cancer or any number of other "anti modern medicine", websites to hold them accountable for the thousands of people they have/will killed by convincing them that only they have the cure for what ails them.

Okay, I'm done my rant now and I'm sure gave everyone waaaaay too much information but at least hopefully you'll see why I don't listen to the government propaganda or the natural healing viral marketing and always encourage people to do their own research and make their own decisions without one group or the other trying to terrorize them enough to sway them to their side.

**Before I forget, actually current research shows that the idea that a typhoid shot caused the type A - H1N1 influenza virus (1918 Spanish Flu), is virtually impossible because there was no way at the time to genetically combine the 2 strains in a culture without one of them becoming dominant and destroying the other. They are fairly certain that it originated in Fort Riley, KS where the soldiers who were waiting to ship out lived in very close contact with the livestock kept for food. The popular theory at the moment is that multiple soldiers became infected with different viruses (bird flu and swine flu), and became perfect incubators to promote the antigenic shift required to create what became known as the Spanish Flu. Now, I'm not going to claim that the new theory is correct either but they have determined that the chemical cocktail that they gave as a typhoid shot would not have been able to find a suitable environment to mutate with the technology of the period - the human incubator theory is just the most probable of the current working theories.

I am anti vaccine for my child. He will never have a flu shot for the simple case that he is allergic to eggs. But he will not have the others just so big business can make money off his body.

You might as well do meth, since there are just as many harmful chemicals in vaccines they give to infants.

Why does everyone trust these drug companies?

The vaccine cannot cause the disease. If you can get and take the vaccine then it is by far the best way to prevent serious illness from the flu.

It is safe and effective. Use as directed!

I got mine for the seasonal flu and will take the H1N1 variety as soon as it is available. Kids got the H1N1 on Mon. We've all already had the seasonal shot. Everybody is just fine!

It's called advertising.

The drug companies make money by selling you a drug that you need every day for the rest of your life. They don't make money by curing anything.

Vaccines have their place. There are some problems.