CDC Predicting Severe Flu Outbreak But Who Is Listening

The CDC has predicted that 2015 flu season may produce a severe outbreak of the flu (but also say it won't be terribly severe - how is that for hedging their bets). They are saying that one of the reasons that the flu outbreak may reach severe proportions this year is because the flu vaccine produced for this flu season is probably going to be ineffective against the strains of flu that will be out there. According to this article, the CDC is claiming that the flu strain H3N2 started to mutate after the production of this year's vaccine (so they are implying it's not like the CDC screwed up and made the wrong vaccine or anything like that). Well, if it was the case that they knew the damned bug was mutating then why didn't the CDC get on the bandwagon and create a new vaccine or at least try to do so! What they are telling us now is, in essence, that we should get vaccinated anyway and  then hope that it works to protect us.

Meanwhile, while the flu isn't running rampant, it is seemingly effecting us earlier than usual. Major flu outbreaks normally do not occur until February or March but this year several states have already been hard hit in the Midwest and the Southeast.

 

Now, I am none to worried about there being a major flu epidemic or even a severe outbreak. Nor am I all that worried about getting the flu. If I get it, I get it. Yet, I was vaccinated (not that it will do much good this year but I did not know that when I got my flu shot). I am a firm believer that vaccinations do more good than harm. On the other hand, I do not put all that much belief into predictions made by the CDC. They have been wrong before about which flu vaccine to produce and about their forecasts for major outbreaks of the flu. Just recently they were apparently very wrong about the Ebola virus epidemic.

 

You may remember that they said that the number of people infected by Ebola, in Africa, would reach 550,000 to 1.4 million by this month. As far as I am aware, we are nowhere near that mark. Granted, they said that it could be controlled but they said that in order to so, at least 70% of Ebola victims would have to be treated in isolation in Ebola units. That has not yet been achieved by a long shot but thankfully we have not seen that massive epidemic that the CDC was predicting.

 

The CDC also gets a lot of other things wrong. For instance there have been several cases of them mishandling extremely deadly pathogens such as anthrax, Ebola and flu strains. With all they get wrong it is no wonder that many folks have little to no faith in them when they talk about the efficacy of vaccines or when they make their predictions relative to outbreaks of disease. They cry wolf so often that it has me wondering who if anyone is listening to them besides me. Yeah, I still listen to them but am becoming more and more skeptical of what they say as each new CDC screw-up comes to pass.

 

Anyway, flu season is upon us, and I think that overall it pays to take some precautions as a nation and as an individual. Along those lines I got the flu vaccine. I also regularly clean my hands with alcohol gel, while at work. I come into contact with lots of people from all of the far corners of the earth every day while at work and it gives me the heebie-jeebies each time one of those fuckers picks or wipes his or her runny nose and then hands me something without at least first wiping off their hands. If work had examination gloves there for me to wear, that actually fit me, then I would wear them. They provided gloves but the only ones I found at the office where I have been working lately have been too small for me. Oh well, so I do what else I can, as recommended by the dunderheads at the CDC, to avoid catching whatever.

 

All the best,

Glenn B