Flu Statistics Greatly Overstated?An Intuitive Parenting Update on the Flu
Evidence has turned up that the flu is not nearly the great threat which the media, certainly the vaccine manufacturers, and even medical organizations, are making the flu out to be. Flu statistics being bandied about include that as many as 36,000 people die every year from the flu.
However, the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) own data shows that in the most recent year for which we have numbers, 2001, there were fewer than 1000 deaths attributable directly to the flu.
So why the hysteria over the shortage of flu vaccine? Why the mad rush to get everyone immunized? Why put conscientious parents through the agony of decision regarding a vaccine for a virus which in reality has a very low mortality rate?
The answers seem obvious to us, but we will leave it to the reader to reach their own conclusion.
In the meantime, download the CDC's report here, and search the document for code "J10", which is the CDC's code for the flu (influenza). Note that every instance of "J10" has it coupled with "J18", which is the code for pneumonia. When you see the big "flu" death numbers being blasted across the press, keep in mind that the statistics for flu and pneumonia are lumped together. This is where the huge numbers come from. Pneumonia. Not the flu itself.