Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Is H1N1 making you sick, or is it something else

Jane just came in and told me that she learned last night that no one has ever actually died from the H1N1 flu. The people who had it that eventually died actually died from pneumonia. So, if pneumonia is what kills us, then why aren't they telling people to get pneumonia shots? Could it be because a pneumonia shot lasts from 5 to 10 years? In other words, there is little to no money that can be made off of a big media scare with pneumonia shots, but there's lots of money being made on the H1N1 hoax (not that it's a hoax, but... IT'S THE FLU).

Sometimes I think the problem with health care in this country actually has nothing to do with health care, and much more to do with marketing and how much money is to be made or lost by the big drug companies, insurance companies, and the health care industry in general. Kinda makes me sick.

2 comments:

Timothy said...

It's all about the money. You can stop wondering. The care is actually quite good.

H1N1 is killing people. If not directly, then from secondary infections and complications set in motion by H1N1.

Interestingly, about 40,000 people will die this year from seasonal flu. Most of them will be old. Roughly 1000 will die from the H1N1flu. Many of them will be young strapping football players and the like. Old people die all the time. Not newsworthy. Our seemingly indestructable children dying, now that sells papers and pills.

Disclaimer - I got both vaccines. Who wants the flu?

dan said...

Thanks for providing some actual medical input, Dr. Pratt. And you're right... I don't really want the flu either. :)