After weeks of media reporting on the Swine Flu "scare," first calling it by its animal name, then reverting to its alpha-numeric formula, the hype finally seems to be fading along with with dwindling reports of new cases. But what about the dirt that no one seems to be talking about?
Baxter Pharmaceutical is in the news as the future hope that will save us all from the Swine Flu.
But it seems no one is talking about Baxter's other news- the numerous reports that Baxter's Austrian branch was recently caught shipping this year's human (H3N2) vaccine contaminated with a known viral agent (unlabelled H5N1 live bird flu) to 18 countries. Since it is highly unlikely that an avian-human mix would ever be found in nature (due to the "species barrier"), I joked at the time that Baxter’s “mistake” was one way to start a pandemic and require everyone to take a flu vaccine to help with the company's bottom line. Baxter has since admitted it sent the contaminated bird flu variant. The World Health Organization was alerted and panic spread through the vaccine community as health experts asked the obvious question: How could this have happened? European authorities and the CDC are "investigating."
Now that the Swine Flu has suddenly emerged in Mexico I have to ask, has anyone checked to see if those infected with the swine flu have recently (in the last weeks/months) been inoculated with a Baxter vaccine?
Coincidentally, Baxter is the company chosen by the CDC to create the Swine Flu vaccine for the world. Does this sound like a plot for a future Stephen King novel?
Shouldn't some investigator at the CDC be reporting to us? Why isn't CNN all over it like flies to a ... swine?
This story was first reported by news services in the Czech Republic, where it was discovered by a technician who injected ferrets with a vial of the Baxter human flu vaccine. All the ferrets died. This is not supposed to happen. Luckily no one contracted the disease.
India and Canada (Feb. 27th) picked up the story, as did other European countries, however it was never covered here in the United States. One would think that such a spectacular event would be front page news. According to several sources, this overt contamination means that the BSL3 (Biosafety Level 3) - a set of laboratory safety protocols that prevent the cross-contamination of materials - was not followed. No irradiation took place (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosaf).
The US media has chosen to scare the public with hype of the swine flu outbreak instead of providing information about the science behind the possible causes and if such a mixture is even possible. They fail to report that the average flu viruses are not even tested year to year in the population. One must first know what to test for. The number of average yearly deaths resulting from flu cases is around 36,0000, according to the CDC but this is just as guess as most flu deaths are the result of complications of the flu, and not the flu itself (as seen by the young boy in Texas with the swine flu who died of pneumonia).
It has already become apparent that this swine virus does not replicate well in the body and appears to be dying out, showing that the human immune system, when it works, works quite efficiently. Yet, most media sources are already talking about treatments - namely the anti-viral drug, Tamiflu, which has its own scary side effects, including vomiting, diarrhea, fainting, Guillain-Barre, and death. In many cases, Tamiflu makes symptoms much worse. In fact this drug may have no real benefit at all. But at least Donald Rumsfeld still owns a large amount of stock in the stockpile of Tamiflu since its first release many years ago, when bird flu failed to "take off."
What the media should be alerting the public on is how to build natural immunity, which can be done using common sense:
Boosting Vitamins A and D levels (found in cod liver oil), using coconut oil, and taking extra Vitamin C, which converts to hydrogen peroxide in the body to naturally kill viruses (Linus Pauling’s discovery). One can also add Probiotics which provide healthy gut flora, which is 85 percent of our immune system and provides protection against disease. Kefir is a great choice. And bone broth helps too - just like grandma said.
In 2003, Baxter was contracted to develop a vaccine to combat the SARS virus. In 2006 the UK announced plans to inoculate every person in the country with Baxter’s vaccines in the event of a flu pandemic. Baxter appears well connected. Maybe too well connected?
Both Tamiflu and the new vaccine that are being readied have not formally tested for safety on children. Since I feel it's always best to live by the Precautionary Principle, I'll only be taking Tamiflu and the "new improved" swine flu vaccine... when swine fly.