The flu epidemic: why the hype?

This year’s flu epidemic is spreading. There is not much difference between this one and any other which has occurred over the last 20 or 30 years. In general influenza spreads rapidly around the world as a pandemic. It is its nature and so far nothing special has happened with this one. A pandemic is simply a new infectious disease spreading throughout the world.

The fear is that this could be a similar pandemic to the Spanish ‘flu of 1918, which killed an estimated 20 million people worldwide. There is no evidence for this yet, so don’t panic. The virus has already spread dramatically throughout the world and there does not appear to be any evidence of increasing virulence.

According to the American National Centre for Health Statistics, approximately 192 million days per year are spent in bed because of ‘flu. It is estimated that in the USA alone 100 000 people are hospitalized and more than 20 000 die each year from the ‘flu and its complications. This is especially true of the very young and old.

But fifteen to twenty thousand Americans also die each year from anti-inflammatory medication. This has not stopped anyone from using them or doctors from prescribing them. Some people have died from the ‘flu in Mexico. Mexico City has some of the worst pollution in the world along with major poverty, no doubt severely compromising the immune systems of many individuals.

Big business, flu pandemics and vaccines

I believe that people and big business, in particular, are taking advantage of the situation to create fear and use that fear for their own ends. There are people that profit in wartime and it makes good business sense to promote war. It makes good business sense to promote the idea that there may be a shortage of certain foods, if you want to sell those foods. It makes pretty good business sense if you have influenza medicines (anti-viral medicines) whose expiratory date is close at hand, to find a way to sell these products quickly.

Governments stock millions of vaccines whose expiratory date is 3 years away. These vaccines may carry over from one year to the next, and then need to be used and sold. These are used even if they are not that year’s strain, as they are said to ‘prime’ the population. Keep in mind that there are also serious risks to the vaccine itself, sometimes worse than the flu.

After the pandemic in 1976, which was thought to be more serious than it was, a total of $1.3 billion of claims were filed by victims who had suffered paralysis from the vaccine. What better way to sell vaccines and drugs than to take an incidence of flu that looks virulent, and blow it up as quickly as possible? Expect the hype to get worse, not better. Once the full might of those making money from influenza gets going, each death will be trumpeted around the world. You can be sure that pharmaceutical companies involved in vaccine manufacturing are working furiously to produce their new batch of vaccines. If you choose to have a vaccine after reading this news flash, make sure that it is the right one - and know that the right one has not yet been made, as it takes up to six months to prepare.

Natural preventive measures during a flu epidemic

• Echinacea: This is an immune adaptogenic herb and can be taken starting now and all through the winter. Certainly give it to your children as well.
• Vitamin C: Take 2 to 5 grams per day. Increase this to one gram every two hours if there is any suggestion of flu symptoms.
• Vitamin D: Some doctors regard influenza as a vitamin D deficiency problem. Everyone else should be taking between 2000IU and 5000IU /day depending on sun exposure and blood levels of vitamin D. Take 2000IU/day as a prevention. Increase to 50,000IU per day for three days if acute symptoms develop. Breastfeeding mothers need 6000IU /day to also maintain adequate levels of vitamin D in the fetus for good brain development.
• Probiotics: Conventional doctors use antibiotics. Integrative doctors find that high doses of probiotics are useful and supportive to immune function.
• Homeopathic Oscilloccocinum & Influenzinum can be used as a preventive instead of the vaccines. Gelsemium and Bryonia have been used in the treatment of flu, but other medicines may be indicated.
• Babies & children up to 3 years of age: Oscilloccocinum once per week with Recheweg 93 (immune booster ) 2-3 drops once per day as preventive.
• Children 3 to 12 years of age: As above but add vitamin C 200 to 500mg /day. If antibiotics were given within the last 3 months then add probiotics for about one month.
• Older children & adults of all ages: Oscillococcinum once per week, Vitamin C 2 grams to 5 grams per day.

By Dr. Bernard Brom

Dr Bernard Brom has a medical degree from UCT, studied homeopathy, studied and taught Chinese medicine and acupuncture, and is an expert on energy treatments. He is also founder of the SA Journal of Natural Medicine and chairman of the SA Society of Integrative Medicine.

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