80,000 Americans Died of the Flu Last Winter

[DonViejo]

Source: The Daily Beast



About 80,000 people died of flu-related deaths in the U.S. this past winter, the highest death toll of the disease in “at least four decades,” the Associated Press reports. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, flu-related deaths ranged from 12,000 to 56,000 in recent years—but last fall and winter were reportedly one of the most “severe flu seasons.” The AP reports the last flu season was driven by the “kind of flu that tends to put more people in the hospital and cause more deaths,” particularly in young children and older adults. The flu vaccine also was also reportedly not every effective. The CDC said that while the 80,000 figure is preliminary, it is “not expected to go down.” Flu complications that can cause deaths include pneumonia, strokes, and heart attacks.

READ IT AT AP

Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/80000-americans-died-of-the-flu-last-winter

[Maxheader]

1. Had my shot a couple weeks ago..

Pharmacist said this years vaccine should be an improvement over last years..

[durablend]

2. It's already out there

I *never* get sick but feel like total crap...and it's only September.

[Farmer-Rick]

3. I think I'll get a flu shot this year.

I didn't last year and was fine.

I had no idea that many people died last year from the flu.

[Lars39]

4. Thank you!

[meow2u3]

5. I had my flu shot yesterday

I'm diabetic, so I need to get a flu shot to prevent complications both from the flu and diabetes.

Earlier this year, I came down with the flu despite getting my flu shot. I was sick for about a week, but it wasn't so bad that it floored me; the flu only slowed me down.

[Chakaconcarne]

6. That's a high number

Considering how many get flu shot...

Efficacy hovers around 50-60% when its on mark.

[Major Nikon]

9. Less than half of the population gets a flu shot each year

Efficacy of the flu vaccine isn't so easy to measure. The number you are quoting is around the range of complete prevention, which is actually quite good considering there's no one virus that causes the flu even within a single year. However, there's also factors like reducing the severity of the flu if you get it which includes things like length of hospitalization, ICU admittance, and mortality, not to mention protecting those around you.

[watoos]

7. Washing your hands frequently

works better than getting the flu shot and don't get run down.

I stopped getting flu shots during the bird flu scare. (a long time ago) I got the shot which killed more people than the actual flu. I may be exaggerating slightly here but that flu shot was bad news.

[Major Nikon]

10. You are exaggerating extremely, not slightly

Washing hands isn't a substitute for getting vaccinated.

[uppityperson]

16. How will fantastic g help when a person with the flu coughs and I walk past?

Handwashing will help against transferring viruses via your hands, but if you are around other people, it won't help protect against droplets in the air.

[Aristus]

8. GET YOUR FLU SHOT!

I don't want to hear your stupid, cockamamie, Jenny McCarthy reasons why you're not getting your immunization!

Just do it!

*Posted by a primary care medical provider with a license and everything...*

[Major Nikon]

11. Hard to believe there' still anti-vax loons on DU these days

But here we are.

[Aristus]

12. Yeah.

Washing your hands. That will prevent a viral disease spread by airborne cough & sneeze droplets...

[RobinA]

13. Questioning the Flu Shot

efficacy is not being an anti-vaccine loon, it’s simply disagreeing with you.

[Aristus]

14. No, it's disagreeing with established science and the history of a huge reduction in death

from influenza due to vaccination.

And that is being an anti-vaccine loon.

This is not an issue in which opinion is relevant.

[Major Nikon]

15. Sure, there's no anti-vax loons on DU

Just ask them and they will assure you they aren't anti-vax.

[Archae]

18. I remember when Mothers were blamed by psychologists for autism.

"The Mother was cold towards their baby so the kid became autistic."

That particular theory still does exist in a few psychologist works.

Alex Jones and his cohorts blame "chemtrails."

Neo-Nazis blame "the Jews."

All of them have no evidence to back up the claims, and in fact the evidence shows the claims to be fake.
In the case of vaccines, that greedhead quack from England is still pushing his claims.

I'm reminded of a guy played by Martin Mull in an episode of "law And Order" who was shown to be a faker and a quack, but he still screamed about his "right" to push his particular thoery about AIDS.

[Major Nikon]

19. Anti-vaxxers claim not to be anti-vax while they are pushing anti-vax nonsense

They claim not to defend loons like McCarthy and Wakefield while out of the other side of their mouth say they shouldn't be ignored.

They claim vaccines are "good" while sewing seeds of reactionary and irrational fear about vaccines.

Ironically there's no shortage of AIDS denialists who are also anti-vaxxers. Mike Fucking Adams still has his fans on DU that promote his garbage. Chemtrails and other batshit crazy conspiracy theories aren't far behind. Anti-vax is just another one of those crank magnet issues that draw the loons in. Thankfully most have either left DU or stay silent, but there's a few remnants that remain.

[NickB79]

17. People who understand science and question the efficacy STILL get the flu shot

Saying "it's only 60% effective" means you still recognize it significantly lowers your risk of getting sick or dying. Those people then demand better vaccines next year.

The only people who question the efficacy and then say they're not getting a flu shot because of it are the ones who don't actually believe very strongly in vaccinations in the first place, like anti-vaxxers.

[BigmanPigman]

20. I still get a flu shot even though I am no longer a first grade teacher.

I always got sick since 6 year old are germ factories. All of the computer keypads are breading grounds for germs. My kids all had anti bacterial hand wash on their desks but they still got sick. The thing with kids is that they get better in three days while it takes adults 10 days. Parents always send kids to school sick, infecting everyone else, since schools are considered free day care/baby sitters. Instead of keeping their kids home and getting a babysitter or taking the day off they send sick kids to school. I was sick 90% of the time I was a teacher and eventually had to leave teaching due to it.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

21. Got my shot, the hi-test geezer variety.

I don't know why they have two levels of shots, but if I can have the super-sized one, great!

[Aristus]

22. Anti-vaxxers are such hypocrites.

If there were no vaccines, and thousands and thousands of people died from an influenza epidemic, they'd be the first ones to bleat: "How come no one did anything to prevent this?!?"

[CanSocDem]

23. Sounds more like an indictment of...

...the medical industry that can't even prevent a patient DYING from the flu, but turns over management of the disease to a drug company.
And of course, having no discernible strategy for achieving public health, the medical industry defers to the can't miss profit of "insurance" and heartily endorses the mass-marketing of fear and chemical dependency.

I'm OK with people who think "vaccines" will save them. But I'm also OK with people who think Jesus will save them. Neither is incorrect and that should be a clue for the medical industry. But they don't bother because this vax business is easy and lucrative.

But, no sense harpin' on it-Everybody knows, the USA medical industry is first and foremost about making money.



.