[PROVE Note by DR:  The following article is nothing more than another one
of the contrived media manipulations by flu vaccination proponents.  Just as
it is outlined in the CDC blueprint presentation on how to artificially
scare people into getting the flu vaccine that we sent out last week,
(http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/36/2004_flu_nowak.pdf) this
article claims that there has been a "substantial climb" in hospitalizations
because of the flu. This article is being sent out because of one very
important line tucked away that needs to have the spotlight shining brightly
on:

"the researchers used a broader category of flu-related illnesses to reach
the new estimate."

That's right - broaden the category to confuse and needlessly scare people.
However, last flu season according to the CDC themselves, only 18.9% of the
circulating flu-like illnesses out there were of the three strains selected
to be in the vaccine.
(http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2003-2004/03-04summary.htm) In
other words, last winter, 4 out of 5 times, the sniffles, fever or aches
were not caused by anything a vaccine can prevent.  The media manipulation
campaign continues to irrationally scare people into the vaccine.

In the words of Mark Twain: "There are 3 types of lies - lies, damn lies,
and statistics."]

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/2795756
------------------------------------------------
Houston Chronicle
Sept. 14, 2004, 11:27PM

Flu leads to more hospitalizations
Severe strains, aging population among the reasons
By LINDSEY TANNER
Associated Press

CHICAGO - The number of people hospitalized in the United States because of
the flu has climbed substantially during the past two decades to an average
of more than 200,000 a year, in large part because of the aging of the
population, a government study found.

Severe cases of the flu can be life-threatening - especially for the very
old or the very young.

Coming just as doctors are receiving the first supplies of this year's flu
vaccine, the study demonstrates that the ailment is not trivial, and
underscores the importance of prevention, said lead researcher William
Thompson of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The annual average of 226,054 hospitalizations a year is almost double the
CDC's previous estimate. It includes data from recent years when more severe
virus strains prevailed. Also, the researchers used a broader category of
flu-related illnesses to reach the new estimate.

The findings were published in today's Journal of the American Medical
Association.

The nationally representative findings are based on records from about 500
hospitals from 1979 through 2001.

In the first flu season examined, 1979-80, there were 120,929 flu-related
hospitalizations. By 1999-2000, there were 426,662 hospitalizations. In
2000-01, there were 170,899 flu-related hospitalizations.

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Dawn Richardson
PROVE(Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education)
prove@vaccineinfo.net (email)
http://vaccineinfo.net/ (web site)
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PROVE provides information on vaccines, and immunization policies and
practices that affect the children and adults of Texas. Our mission is to
prevent vaccine injury and death and to promote and protect the right of
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