Oink! More Fun with the Swine Flu
On the Shortage of H1N1 Influenza A vaccine.... (trumpet fanfare)... the Indiana state Commissioner of Health:
"Vaccine supply is a challenge and I realize this has caused frustration for many of you. We expected to receive an ample supply of vaccine by mid-October. Unfortunately, we have only received about 30% of the doses that were expected by this time due to limited production. The virus is not replicating at the speed that was originally expected which has led to the delay in manufacturing sufficient supply of the vaccine. Clearly this has created an additional challenge for all of us as demand for the vaccine is outstripping supply."
Someone else can have mine. ;-)
Now..... as for the virus not replicating at the speed which was expected.....
Maybe it's a leftist virus; they have trouble replicating also, or accomplishing anything else they set out to do.
For most of you, what this means is that the swine flu ('just another flu') will have passed through your 'hood, before this vaccine (which Pharmer considers experimental) has been widely distributed enough for YOU to have it.
Three Reasons why all the swine flu statistics will remain inaccurate to the degree of being BOGUS:
People are reporting assumed swine flu cases (respiratory illnesses which have not been identified, but appear to be flu-like to whichever person is reporting).
Testing which is done, is identifying a flu virus as influenza A, )and there are a lot of those) but and is assumed to be the (media frenzy) bug du jour, H1N1 influenza A.
and the third reason that the numbers are bogus..... Newly developed tests for swine flu virus are being used, this one by Quest diagnostics and 3M. These tests (here's another one,by Diatherix) are permitted emergency use for this season only, and do not yet have actual FDA approval. This in itself does not mean the tests are no good at all. However, you should also be aware of this bit of practical information: Tests for flu virus are far from perfect, (even those which have been approved) vary in specificity and efficiency, and are dogged with the problem of false negative results particularly during peak seasons.
New tests to differentiate the virus, mass confusion, media frenzy, and you won't be getting any good statistics concerning this particular flu bug.
Fun reading-
"Vaccine supply is a challenge and I realize this has caused frustration for many of you. We expected to receive an ample supply of vaccine by mid-October. Unfortunately, we have only received about 30% of the doses that were expected by this time due to limited production. The virus is not replicating at the speed that was originally expected which has led to the delay in manufacturing sufficient supply of the vaccine. Clearly this has created an additional challenge for all of us as demand for the vaccine is outstripping supply."
Someone else can have mine. ;-)
Now..... as for the virus not replicating at the speed which was expected.....
Maybe it's a leftist virus; they have trouble replicating also, or accomplishing anything else they set out to do.
For most of you, what this means is that the swine flu ('just another flu') will have passed through your 'hood, before this vaccine (which Pharmer considers experimental) has been widely distributed enough for YOU to have it.
Three Reasons why all the swine flu statistics will remain inaccurate to the degree of being BOGUS:
People are reporting assumed swine flu cases (respiratory illnesses which have not been identified, but appear to be flu-like to whichever person is reporting).
Testing which is done, is identifying a flu virus as influenza A, )and there are a lot of those) but and is assumed to be the (media frenzy) bug du jour, H1N1 influenza A.
and the third reason that the numbers are bogus..... Newly developed tests for swine flu virus are being used, this one by Quest diagnostics and 3M. These tests (here's another one,by Diatherix) are permitted emergency use for this season only, and do not yet have actual FDA approval. This in itself does not mean the tests are no good at all. However, you should also be aware of this bit of practical information: Tests for flu virus are far from perfect, (even those which have been approved) vary in specificity and efficiency, and are dogged with the problem of false negative results particularly during peak seasons.
New tests to differentiate the virus, mass confusion, media frenzy, and you won't be getting any good statistics concerning this particular flu bug.
Fun reading-
Labels: H1N1, influenza A, lab tests, Swine Flu, tests, throat swab, virus
posted by pharmer1 | 4:46 PM
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