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Flu Outbreak Australia - It's back

Printed From: COVID-19 / South Africa Omicron Variant
Category: Main Forums
Forum Name: General Discussion
Forum Description: (General discussion regarding the coronavirus pandemic)
URL: http://www.avianflutalk.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=36529
Printed Date: March 28 2024 at 4:37am


Topic: Flu Outbreak Australia - It's back
Posted By: Medclinician
Subject: Flu Outbreak Australia - It's back
Date Posted: August 08 2017 at 2:30pm
http://healthprofessionalradio.com.au/sydney-flu-cases/" rel="nofollow - https://healthprofessionalradio.com.au/sydney-flu-cases/

August 7, 2017

The whole city of Sydney is in the midst of an illness crisis with a sharp rise in the number of flu cases over last year and thousands struck down with gastroenteritis in the last week alone. Flu watchers have said it’s not just kids and the elderly that have to watch out, younger, healthier people are being whacked hard this year too. It could end up being the worst flu season on record.

More than eleven thousand influenza cases were reported in the state in July with a “spike” in aged care facilities, the Government department said. Doctor Vicky Sheppeard the Director of the Communicable Diseases at New South Wales Health said that each year more than eight hundred people die in New South Wales from complications associated with influenza. She also that “we are seeing high levels of both influenza A and B strains circulating in the community and older people are more susceptible to severe infection from the influenza A strain that is circulating.”

comment: It isn't like we are not having serious illness problem and spreading viruses. The mainstream media has become irresponsible in reporting anything important in health or outbreaks. Someone has to do this. They aren't.

Medclinician


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"not if but when" the original Medclinician



Replies:
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: August 08 2017 at 3:28pm
Hope our Flu shot this fall has A in it! As one of the older people I get my shot no matter what.   Noro is just nasty and nothing you can do about it we have had it at our school I just wash my hands all the time!

Mainstream media is worthless!


Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: September 09 2017 at 2:25pm
http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/03/health/australia-bad-flu-season/index.html" rel="nofollow - http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/03/health/australia-bad-flu-season/index.html

Australia's state breakdown reveals that New South Wales, the nation's most populous, is battling the most flu cases: 60,000 as of August 31. August has proved to be the worst month on record for New South Wales; http://www1.health.nsw.gov.au/IDD/#/FLU/period/%257B%2522prDisease%2522%253A%2522FLU%2522%252C%2522prLHD%2522%253A%2522X700%252CX710%252CX720%252CX730%252CX740%252CX750%252CX760%252CX770%252CX800%252CX810%252CX820%252CX830%252CX840%252CX850%252CX860%252CX910%2522%252C%2522prReportPeriod%2522%253A%25223%2522%252C%2522prStrain%2522%253A%2522A%252CB%252CNot%2520specified%2522%252C%2522prFrom%2522%253A%25221%252F2013%2522%252C%2522prTo%2522%253A%25228%252F2017%2522%257D" rel="nofollow - government health data show 35,670 confirmed flu cases in that month, most of them in Sydney, the capital. Previously, the worst months for New South Wales had been July, with 16,686 cases; August 2016, with 13,602 cases; and August 2015, with 12,901 cases.

comment: so much attention on hurricanes looks like the dying Aussies have been forgotten. This still could become the worst season on record. We need to track the strains and whether this one is worse.

Medclinician




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"not if but when" the original Medclinician


Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: September 29 2017 at 11:00am
It is hitting Australia hard and will be headed for the U.S.

Medclinician




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"not if but when" the original Medclinician


Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: September 29 2017 at 11:04am
The worse flu season in Australia for 15 years.  It may mutate as well and hit America hard as October arrives and we begin monitoring the Flu in the U.S.

Medclinician

We are back on track AFT - this could become a Pandemic.




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"not if but when" the original Medclinician


Posted By: arirish
Date Posted: September 29 2017 at 11:29am
Med- If it's H3N2 it has already mutated back in July in Hong Kong and I agree it's headed our way!

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Buy more ammo!


Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: September 29 2017 at 11:49am
Originally posted by arirish arirish wrote:

Med- If it's H3N2 it has already mutated back in July in Hong Kong and I agree it's headed our way!


Now, getting back on track, were they smart enough to include what this is (the July mutation) in our current vaccine?



Medclinician



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"not if but when" the original Medclinician


Posted By: Technophobe
Date Posted: September 29 2017 at 11:57am
Different vaccines are available to different groups of people and in different countries.  However, the WHO says the vaccine is already obsolete:   http://www.avianflutalk.com/who-to-swap-current-vaccine-as-obsolete_topic36653_post265900.html#265900" rel="nofollow - http://www.avianflutalk.com/who-to-swap-current-vaccine-as-obsolete_topic36653_post265900.html#265900

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How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving.


Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: September 29 2017 at 6:36pm
Oh great Techno...such good news. You young people need to keep us up on this news. I just don't know where to find all this info.


Posted By: arirish
Date Posted: September 29 2017 at 7:31pm
Med asked - "were they smart enough to include what this is (the July mutation) in our current vaccine?"

I doubt if there was time. We're only talking 60-90 days since the mutation was found. They decided on this vaccine 5-6 months ago.

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Buy more ammo!


Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: September 30 2017 at 10:49am
http://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/19/world/australia/flu-vaccination-deaths.html%20" rel="nofollow - https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/19/world/australia/flu-vaccination-deaths.html

The country is reeling from a potent flu season that has had a historically high number of cases in some states, and the resulting fatalities have raised growing alarms. Last week, an 8-year-old girl from Melbourne died from influenza complications — just weeks after a 30-year-old father passed away after getting the flu.

So far this year, more than 166,000 cases of the flu have been reported through September, a sharp increase from 91,000 for all of last year and more than double the average caseload in the last five years, http://www.immunisationcoalition.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/18Sept-Aust-Flu-Stats-2017-PDF.pdf" rel="nofollow - according to the Immunization Coalition . At least 72 people have died from the flu this year.

Antivaccination advocates https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/24/world/australia/vaccination-no-jab-play-pay.html" rel="nofollow - may a https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/24/world/australia/vaccination-no-jab-play-pay.html" rel="nofollow - ffect https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/24/world/australia/vaccination-no-jab-play-pay.html" rel="nofollow - influenza vaccinations . In May, the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne released research that found that less than a third of Australian parents planned to have their child immunized against the flu this season, with 88 percent saying they were unsure about safety.

“Antivaccination campaigns have created misinformation and confusion in the Australian public,” Dr. Bartone said.

That points to a problem: the Australian Immunization Register only began collecting information on adult influenza vaccination rates in September. There are similar gaps in data when it comes to documenting fatalities: the Health and Human Services Department in Victoria has reported 95 influenza-related deaths — a number that, on its own, is larger than national figures.

A spokesman for that department attributed the discrepancy to a possible delay in cases being formally reported, noting that the agency was not normally notified of deaths by influenza.

Dr. Bartone said those examples were warning signs.

comment: This is looking bad and also it has spread to the United States and U.K.

Medclinician

“Clearly, we don’t have the reliable sources of information to assist us with predictions regarding future years,” he said. “The more information we collect, the more prepared we will be. It’s a timely message — the need for better collection of primary care data.”







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"not if but when" the original Medclinician


Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: September 30 2017 at 11:02am
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2017/09/who-swaps-out-h3n2-b-strains-southern-hemisphere-flu-vaccine%20" rel="nofollow - http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2017/09/who-swaps-out-h3n2-b-strains-southern-hemisphere-flu-vaccine

At the global level, H3N2 and influenza B are the predominant seasonal flu strains, and in the most recent flu developments, Australia is still reporting high flu levels, led by H3N2, with high numbers of deaths in nursing homes and in healthy adults.

Australia's Department of Health said in a statement yesterday that overall, the 2017 vaccines have been a "relatively good" match, but evidence suggests less effectiveness than usual, especially for protecting seniors against H3N2 infection.

In its strain selection report, the WHO said the majority of H3N2 strains that circulated from February to September belonged to the clade 3C.2a and subclade 3C.2.a1, which continue to show considerable diversity in their hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes.

Most recent viruses are antigenically similar to the cell-propagated version of Hong Kong vaccine virus from the previous season, but were less similar to the egg-propagated virus, according to results from ferret serum tests.

Ferret serum tests showed that circulating strains were better inhibited by antibodies raised against the egg-propagated Singapore H3N2 vaccine virus strain. The group also said the Singapore vaccine strain, part of the 3C.2.a1 subclade, contains the N121K hemagglutinin substitution seen in the majority of recent H3N2 viruses and that the neuraminidases of recent H3N2 viruses are antigenically distinct from last season's H3N2 vaccine component.

comment: Simply put - although they are denying a mutation - the "drift" is significant. The bottom line for us in the U.S. and even more so currently in Australia - did the vaccine miss the strain currently infecting people?

Medclinician


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"not if but when" the original Medclinician


Posted By: Technophobe
Date Posted: September 30 2017 at 11:25am
Thank you, Med.  That was both detailed and apposite.

For anyone considering whether or not to get the vaccine this year I have the following advice:

Pick and chose if you can.  Quadrivalent beats trivalent, but none of them are really current or will stop you getting the flu. 

That does not mean avoiding the jab is a good idea

If you have the jab and then get the flu, the partial protection will mean you will develop a less severe case.  If you are healthy and have a good immunity, most years this makes little difference to you. (It is very bad news for herd immunity so you do risk the health of others if you avoid the jab.)  This year is different.  Some young healthy individuals have died.  These are people who should not have become that sick.  I am not saying you will die without the jab, but a few who should have survived will not.  Don't let it be you.


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How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving.


Posted By: arirish
Date Posted: September 30 2017 at 8:00pm
What Techno said!! If you are older like me a little protection may be the difference between life and death!

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Buy more ammo!


Posted By: CRS, DrPH
Date Posted: September 30 2017 at 8:27pm
Originally posted by FluMom FluMom wrote:

Hope our Flu shot this fall has A in it! As one of the older people I get my shot no matter what.   Noro is just nasty and nothing you can do about it we have had it at our school I just wash my hands all the time!

Mainstream media is worthless!

From CDC, this is the makeup of this season's vaccine.  I recommend getting this one ASAP. 

  • Vaccine viruses included in the 2017–18 U.S. trivalent influenza vaccines will be an A/Michigan/45/2015 (H1N1)pdm09–like virus, an A/Hong Kong/4801/2014 (H3N2)-like virus, and a B/Brisbane/60/2008–like virus (Victoria lineage). Quadrivalent influenza vaccines will contain these three viruses and an additional influenza B vaccine virus, a B/Phuket/3073/2013–like virus (Yamagata lineage).


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CRS, DrPH


Posted By: Technophobe
Date Posted: October 01 2017 at 4:31am
For people in the UK:

The composition of the trivalent and quadrivalent vaccine are the same as in the USA.  Trivalent vaccine is usually the one supplied. 

BUT, PRACTICES CAN REQUEST THE QUADRIVALENT MIX.  

                                                                               So ask your GP ASAP if they can give you the quad instead.



Source:    https:///patient.info/doctor/influenza-vaccination" rel="nofollow - https:///patient.info/doctor/influenza-vaccination

Fluenz Tetra the kiddies inhaled vaccine is egg free

Egg allergy: routine vaccine should not be given where there is a confirmed anaphylactic hypersensitivity to egg products, as the vaccines are prepared in hens' eggs. It has now been advised that, except for those with severe anaphylaxis to egg, which has previously required intensive care, children with an egg allergy can be safely vaccinated with Fluenz Tetra®. An egg-free vaccine is available and can be given.



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How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving.


Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 23 2017 at 11:00pm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2017-09-28/flu-epidemic-your-questions-answered/8992884%20" rel="nofollow - http://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2017-09-28/flu-epidemic-your-questions-answered/8992884

So far there is not sufficient flu activity in the U.S. to worry. That could change. In Australia the flu season is winding down although is was one of the worst in years.
http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/ng-interactive/2016/may/16/flu-tracking-in-australia-weekly-updates-on-symptoms-around-the-country" rel="nofollow -
https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/ng-interactive/2016/may/16/flu-tracking-in-australia-weekly-updates-on-symptoms-around-the-country

Cases have taken a nose dive in the last month as is shown on the graph.

Week ending October 16, 2017.

Medclinician
http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/ng-interactive/2016/may/16/flu-tracking-in-australia-weekly-updates-on-symptoms-around-the-country" rel="nofollow -



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"not if but when" the original Medclinician



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