Swine Flu Vaccine: Why You Should Stop Worrying and Roll Up Your Sleeve

As the nurse poked the needle into my son's thigh, I expected to feel some kind of fear or worry. After all, I had heard alarm bells about the new swine flu vaccine. Supposedly, it hasn't been properly tested. It doesn't really work. It contains mercury. And there's a video on YouTube of a person paralyzed by the flu vaccine.

And yet, when the nurse was done, I felt genuine relief. The flu is on a rampage in 48 states, the CDC says, and the death toll is going up. Around the world, health officials are spotting devastating H1N1 outbreaks in countries like Ukraine where 71 people have died so far.

It may sound like hyperbole but there's a microscopic serial killer on the loose around the world. In the US alone, H1N1 has stolen the lives of 114 children so far. It's already in our neighborhood of Los Angeles. And it's just getting started with peak killing season expected in the colder months ahead.

So what can we do? What should we do? For adults, it just takes one swine flu shot to get some protection. For kids, it takes two doses, according to the CDC. In a few seconds the other day, my five-year old was half-way there.

And yet, look at the polls and listen to talk radio. Fully 38 percent of parents say they're unlikely to give permission for their kids to be vaccinated at school, according to an AP Poll. More specifically, 72 percent of parents are worried about the side effects.

These concerns are inevitable but they underscore one of the problems we face when evaluating risk. Especially when we're bombarded with information (and opinion), experts say our brains simply aren't wired to balance risk vs. benefit and make sound decisions. Simply put, too many of us worry about the wrong things. We get distracted by noisy voices and exceptions to the rule. And we don't take actions that can save our lives.

If you're planning to skip the swine flu vaccine this year (or the seasonal flu shot, for that matter), experts say, you're probably engaging in this kind of faulty reasoning. You're giving credence to suspicion and ignoring a clear and present danger. You're dwelling on the possibility of problems and disregarding the certainty that H1N1 will kill many thousands of people.

Moreover, you're neglecting some basic facts: The new vaccine has been carefully tested for safety; it's based on the same science used for decades in all kinds of vaccines; an elaborate monitoring system is scanning for side-effects; and thimerosol, the mercury-containing preservative, is only used in miniscule amounts (and versions of the vaccine are available without it).

What happens when people make decisions based on fear, not facts? If you're putting off the flu shot because of the remote chance of a serious adverse reaction, then what about the rest of your life? Consider a few examples of the problematic logic mustered by flu shot dodgers:

• Hospitals: If you were stricken with appendicitis today, you'd probably go straight to the hospital for emergency abdominal surgery. Right? What if you discovered that complications arise three percent of the time during or after this kind of routine surgery? Seems like a relatively small risk, right? Now what if you find out that as many as 98,000 Americans die every year because of preventable medical errors? Would this staggering statistic lead you to avoid the hospital or doctors? Nope. [Or would you refuse to go to the hospital because there are sick people there? Or because there's a risk of catching a Super Bug? Again, I doubt it.]

• Aspirin: What about a more benign affliction like a splitting headache? Makes sense to reach for the aspirin, right? What if you found out that thousands of people die every year from complications related to taking aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)? That won't happen to me, you might say, and you'd still pop the pills.

• Home: What about getting out of bed in the morning? More than 6,000 people die every year in falls at home, according to the National Safety Council. And yet, you don't stay under the covers all day. You still skip down stairs, climb ladders and splash in the rain on the sidewalk - three danger spots where many accidents occur.

Yes, life is risky. Often, we choose to overlook scary facts every day and go about our lives. And even when there are simple, easy ways to minimize dangers, we frequently don't bother.

Sure, every medicine has a downside. But when it comes to protecting your family, leading experts insist, the benefits of the H1N1 vaccine vastly outweigh the risks.

Nothing is ever foolproof, but when the swine flu breaks out in your state, city or neighborhood, ask yourself one question: Do you want to do everything possible to stop a serial killer from entering your home and possibly taking what you love most? If the answer is yes, then as soon as you can find a some vaccine, roll up your sleeve.

For more information about surviving the flu (or swine flu), please visit The Survivors Club Swine Flu Support Center.

For more information about keeping your family healthy, please visit ParentsAsk.com,

 

Follow Ben Sherwood on Twitter: www.twitter.com/survivorsclub

Comments

[ChildHealthSafety]

Why does the US Centers for Disease Control lie about the numbers of deaths from flu, claiming 36,000 die from it annuall in the US when not remotely true?

A report in the British Medical Journal states:-
"CDC claims 36 000 Americans annually die from flu. What is going on?

...... according to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) ...... Between 1979 and 2002, NCHS data show an average 1348 flu deaths per year (range 257 to 3006)."

The report ends:-
"If flu is in fact not a major cause of death, this public relations approach is surely exaggerated. ..... Until corrected and until unbiased statistics are developed, the chances for sound discussion and public health policy are limited."

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/331/7529/1412

[Sal Va Tore]

The number of deaths from swine flu have been much less compared to what the death toll is on average for this time of year. You did mention that thimerosal is in the vaccine, but the problem is that the miniscule amount of mercury in it is enough to have dangerous side effects. Mercury is poisonous to humans; eating too much fish is unhealthy because of mercury exposer. It won't affect everyone in the same way, and not all children will develop autism, but at the very least it will kill a few brain cells; and on top of most peoples horrible diets containing all sorts of artificial flavors, colors, and high fructose corn syrup, it's a recipe for a dumbed down and unhealthy population. The truth is, all you need is some extra vitamin D and to eat healthy. I am currently going through my first ever bout with the flu, and I'll be honest, it's not that bad. You just need to take care of yourself, eat healthy and organic foods, stop pumping yourself up with artificial and toxic substances that kill your body and mind.
Next I'll mention the additive squalene. Squalene can be found in shark liver oil, and is harmless went ingested; when it is injected however, it can cause an auto immune response that causes your body to attack itself.

[fenstein]

Its funny how people speak of science as if they knew everything about it, be it biology, chemistry, psychology. I am sure people know that eating lead is not the same as the lead that is in the body's chemistry, or eating iron cant be healthy. But in other formats it is, as in supplements. We digest it, process and abosorb what we need. When you inject something in the body, it is bypassing all these processes and becomes toxic. Thus your reaction by getting sick. Whether you want to believe squalene is in the vaccine or not, its up to what you read and from where. But yes, injecting it it may have harmful effects as an autoimmune disease or so I have read. People that have died from H1N1, most probably had a low immune system or had some other complication that we are not hearing from. Also, again, no one is reporting about how many people have recovered from it. This is all a one sided coin to, most people agree, spread fear into taking the shot .
To the Pharma not making money from this http://resources.bnet.com/topic/h1n1+flu+and+sales.html

To your Watergare comparison, please, if they did not want Nixon to fail, they would have covered it up pretty well.

[Sheldon101]

Max Gomez Antioch, Tennessee
Max Gomez was a bright-eyed 5-year-old happy to have just started kindergarten when he developed sniffles and a fever. ...Three days later, the Antioch, Tenn., boy was dead, apparently from swine flu. ...Ruth Gomez says Max developed dangerous symptoms – bluish fingers and extreme fatigue – just one day before he died on Aug 31. She took him to the doctor, but it was too late. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/607/story/998455.html

Kharra Skye Davis Hot Springs, Arizona
The parents of a first grader in Hot Springs have confirmed their daughter died from H1N1. Thursday, her family speaks out. Six-year old Kharra Skye Davis died Monday at Arkansas Children's Hospital. Her parents say she was a healthy, vibrant little girl and they are still in disbelief. But they're hoping their story can save someone else's child.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/health/20pregnant.html

Vanetia Warner Cornwall, Ontario
10-year-old Vanetia Warner passed away on [October 26th]at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario after being diagnosed with H1N1 influenza. She attended St. Anne's Catholic School in Cornwall and was in good health before contracting swine flu.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2009/10/27/ott-flu-cornwall.html

[smatter]

um, maybe this guy should look at the numbers and quit giving into the fear that he advises others to avoid. Every year, THOUSANDS die from the flu. Instead of causing panic, which is what is happening in the US, maybe everybody should be nice and calm until MILLIONS really start to die. Oh, but then it will be too late! Hogwash, these people can't predict ANYTHING! Remember how everyone was scared back in Spring, then they said it was gonna be the Fall, well Fall is about over, and now it's supposed to be Winter. And hang around for the next two years...OR MORE...gim­me a break. 30,000 - 40,000 people die every year from the flu in the US. How many have died from the Swine Flu this year so far in the US? 672. Now go freak out.

Jesus.

[Sheldon101]

114 dead kids is still 114 dead kids

Flu Vaccination: If not for yourself, for your cat

[ss4krillon]

first off, me or anyone in my family will not be getting the h1n1 or seasonal vaccine. you can beat anything naturally. we use oregeno oil, olive leaf, beta glucan, vitamin d-4000iu and etc.. why don't people talk about the real problem with this swine flu epidemic — mrsa infection. research and you will find out that is what is killing people. person gets sick, goes to hospital, gets antiviral drugs and iv and possibly catheter. how do you think they contract mrsa? in the hospital. and why are people dying soon after getting antiviral drugs. do the math. if this mrsa bacteria supposevly lives on each of us according to experts, which i don't believe-if your immune system is high it can't. you have bacteria and fungus and virus organisms in your body and they are all oppurtunists. give one a chance and they will take control. back to the vaccine. research states that if you got the seasonal vaccine last year, you have a greater chance of getting h1n1. if this is such an epidemic, why are they short on vaccines. i read an article in feb. 2008 that the swine flu could be spreading among pig farmers. regarding adjuvants-they might not be dangerous if you ingest them, but to inject them is to put your immune system in hyperdrive and start attacking not only the dead virus but your body also–sounds like autoimmune disease.

[emidesu]

MRSA is now commonly community acquired. Why would those patients have been admitted to the hospital *before* developing their MRSA pneumonia?
You speak of a strong immune system. What is an autoimmune disease if not the product of a strong immune system? You should really study up on how the immune system works and stop reading the woo.

[ouroborous]

Please, please, PLEASE, people. Don't take health advice from random yahoo's on the internet (including me!).

If you're unsure about a medical decision (like vaccination), ASK YOUR DOCTOR what is the best course of action. Don't read blogs or ask coworkers or take advice from homeopathic medicine vendors; simply ask your doctor.

And if you believe that all doctors are in a giant conspiracy to cover up the truth in order to ... what, I'm never sure... Well, if you believe that, you need psychiatric care, but to be honest, you're probably too far gone to save.

For the rest of the people, the ones not living in a parnoid delusion: PLEASE... get medical advice from your doctor, not random windbags on the internet.

[Sheldon101]

I disagree. Don't ask your doctor. They're not experts on the flu, vaccines or public health. So their opinion on vaccination is no better than that of the average joe on the street.

Go find out what the experts say from all around the world. Even Iran is buying 2 million doses of vaccine and building a plant to produce its own vaccine starting next May. Even Cuba, has changed its mind and now will accept vaccine. Don't believe me. Check for yourself.

Flu Vaccination: Safe, Effective and Morally Correct

[ouroborous]

Reading the comments to this post -- sadly predictable responses by those who deny both science and reason -- makes me despair for the fate of the human race.

The science and facts are out there. If you read almost any medical journal, you'll see that:

1) Vaccination is considered one of the biggest public health victories in human history, for good reason. Up until recently, we had nearly stamped out diseases like polio. Nowadays -- interestingly, coinciding with the rise of the vaccine denier movement -- these bugs are now on the rise again.
- and -

2) Vaccination DOES carry risks, but the risks are minuscule, especially compared to the diseases they prevent. Despite anecdotal claims of "I got sick right after I got vaccinated" (people need to understand the phrase "correlation is not causation"), numerous controlled studies have determined that public vaccination programs like the H1N1 program are extremely safe.

Many of the vaccine deniers show serious signs of mental illness; assuming vast conspiracies and cover-ups is a hallmark of paranoia. Is this who you want to cast your health care lot in with?

Don't take my word for it; ask your family doctor if it's safe. And if you don't/won't trust him or her for health advice, then you're probably too far gone into paranoia to be reached (and are unlikely to have read this far, anyway).

[mofmars333]

Save & pass this information on to help wake others, especially your physicians, people.

Take no one's word for anything this urgent without doing your own research, your children are too important not to.

Many doctors as referenced in the following links are speaking out & soon many more will be joining their ranks of truth.

"Swine Flu-One of the Most Massive Cover-ups in American History"

Renowned expert exposes major H1N1 myths.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/11/03/What-We-Have-Learned-About-the-Great-Swine-Flu-Pandemic.aspx

Doctors speak out;

http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/727.html

Doctor Admits Vaccine Is More Deadly Than Swine Flu Itself & Will Not Give It To His Kids

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1z7KSEnyxw&feature=related

Poisoning attempt’ charges filed against French H1N1 campaign

http://www.fleshandstone.net/healthandsciencenews/1662.html www.Nutronix.com/naturalsolutions

Amazing Physician Alert!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0JqQyl09zQ&feature=player_embedded

Jane Burgermeister who filed criminal charges is old news but credible & incredible so be sure to see all the information at her site;

http://www.theflucase.com/ Swine Flu Government Data Scam?

http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/731.html

Join "US" at;

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-christian-hall/thimerosol-in-flu-vaccine_b_342736.html#postComment

[mofmars333]

Part 2

Young girl winds up in hospital after being injected with H1N1 swine flu vaccine without parental permission

http://www.naturalnews.com/027395_swine_flu_hospital_vaccine.html

Ron Paul

http://www.voteronpaul.com/newsDetail.php?Ron-Paul-Government-Can-Quarantine-the-People-2678

Chicken-pox Vaccine & Death – New US Government Study

http://childhealthsafety.wordpress.com/2009/11/06/chickenpoxadultdeaths/


Pentagon resumes experimental
vaccine testing on US troops

http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/16.html

[ouroborous]

Let's see...

On the side of vaccination: the AMA, the JAMA, the NEJM, the BMA, and just about every doctor and scientist on the planet.

On your side, some youtube videos and a web site that makes money selling holistic medicine.

Hmm, wonder which side is more likely to have real science and reason going for it... every doctor and scientist on the planet, or the lunatic fringe and the homeopathy pushers.

Hmm...

[EverythingISUpdsideDown]

Until your health or the health of one of your dear family members have been RUINED by a vaccine you will NEVER EVER UNDERSTAND. I am 34 and feel like I'm 84 and have been suffering now for over 16 years from chronic illness triggered by an MMR vaccine. My ability to enjoy life has basically been eliminated and I should be in my prime right now. It's no "coincidence" that I got sick immediately (1 day) after the vaccine. I will do everything I can in my limited capacity to try to warn people of the dangers of this junk science called vaccines. If you want to play russian roulette with your health go right ahead, but don't say you weren't warned. And I am not the only one this has happened to BY FAR.

[mofmars333]

I'm very sorry for you & all the others, Everything­ISUpdsideD­own.

And you're so right, everything is up side down & backwards, too.

But rest assured & I hope it helps a little, to see & know truth on this matter is out & your voice is being heard as is evidenced in these many blogs here at HuffPo.

Your voics is among the many that have been ignored for far too long.

All those voices are getting so loud. now, that very soon we'll win this thing so our children will be safe & we can begin our road to recovery.

It may be too late for some but with their last breath you can bet they'll have their say.

Join this discussion & be heard;

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shelley-hendrix-reynolds/a-decade-of-questioning-h_b_311673.html

[ouroborous]

Can you show me any controlled studies showing a large cohort of adverse effects?

And by "controlled," I mean RCT's (double-blind), or large epidemiological studies?

You see, in science and medicine "I did X and something bad happened soon afterward" really doesn't count for much (correlation -- the fact that two things happened roughly at the same time -- does not imply causation, or one thing causing the other thing).

I sympathize with your illness, but you simply have no proof that it was caused by the vaccine, I'll wager. And even if it were (and, I've done a fair amount of research, and AFAIK, there isn't a single well-documented case of what you describe), that would still be the odd, one-in-a-million example. Statistically, it would STILL be wiser for people to vaccinated against killers like H1N1, even if there were a one-in-a-million risk from the vaccine (since the risk of serious side effects of the flu is about a thousand times larger than that).

Sorry, but convincing people to avoid the flu vaccine is irresponsible to the same degree that shouting "fire" in a crowded theater is -- if you convince anyone, lives may be lost.

Get vaccinated, people; it's a no-brainer.

[Sheldon101]

The good news is that this isn't MMR.

This is flu vaccine. Even for something as extraordinarily safe as a modern vaccine, the flu vaccine is even safer.

Flu vaccination: Safe, Effective and the Moral thing to do.

[emidesu]

How many polio cripples have you known?

[mofmars333]

Your analogies were not good choices.

Let's hope you're just one in the dark on this & not purposely working to deceive "US" as your scare mongering technique suggests.

After listening to the following. I hope you'll further investigate & comment to tell "US" you've seen the light, Mr. Sherwood.

From the information that comes up in a search you're said to be top gun, (or maybe it was worded a little different), in your field, so I hope it will be pointed in the right direction from here on out.

Pass this around & wake up everyone, especially, your physicians, people.

Do it now!

Insist your doctor investigate & join the Calvary before any more damage can be done to our children.

Thanks to these honest & caring doctors, this revelation should do it for those still blind & leave no room for denial. It will put an end to all the rhetoric shills spew.

Soon, more doctors will be joining ranks of truth to this atrocity & we can begin our road to recovery.

"Swine Flu -- One of the Most Massive Cover-ups in American History"

Find out all reasons why pregnant women should NEVER get the H1N1 vaccine. Renowned expert exposes major H1N1 myths.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/11/03/What-We-Have-Learned-About-the-Great-Swine-Flu-Pandemic.aspx

Read & learn more from comments at:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcia-g-yerman/the-gardasil-vaccine-intr_b_340292.html?show_comment_id=33779171#comment_33779171&cp

[vincealy]

Not all of the experts agree that flu shots save lives. An interesting and balanced article
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200911/brownlee-h1n1
...."But what if everything we think we know about fighting influenza is wrong? What if flu vaccines do not protect people from dying—particularly the elderly, who account for 90 percent of deaths from seasonal flu?......­...
We all know that flu vaccines save lives .Right ? But article notes.
......“Tom Jefferson has taken a lot of heat just for saying, ‘Here’s the evidence: it’s not very good,’” says Majumdar. “The reaction has been so dogmatic and even hysterical that you’d think he was advocating stealing babies.” Yet while other flu researchers may not like what Jefferson has to say, they cannot ignore the fact that he knows the flu-vaccine literature better than anyone else on the planet. He leads an international team of researchers who have combed through hundreds of flu-vaccine studies. The vast majority of the studies were deeply flawed, says Jefferson. “Rubbish is not a scientific term, but I think it’s the term that applies.” Only four studies were properly designed to pin down the effectiveness of flu vaccine, he says, and two of those showed that it might be effective in certain groups of patients, such as school-age children with no underlying health issues like asthma. The other two showed equivocal results or no benefit...­.

The business of medicine.

[Sheldon101]

Even Tom Jefferson isn't so stupid as to claim that the flu vaccine doesn't save lives.

His issue is that the season flu vaccination campaign isn't very effective in those over 65 who are at greatest risk of complications. And that those who benefit from the seasonal vaccine (kids and adults) very rarely have complications.

But H1N1 is killing few seniors because most have natural immunity. H1N1 is killing children and adults who will be protected by a vaccine that is a great match for the infecting strains of the flu virus.

Flu Vaccination: Those who advocate it, generally read the original sources and not someone else's summary.

[ms9]

this article is a good way to make people get the shots when they don't need them. i can see it hanging on the walls in doctor's offices, say. also it mentions "What happens when people make decisions based on fear, not facts?". it's funny they turned this one right around. the fear is actually the one they are instilling by quoting and even touting deaths so people get vaccinated. what they don't tell you is how relatively small those death rates actually are, though, and that vaccines have not been proven to work. and sure if you have appendicitis, you have to have it taken care of, but vaccinations are given when you DON'T have anything wrong. big difference. and aspirin is bad, too, but that's another story.

[Idytme]

Aspirin has its good points and bad points but almost all adverse event are with acetaminophen (ie tylenol). An over the counter drug that people think is safe. It is mixed with cold medications, pain medications and so many medications that one would do well to read up on it. And about 10 years ago, (because I do not have the stats in my pocket), more people in the US died of NSAI's *prescribed for arthritis* then they did of AIDS that year. That isn't including all the OTC medications. Yes, this should be a big deal.
I had a friend, who at the time was a health writer, whose father almost died of GI bleeding because of medications he was prescribed by his doctor for his arthritis.
So should one be afraid or informed? A simple herb - DGL., or deglycyrrhizinated licorice, can be taken every day to increase the lining of your stomach and upper intestines, if it were a drug it would probably be $3.00 a pill. There are other herbs that are anti-infla­mmatories, with lots of studies behind them, that have very little side effects. Most doctors have not heard of one of them. (ask a doctor if they have ever heard of bromelain, the most studied.)
Doctors are great, but you have to be self informed. Even if it has all to do with conventional medicine.

[emidesu]

This article is not likely to be hanging on the walls in doctors' offices because it does not contain the necessary evidence base. You apparently can't tell the difference, though.

[Idytme]

Let me use your logic. The swine flu vaccine has a 99% complete recovery rate. One has to assume that since this figure is given out by the scary MSM that they have rounded down. Lets just assume that the vaccine has a 1% adverse reaction rate, which is about typical for most vaccines. And remember that a vaccine is no guarantee that you will not get the illness. So, if you are a healthy adult, the odds are in your favor *not* to get the vaccine. Unless you are a hypochondriac and think any time you get sick, you will die. But there are many, many papers now about how if you don't get sick through your life, you weaken your immune system and cause allergies and a host of other diseases. Getting a slight illness can make you stronger in the long run.
Now if I had a child I would be giving them the nasal vaccine, as no nasty extras are injected into your body. If I lived with someone with immune problems, I would be asking my doctor about it. But I'd also be washing my hands 10x a day, spraying the house down with bleach and many other precautions.
But with the swine flu as it is now (and maybe not what is happening in the Ukraine) the risk/reward for a healthy adult is *not* to get the vaccine, at least how I calculate it.

[Idytme]

Egads. The sentence should have said "the swine flu has a 99% recovery rate".

[ms9]

oh, i'd be careful about that one, too. nasal spray can be just as toxic as shot. either way, it's getting into your system.

[VicDaring]

Thank you Mr. Sherwood.

You won't convince the dedicated anti-vaxxers. No mountain of evidence will ever be enough for them. There very sense of being is at stake.

But because they are out there, passionately pleading their case, flimsy as it is, to the masses, who are not generally well versed in critical thinking, they must be countered at every corner.

You will be villified, ridiculed, mocked, threatened, and called a thousand names.

Stand firm. The truth is important.

[ADreturn]

hey Vic I am neither an anti or pro vaccine. I am however pro evidence. There is one simple study that needs to be done to convince me to get vaccines for me and my family. Just one, i would like to see a large study that compares the health of vaccinated children vs completely unvaccinated children. Heck, we could even just pull medical records and this could be accomplished pretty easily. Unfortunately this seemingly logical study has never been done. If you could show me that vaccinated kids are just as healthy i will be in line along with my family. But to me the lack of this study says volumes.

[VicDaring]

Josephus links several studies that address that in this discussion:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/us-health-officials-back_b_170794.html

[emidesu]

That kind of study would have to be longitudinal, which you know is expensive and somewhat intrusive toward the children and their parents. Perhaps you could organize one, though.

[ADreturn]

Does anyone remember the 2003-2004 flu season? I certainly don't, but apparently 153 kids died during that flu season. I wonder why there wasnt a huge scare campaign going on during that one too? As with this flu, that one started "unusually" early too. If you read this article...

http://news.healingwell.com/index.php?p=news1&id=529668

It sounds strikingly similar to EVERY OTHER FLU SEASON. Including the current one. Just take a look a flu trends on google ( http://www.google.org/flutrends/us ) and you will see that the states that were hit the hardest first (oklahoma, texas, colorado) are declining rapidly. But for some reason this isnt in the news? Again notice that in almost all the states is declining. One interesting note though...O­bama declared a state of emergency on the 25th of october. Notice in all states between october 25th and november 1st the decline seemed to flatten out a bit. Since google is based on search criteria, this tells me that the "state of scaremergency" declaration made a bunch of people needlessly worry and do more searches on the flu.

By belief is, the worst is over and this season was just pushed back a bit. I predict by christmas the rates will decline to nominal levels and stay that way. If my predictions are true then the vaccine campaign is a HUGE waste of time and money