Today, I am going to end my eight week series about my childhood A.V. Malformation; though, I am going to transition into talking about the Swine Flu Vaccine. Yesterday was the 25th anniversary of the day drs. released me from the hospital, and needless to say after having brain surgery, very little scares me—including global pandemics. For the past several weeks many of you have read the stories of my days in the hospital, as well as the weeks, months, and years following. I woke from my coma on the same day drs. warned my parents I might never see again, I started saying the alphabet the day after that, I started walking just weeks after drs. said I would not start walking for two years and I might be a vegetable for the rest of my life (I am two ranks from my black belt, so I’m one Bad Veggie). So, you can imagine after personally defying one medical expectation after another, I take the medical warnings that I need to get the Swine flu vaccine lightly.
Before I go on I want to set the records straight—I am not a medical professional. With that said, the swine flu is not the super flu. The flu is common in humans and animals, and this strain of flu started with pigs. So, if anyone sees a pig flying above their house, wearing a Super Pig cape, please report it, so the world will know this is the super flu. Until then, the Swine Flu is just a strain of the regular ol’ flu that is more uncommon. So, why all of the mass panic? Well, again, I am not a medical expert; though, according to my rudimentary research, as well as my own personal opinion, it’s because our collective immune systems have not had a chance to adapt to this type of flu.
If you still don’t believe me, and you’re thinking, ‘you said you’re not a medical expert, so I think I am going to listen to my Dr. first,’ I highly suggest you do, but I also suggest you don’t get the Swine Flu shot until you know all of the facts. I pasted articles throughout this blog for you to do your own research. According to the Yale Center for Public Health Preparedness, 5 to 20% of people in the U.S. contract the flu every year, and up to 35,000 of those die. Thus far, only 1%, or 300 of people in the U.S. who have contracted the Swine Flu have died from it (Warning!!! This article comes from FOX News, so it is either the absolute truth or a dirty lie. Depending on your political predisposition).
I do not intend to get the Swine Flu vaccine. The Swine Flu vaccine has side effects, and historically those side effects are more deadly than the actual Swine Flu. As I said, the Swine Flu is an uncommon type of flu; though, it is not a new type of flu. For those who have heard or read otherwise, I scoured through Google's archives, and found more than 2,500 hits (Archived Articles) from 1976 that talk mention the Swine Flu. According to good ol’ Wikipedia, as well as several of these article, the U.S. government halted the Swine Flu vaccine because of cases of GBS (paralysis) that led to death.
According to two letters from the UK’s Health Protection agency (I haven't found the letters, but I've found articles referencing the letter), the Swine Flu vaccine could lead to a fatal brain disorder called Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). This involuntary paralysis, which can lead to cardiac arrest, is the exact reason they stopped giving the swine flu shot in 1976. This letter written by the HPA and leaked to a British newspaper warns of the possibility of GBS tells me that scientists have done very little, perhaps nothing, to ensure that an outbreak of deaths from GBS would not happen again. Perhaps you’re thinking, “Well, of course, they can’t guarantee there won’t be side effects.” Honestly, I have no verifiable data, other than the thousands of articles I’ve found on-line warning of this letter, but that’s enough for me to decide that I’m going to take the risk and not get the swine flu vaccine.
Throughout my entire life, I have only gotten the flu twice, and the last time was 24 hr. flu0 15 years ago. I have never gotten the flu shot, so I’m not about to start now. Considering those circumstances, my immune system is strong enough to survive the swine flu . . . er I mean the super flu (stop treating this thing like it’s Venom and your Spider Man/Woman). Though, as I said, I am not a medical expert, so consult your Dr. about whether you should get the Swine Flu vaccine. I’ve come to an educated conclusion that the risk of developing paralysis and possible cardiac arrest is too great for me to consider getting the Swine Flu shot worth it, especially due to my childhood A.V. malformation.
Oh yeah, keep connecting, but also keep washing your hands. Maybe even more often, during this cold and flu season.
Erick
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