The Centers for Disease Control has officially declared a flu epidemic.
The number of states reporting high levels of flu jumped from 13 to 22 last week and the CDC says there are now flu outbreaks in every region of the country.
The CDC also said that 15 children have died as a result of this year’s flu outbreak, 6 of them in Tennessee alone. East Tennessee Children’s Hospital has reported 442 children with flu already this year.
ABC Chief Medical Editor Dr. Richard Besser said on Good Morning America that about a hundred children a year die from the flu. He said that children, the elderly and anyone with a compromised immune system are at highest danger for death.
The CDC says the H3N2 subtype is the strain in 90 percent of confirmed flu cases.
Dr. Besser said that the flu season has been striking earlier during the last few years and he called it a “worrying trend.”
He advised anyone in a high risk category to get a flu shot.
The Centers for Disease Control says that it’s too late in the flu season to create a vaccine to fight the predominant strain of flu virus in the United States.
The strain, influenza A (H3N2) has mutated since the current flu shots were created and the current shots are only partially effective in containing the virus.
CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden said it would take up to four months to create a new flu vaccine even if newer technologies are used in creation.
Doctors say that the H3N2 strain has been especially severe when dominant and that without good match in a vaccine the likelihood of increased hospitalizations and deaths significantly increases.
The CDC is still recommending a flu shot because they say it could provide partial protection against H3N2. They also say that if someone comes seriously ill with the flu it’s vital they be taken to a hospital for treatment.
The Centers for Disease Control has reported that over 200 babies are aborted for every 1,000 that are born in America.
Roughly one abortion for every five live births.
The report covers all 50 states for the year 2011. The study found that 730,322 women killed their babies via abortion that year. A study released by Planned Parenthood that year celebrated their ending the lives of 333,964 babies…meaning that the organization killed over 46% of the children who died via abortion.
“Among the 37 areas that reported by marital status for 2011, 14.5% of all women who obtained an abortion were married and 85.5% were unmarried,” the report states. “The abortion ratio was 43 abortions per 1,000 live births for married women and 373 abortions per 1,000 live births for unmarried women.”
The study also showed a shocking amount of teenagers are ending up pregnant and seeking abortions.
“In 2011, adolescents aged … 15–19 years accounted for … 13.5% of all abortions,” it said, “and had abortion rates of … 10.5 abortions per 1,000 adolescents aged … 15–19 years.”
The study did not include the number of women who died in 2011 from obtaining an abortion.
A new study shows vaccines that come from human fetal cell lines can contribute to autism.
The study uses data from the U.S., U.K., Denmark and Australia. It was complied by the Sound Choice Pharmaceutical Institute.
“Not only are the human fetal contaminated vaccines associated with autistic disorder throughout the world, but also with epidemic childhood leukemia and lymphomas,” said Dr. Theresa Deisher of SCPI.
The study showed that in most cases, the amount of fetal DNA in the vaccines was significantly above the levels considered safe. No more than 10ng should be in a dose, yet in some cases the levels were as high at 2000ng per dose.
“There are a large number of publications about the presence of HERV (human endogenous retrovirus – the only re-activatable endogenous retrovirus) and its association with childhood lymphoma,” noted Dr Deisher. “The MMR II and chickenpox vaccines and indeed all vaccines that were propagated or manufactured using the fetal cell line WI-38 are contaminated with this retrovirus. And both parents and physicians have a right to know this!”
The report comes on the heels of a CDC report that was withheld showing an increase among African American boys and autism when vaccinated prior to 36 months.
The Centers For Disease Control has finally admitted that Ebola could be transferred through sneezing.
Dr. Meryl Nass of the Institute For Public Accuracy in Washington, D.C. publicized the fact the CDC posted on their website a poster that says Ebola can be spread through “droplets.”
“Droplet spread happens when germs traveling inside droplets that are coughed or sneezed from a sick person enter the eyes, nose or mouth of another person,” the poster reads.
“If you are sniffling and sneezing, you produce microorganisms that can get on stuff in a room. If people touch them, they could be” infected, Dr. Nass told the New York Post.
Dr. Nass slammed the CDC for their continual statements in public that Ebola could not be spread through the air.
“The CDC said it doesn’t spread at all by air, then Friday they came out with this poster,” she said. “They admit that these particles or droplets may land on objects such as doorknobs and that Ebola can be transmitted that way.”
The CDC did not answer the New York Post’s requests to comment on their contradiction.
Amber Vinson, the second nurse to contract Ebola from Liberian Thomas Eric Duncan, praised God as she left Emory University hospital after being declared Ebola free.
“I’m so grateful to be well, and first and foremost, I want to thank God. I sincerely believe that with God all things are possible,” the 29-year-old told reporters at a press conference. “While the skill and dedication of the doctors, nurses and others who have taken care of me have obviously led to my recovery, it has been God’s love that has truly carried my family and me through this difficult time, and has played such an important role in giving me hope and the strength to fight.”
Vinson had caused concern when she became symptomatic after flying back to Dallas from Cleveland. The CDC had to contact all the passengers on the flight to alert them to be vigilant for possible Ebola infection.
“While this is a day of celebration and gratitude, I ask that we not lose focus of the thousands of families who continue to labor under the burden of this disease in West Africa,” Vinson said. “Thank you to Dr. Kent Brantley and Nancy Writebol, both of whom were successfully treated here at Emory, for your donations of plasma for me and other patients. Finally, my family and I would like to thank many people whose prayers have helped sustain us.”
Dr. Bruce Ribner of Emory University said that Vinson is no threat to the community.
A new study on the Ebola virus says that if temperatures are close to freezing such as in the winter months the virus can live for two months outside of the body.
The study showed the virus lived over seven weeks on glass surfaces at temperatures around 39 degrees. The UK’s Defense Science and Technology Laboratory found the Zaire strain of the virus could live 50 days on glass surfaces.
The tests were reportedly carried out before the current outbreak, in 2010, but the results had not been released to the public.
‘This study has demonstrated that filoviruses are able to survive and remain infectious, for extended periods when suspended within liquid and dried onto surfaces,’ explained the researchers to the Daily Mail. ‘Data from this study extend the knowledge on the survival of filoviruses under different conditions and provide a basis with which to inform risk assessments and manage exposure.’
The CDC has said the virus can live for hours on doorknobs or other dry surfaces and they reiterated the importance of using an alcohol based hand sanitizer and to not touch any surface that may have come in contact with someone who has Ebola.
Concerns over Ebola have shut down schools in two states.
Two public schools in Ohio are closed because staff members were on the same flight as Amber Vinson, the second nurse who contracted Ebola and flew from Ohio to Texas with a low grade fever.
An e-mail was sent to parents of children at Solon Middle School and Parkside Elementary School.
“This circumstance came to light late in the day and we have been working since then to get as much information as possible from public health authorities,” the district’s email read.
“Although we believe what the science community and public health officials are telling us about the low risk of possible transmission of the virus through indirect contact, we are nonetheless taking the unusual step of closing the dual school building for Thursday so that we can have the schools cleaned and disinfected.”
The Belton Independent School District in Texas closed all three schools because of two students who were on the flight.
“Canceling classes at the three campuses will allow us to thoroughly clean and disinfect the schools and buses that served them this week. It will also allow health officials additional time to re-assess the health risk to passengers on the plane,” said Belton Superintendent Susan Kincannon in a statement. “I’m frustrated that we didn’t learn until late tonight that the CDC was re-evaluating the health risk. The health and safety of our students is my first priority.”
One of the signs of Ebola infection is a fever.
Yet the CDC allowed the latest American to be infected with the virus to fly on an airplane after showing a low-grade fever.
The Centers for Disease Control admits they allowed Amber Vinson of Dallas to fly from Cleveland to Dallas with a fever of 99.5.
“Although she did not report any symptoms and she did not meet the fever threshold of 100.4, she did report at that time she took her temperature and found it to be 99.5,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden. “I don’t think that changes the level of risk of people around her. She did not vomit, she was not bleeding, so the level of risk of people around her would be extremely low.”
However, the CDC is contacting everyone who was on the flight about their possible exposure to Ebola.
“Those who have exposures to Ebola, she should not have traveled on a commercial airline,” said Dr. Frieden. “The CDC guidance in this setting outlines the need for controlled movement. That can include a charter plane; that can include a car; but it does not include public transport. We will from this moment forward ensure that no other individual who is being monitored for exposure undergoes travel in any way other than controlled movement.”
The plane was used for five additional flights before it was taken out of service.
The second nurse infected with Ebola after treating Thomas Eric Duncan has been taken to Emory University in Atlanta to be placed in isolation.
The Centers for Disease Control confirmed they have flown Amber Vinson to Emory University Hospital because the hospital has successfully treated two other Ebola patients, Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol.
“She was rapidly isolated, tested, and the presumptive test was positive. Fellow nurse Nina Pham, who is improving, will remain at Texas Health Presbyterian,” CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said.
Dr. Frieden said that while ill, Vinson is clinically “stable”.
Texas Governor Rick Perry praised the doctors and those treating the victims.
“This is the first time that our nation has had to deal with a threat such as this,” Perry said. “Everyone is working on this challenge — from the medical professionals at the bedside to the public officials addressing containment of the infection — is working to end the threat posed by this disease. These individuals are keeping the health and safety of Texans and the needs of the patients as their most critical tasks. Every relevant agency at the local, state and national levels is working to support these individuals.”