The anthrax and the flu
By Manuel Luciano da Silva, M. D.

If you know Portuguese, read the article in Portuguese Click here where I go into much detail about the Influenza History and treatment.

How many people have died so far of anthrax infection in U. S. A.?
-- Three men

How many cases have been infected with anthrax  in all U. S. A. ?
-- Eight, out of 272 millions!

How many people die,  in one year, from Influenza or Flu in U.S. A. ?
,-- More than 20,000! And more than 200,000 are hospitalized in a year!!!

What  is the Media doing  to prevent this epidemic?  NOTHING !  Why? 

At the present time there is so much hysteria in the U. S. A. concerning the scare, the terror of anthrax infection, as a bioterrorist threat,  that,  unfortunately,  ALL the MEDIA is forgetting, putting aside, the need, to  recommend to the American Citizens to take the vaccine against the yearly threat of the  Flu.

The word Flu is a diminutive from the word INFLUENZA, an Italian word, which was the name given in the fourteen  century,  in Italy, to  a similar  epidemic, and the church authorities started explaining that such an epidemic was a curse, a punishment  from the gods towards men,  because of the humanity’s  sins!

It seems that the present media  hysteria about the anthrax wants to go down in History as another  ANTHRAZENDA  instead of  using their valuable time and space, encouraging the American People to take the Flu Vaccine  as the best form  of preventing  death from  a  Flu pneumonia.

This business of the threat of the anthrax has become a political game, not a medical one. I agree that the health authorities should be on the top of things,  because this is obviously a terrorist threat to the American People, or  this could be the game of another “Unibomber”, American or  Islamic.

But,  I repeat again,  to continue with the anthrax hysteria in disfavor of recommending to our fellow American citizens, to take the flu shot,  is a disservice  to the American people and to the nation! The Media  should use their  very important time to recommend to  the American to take their flu shot,  NOW! 

I would think that with  all their “inteligenzia”  of  the media would be  smarter,  then  obviously have being showing.  Or is this all because of the ratings? 

Let the legal and medical authorities handle the situation, do not use the time in maintaining and making the terror worse by alarming the American people. That is not healthy! ! 

Who should take the Flu shot or Fluzone (Trivalent Types A and Type B)  ?

Please,  note that you cannot get the flu, the disease,  from the vaccine,  because the virus in it has been killed.

---Any one from 6 months and older.
---Certainly everyone over 65
-- Anyone with chronic medical condition
-- Healthcare workers
-- Traveling to others part of the world

Who should NOT take the Flu vaccine:             

If you know Portuguese, read the article in Portuguese Click here where I go into much detail about the Influenza History and treatment.

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