Swine Flu “Epidemic”

Sorry about the delay in getting my views on the swine flu scare. First, at least in the United States, this seems to be a mild flu that is spreading fairly slowly. The last swine flu scare was in 1976, and more people died from the hastily-prepared vaccine than from the flu. And many others developed Guillain-Barre syndrome (ascending paralysis), tragically. The FDA and the FTC are patrolling the internet looking for “fraudulent advice” from people with vested interest. The anti-viral drug, Tamiflu, has been suggested as a treatment, but it is not approved for swine flu, nothing is. And Tamiflu has a host of side effects. Your doctor can test you for flu with a nasal swab, and currently if positive, the lab will proceed to test for swine flu as well. For treatment, I would suggest high doses of vitamin C and D and garlic, as well as other herbal remedies and perhaps homeopathics against viruses. I would be wary of any vaccine for this problem, and Joe Biden’s suggestions of avoiding crowds and washing hands actually sounded pretty good to me.