It's their 'big scary thing for the year. Remember a few years ago, it was shark attacks. OH MY GOD, THE SHARKS HAVE GONE NUTS, THEY ARE ATTACKING EVERYONE....

Just hype.

It's sad really.  Pathetic little nothing people making waves to make themselves feel important.

Quoted:

All the ones with Kerry for president signs...

So what would be the best weapon to blast flu infected zombies with?

You guys can come to my place. I'm down with flu symptoms as I type this. Just please take good care of my cockatiels.


[sniff]CW{/sniff]

Quoted: I have been watching the news a little bit, and listening to people talk.  I really looks like about %90 of all Americans will DIE from the flu in the next two months. So, since I have not got the flu shot or the flu in about 8 years, and I am still alive, logic seems to show that I am a SUPER HUMAN.  Yes, a super human. Since I am a super human, I just might survive the rampant death brought upon us by George W Bush making the British goverment shut down that plant. I'm gonna steal me a hummer and raid a couple gun shops after everyone else dies.  I am really going to need some firepower, since the only other people to survive will also be super humans. PS  This would naver happen under Kerry.  Kerry for a stronger Amerika.

best post on this site in a long time!!

I'm going to go snort some Comet now................

As mentioned, there have been some harsh flu pandemics in years past.  Today, enough people contract the flu every year that if it were some other disease, it would be considered an epedemic.

Influenza is an interesting animal, it changes all the time, so if you got a flu vaccine last year, this year's flu bug will be a different animal...literally.  There's some strains of the flu that hang around for many years...decades even.  The CDC keeps track of the strains and issues monthly reports on all of them .

The "flu shot" is simply a collection of 5-12 flu vaccines.  If you catch a strain of the flu that isn't in that year's vaccine, you're out of luck (but today, most people live..they're just under the weather for a bit).  The "flu shot" minimizes the effects of the flu...some people still catch it, but they aren't in bed as much, etc.  Two new "flu medicines" came out recently that aren't vaccines.  They minimize the effects a tiny bit where someone could back to work an average of a day earlier.  

Every year, a small group of doctors meets with the CDC to decide which strains will be included in next year's "flu shot."  There's one doctor in New York, I don't recall his name, but he's one of the leading people in the field and has a big influence on the decision.  Some years they successfully predict which flu strains will occur, other years the don't get so lucky and the "flu shot" has all the wrong strains in it.  And in years like this year, the there's a screw up and the "flu shots" become contaminated.

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Which houses to raid?  That's easy, they have a special sign in the front yard that reads "John Kerry for President."