The flu is an ever mutating virus and it is guess work at best to devise a vaccine and have it ready in sufficient quantity that will be more than marginally effective. There are always deaths and other serious reactions to flu vaccines. Couple that with Bush's cop-out on his campaign promise to remove mercury from vaccines and instead now promising to veto any bill requiring the removal of mercury from vaccines and vaccines just aren't attractive to me at all.
Now, regarding the 999 out of a 1000 cases or better that will beat the flu through their own immune systems, you are quite right. UNLESS it is the avian flu. If the avian flu ever mutates to human form it could be devastating and would likely strike hardest at the very healthiest among us. If it were to be even partially as deadly as some predict, the resulting worldwide pandemic could be an epic modern day plague that changes the world as we know it - making HIV, 9/11, the great Tsunami and the destruction of New Orleans seem mild by comparison.
Despite what government officials will tell you, there would be precious little the world could do to prevent a pandemic. We can only hope that the next big worldwide influenza outbreak does not involve the current Avian Flu, or any other avian flu, because such flu would be a type that humans have not been exposed to and thus have no built in resistance to. Owing to this lack of built in resistance, such an outbreak involving that kind of flu could prove to be uniquely horrific.
In a normal outbreak of influenza, the most vulnerable are usually the elderly, the very young, and those who are already ill or otherwise in a weakened state - in other words, those whose immune systems are not strong enough to successfully ward off and fight illness. While a human version of the Avian Flu is likely to be every bit as deadly or more so for those who are the usual flu victims, unlike the usual varieties of influenza, the Avian Flu would actually be even more deadly for the group that is usually least affected by flu outbreaks: the most robust and healthy among us, the adults in the prime of life. That is because a flu like the Avian Flu turns the body's own immune system against itself and a strong immune system can become a deadly instrument of death as it over-reacts to a threat it has never been exposed to and releases a torrent of chemicals to combat the new threat which end up literally filling and eating up the lungs, suffocating what had been a strong and vigorous individual.
Such was exactly the case in a previous outbreak of another bird flu, one very similar to the Avian Flu. The Spanish Flu of 1918-19 was the most deadly epidemic in recorded history, killing 30 to 40 million or more people in one year – more than were killed in any war including Great World War, more than were killed in the 4 terrifying years of the Plague of Black Death (the Bubonic Plague) of 1347-1351, and more than were killed by HIV-AIDS in it’s first 25 years of existence. In the United States it infected 28% of all Americans, caused the deaths of at least 675,000 and in a single year was responsible for a 10 year drop in the life expectancy rate. In 1918, the death rate for influenza and pneumonia for 15 to 35 year olds was 20 times higher than in previous years.
Many authorities fear that if the modern day Avian Flu mutates to one that can be spread by humans, it could be an even more deadly flu than the one in 1918-19. Indeed, where humans have been exposed to infected birds and contracted the Avian Flu so far, the death rate appears to be significantly higher than it was for the deadly Spanish Flu.
The picture becomes truly staggering when you add to the expected high death rate the fact that the world population is now 2 1/2 times greater than it was in 1918-19 and not only is the population much larger, it is also much more concentrated with much more human interaction. And then you have the fact that, unlike the horse and buggy days of 1918-19, modern travel brings humans almost instantly to and from all points of the globe.
In all likelihood, only an immediate worldwide quarantine and shutdown of all travel would have a chance at stopping the spread of a worldwide pandemic, and that is something that is both unachievable and, at this point, unthinkable (although if the pandemic were to turn out to be as dire as some predict, such measures would probably be attempted out of desperation, but would surely prove far too late to stop the spread of the disease). Given the woeful response to the destruction of New Orleans, and the shortage of flu shots caused by the loss of a single facility only last year, perhaps one can more easily understand the estimates of many authorities and scientific figures that forecast staggering death tolls, some as high as 300 million or more worldwide.
The good news is that you can take steps to help you avoid the Bird Flu or any other flu when it comes, and to survive it if you happen to catch it. Included in these steps would be the things that you should do to protect yourself from virtually all diseases and illnesses: get plenty of rest, exercise, quit smoking, eat a nutritious diet, avoid stress and, above all, to make your body's natural first line of defense, your immune system, strong and robust.
The next thing you should do is to also take one or more good natural anti-viral agents, ESPECIALLY if the Bird Flu does mutate and begin to spread from human to human, because unlike other illnesses or flues, the Bird Flu will use your own immune system to attack you. This is because we have never been exposed to a strain of flu like the Bird Flu and it is likely that biochemical cascade of immune cells and immune system bio-chemicals such as interferon, interleukin, monokines and cytokines will literally pour into the lungs and eat your lungs up. With the Bird Flu, it is essential to also include good natural anti-viral supplements along with immune boosters - and it is a good idea to do that anyway.
Among the very best natural pathogen destroyers are:
A third thing to do would be to take regular preventative doses of a natural remedy known as “Oleander Soup”, which can be made at home according to the instructions posted here at CureZone http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=910323#iand in the e-book “Cancer’s Natural Enemy” available here at the CureZone Marketplace http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=918246#i.
Oleander extract has been proven in clinical trials, decades of medical practice and literally centuries of use as a folk remedy to be a very strong immune booster and disease and illness preventer. It has also demonstrated strong anti-viral abilities in the way that it attacks and kills cancer cells, as well as it’s effectiveness against hepatitis-C and HIV.
The fourth thing you should do is endeavor to stop the spread of airborne viruses during the flu season:
• Protect yourself from others by gargling daily with 1 drop each of the essential oils of tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) and lemon in a glass of warm water; stir well before each mouthful. Do not swallow.
• Mix a blend of essential oils to use in your diffuser or for use in steam inhalation.
Blend together:
o ravensare - 3 parts
o naiouli or eucalyptus - 1 part
o lemon - 1 part
o rosewood - 1 part
o lavender - 1 part
Ravensare and naiouli have antiviral properties, while the other essential oils in the blend act as antiseptics while at the same time providing a wonderful aroma.
Diffuser Application - Add about 50 drops of the above blend to your diffuser at a time.
Fumigate the house with oils to help prevent the spread of flu. Put 2-3 drops on a radiator to evaporate or add 10 drops of essential oils to a small plant spray filled with water. Spray the room frequently.