SWINE FLU: What we are not being told!

Thirty-three years ago, America was gripped by Swine Flu ‘fever’. After the death of a young soldier found to be infected with the disease (and the recovery of four others in his platoon), President Gerald Ford declared that “every man, woman and child should be vaccinated to prevent a nationwide outbreak – a pandemic”.

“This virus was the cause of a pandemic in 1918 and 1919 that resulted in over half a million deaths in the United States, as well as 20 million deaths around the world”, he told a receptive public.

A huge publicity campaign was launched, advising everyone to ‘do the right thing’ and get themselves immunized, and thus 46 million people duly did.

But what the American government hadn’t explained – indeed hadn’t even mentioned - was that tests of the vaccine had highlighted that in certain cases people receiving it could be affected by neurological disorders – and could even die.

In a television interview conducted by American TV channel CBS, entitled «Government Propaganda in Swine Flu Scare Causes Many Deaths», Dr Michael Hattwick from the US Center for Disease Control, told interviewer Mike Wallace that researchers were “absolutely aware” of the possibilities of neurological damage and disorders resulting from a mass influenza vaccination programme.

But, at the time, this “absolute awareness” was covered up. Millions of people ‘took the shot of protection’ – and thousands later fell ill with what they claimed were the after-effects. Illnesses ranged from full-blown paralysis, to partial. The syndrome goes by the name of «Guillain-Barre» (GBS). Indeed, 300 families filed lawsuits against the American government following the deaths of their loved ones, who developed GBS after taking their Swine Flu shots. The families were convinced the deaths resulted from the vaccine.

So, where does that leave us today? Obviously, any vaccine developed this year will differ massively from the vaccine given to 46 million Americans in 1976 (before it was abruptly taken out of circulation).

But will that make it any safer, any more effective?

According to Dr Maria Alice of Luzdoc, in Praia da Luz, near Lagos, the vaccine will “come too late”, whatever the answers to those questions may be.

“It’s not going to be needed. My feeling is that the disease will be most prevalent here in October/ November. The vaccine is unlikely to be ready before the end of December. In other words, it’ll come too late”.

At the same time, Dr Alice added: “What people don’t seem to realise is that this flu so far has proved less lethal than the usual types of flu”.

It’s an opinion echoed in local pharmacies – rapidly filling up with people asking questions and buying everything from regular Ben-u-ron (paracetamol) and Brufen (ibobrufen), to surgical masks and alcohol-impregnated wipes.

“Most people will be able to deal with this virus at home – just as one deals with a normal flu virus,” head pharmacist Drª Alexandra Mendes n Bensafrim told us. “Really, anyone who gets the virus now, in the summer, will be better off than those who get it in the winter – with all the problems associated with damp, cold, etc. Now’s the time to get it!”

Reports coming in to our offices from people supposedly suffering from Swine Flu, bear these opinions out. One patient also told us how she’d been advised by her doctor against taking the Tamiflu anti-viral – as not only is this medication NOT specifically for Swine Flu, it can cause heavy side effects: from nausea to delirium.

According to health professionals, Tamiflu is only expected to ease the symptoms and shorten the illness by around 24-hours. Indeed, Portugal’s Pharmaceutical association warns against the ‘indiscriminate’ use of anti-virals in its «Pandemic Contingency Plan» published last week, saying this can “increase the risk” of Swine flu becoming resistant. However, they add that if resistance to Tamiflu occurs, Portugal has a stock of an inhalable anti-viral, called «Zanamivir», which could be brought to the fore.