(NaturalNews) Following the breaking news today that Baxter International, Inc. (a U.S. drug company) shipped
live avian influenza in vaccine materials distributed to 18 countries, it's worth reviewing a bit of history about the 1918 influenza pandemic.
This provides a picture of what might have happened if the bird flu viral strains had not been detected and halted. It also raises the question: Are drug companies tempting Mother Nature by working with live viruses in their vaccines? All it takes is one mistake (like we almost just had) and the 2009 Influenza Pandemic could be unleashed...
See my full story on this issue here:
www.NaturalNews.com/025760.htmlAuthors' Quotes on the 1918 Influenza Pandemic
Below, you'll find selected quotes from noted authors. Feel free to quote these in your own work provided you give proper credit to both the original author quoted here and this
NaturalNews page.
Only five types of
influenza are known to infect humans: HI, H2, H3, and Nl or N2. The avian
influenza viruses H4, H5, and H7 make birds sick but usually don't infect humans. That may be about to change, however. In addition to its technical designation, when the flu becomes a human
infection, each of the different
influenza A viruses is given a common name corresponding to the place of
outbreak or origin: the Spanish
flu of
1918 or the Hong Kong flu of 1968. The word "influenza" is derived from the Latin
influentia, to influence.
-
Beating the Flu: The Natural Prescription for Surviving Pandemic Influenza and Bird Flu by J. E. Williams-
Available on Amazon.comInfluenza is called the "last of the great uncontrolled plagues," and some epidemiologists believe that we are imminently due for an
influenza epidemic of plague proportions like that of
1918.
-
Viral Immunity by J. E. Williams, O.M.D.-
Available on Amazon.comA review in The Lancet suggests that
influenza vaccination of infants is useless. Each and every year at this time medical officials come out to remind us of our mortal danger. However, they advocate medical procedures that do little to nothing to protect us, but cost billions nonetheless. Dr. Eleanor McBean was an on-the-spot observer of the
1918 influenza epidemic and said, "As far as I could find out,
the flu hit only the vaccinated. Those who had refused the shots escaped the flu. My family had refused all the vaccinations so we remained well all the time.
-
Transdermal Magnesium Therapy by Mark Sircus-
Available on Amazon.comJust over thirty years ago, in 1976, the Centers for Disease Control investigated and confirmed that a severe
influenza outbreak at Fort Dix, New Jersey, had been caused by the "swine flu" -- an
influenza A-type
virus. The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare grew concerned that the
United States might be about to see another large national
flu pandemic, involving numbers of
influenza deaths reminiscent of the flu
pandemic of
1918. The federal
government deemed it prudent to vaccinate all Americans. In
October 1976, the National
influenza Immunization Program officially began.
-
The Autoimmune Epidemic by Donna Jackson Nakazawa-
Available on Amazon.comThe infamous
1918 influenza, which spun around the planet in the last year of World War I, ended up killing more people than the Great War itself. Though it was called the "
Spanish" flu, it most likely originated in Asia. In
America, the first outbreak occurred on a military base in Kansas in the vicinity of a pig farm. The
1918 pandemic is believed to have killed up to 40 million people worldwide, including 675,000 Americans. Many more got sick but survived. The
1918 flu killed more soldiers engaged in the war than the combat of the trenches.
-
The Long Emergency: Surviving the End of Oil, Climate Change, and Other Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-First Century by James Howard Kunstler-
Available on Amazon.comAvian flu is feared because it could provoke a repeat of the
influenza pandemic of
1918. The
1918 flu, or
H1N1 virus, was -- like the
avian flu -- an
influenza A virus. Like that earlier flu, avian flu unleashes an unusual hurricanelike storm of immune-system signaling proteins called cytokines, which signal the
immune system to combat microbial invaders. Cytokines signaling to the immune system to fight
disease is a good thing, but when cytokine levels are elevated for too long and their signaling becomes uncontrolled, they can hijack the body's immune system to turn against the body itself.
-
The Autoimmune Epidemic by Donna Jackson Nakazawa-
Available on Amazon.comExperts believe that the current avian H5N1
influenza strain, "
bird flu," has the potential to become a human pandemic in proportions that could dwarf the Spanish flu of
1918, which killed millions and is, to date, the deadliest
influenza outbreak in modern
history. Flu hunters,
influenza experts who follow viral outbreaks, identify hot spots, study the disease in the laboratory, investigate its genetic code, and create theoretical worst-case scenarios in order to understand the disease and predict its path, all agree on one thing: It's only a matter of time before the next outbreak happens.
-
Beating the Flu: The Natural Prescription for Surviving Pandemic Influenza and Bird Flu by J. E. Williams-
Available on Amazon.comFear of
influenza deaths in numbers similar to the
1918 flu epidemic led to a recommendation that the federal government vaccinate all Americans. When insurance
companies refused to provide coverage to the
vaccine manufacturers, the government agreed to accept liability for claims of adverse events. This obstacle having been cleared, the National
influenza Immunization Program (NIIP) officially started in October of 1976.
-
More Natural Cures Revealed: Previously Censored Brand Name Products That Cure Disease by Kevin Trudeau-
Available on Amazon.comGiven the increasing virulence and frequency of other viruses, it seems certain that a more potent
influenza virus will appear. In the temperate regions, like
North America and Europe, flu outbreaks occur every winter and
epidemics approximately every eight to ten years. Worldwide
influenza pandemics occur every ten to forty years, and in the last century the world experienced three: the Spanish flu of 1918; the Asian flu in 1957; and the Hong Kong flu in 1968.
-
Viral Immunity by J. E. Williams, O.M.D.-
Available on Amazon.comIf a strain of
influenza emerged that retained these traits and added others like resistance to antiviral drugs and the ability to outsmart
vaccines, we'd be in big trouble. A super flu is a viral infection that has all the ancestral traits of
influenza, is drug-resistant, has undergone genetic mutations that make it possible for it to spread from human to human, no one has
immunity to, and is extremely contagious and virulent. Pandemic
influenza, like the Spanish flu of
1918, is much more virulent than regular flu.
-
Beating the Flu: The Natural Prescription for Surviving Pandemic Influenza and Bird Flu by J. E. Williams-
Available on Amazon.comThough little attention is paid to a possible connection between fibromyalgia and
influenza A, some experts suggest it is an overlooked syndrome. In one
research paper, Allen Tyler, a medical doctor and naturopathic physician, reports that fibromyalgia was not seen before the
1918 flu pandemic. In his research, he found that 90 percent of fibromyalgia
patients tested positive for
influenza A antibodies.
-
Viral Immunity by J. E. Williams, O.M.D.-
Available on Amazon.comThe experts hope that a pandemic
influenza will be nothing more than a more severe version of seasonal nuisance flu, but they're not betting on it. Viral dynamics are a mystery. We could be in for a super flu. During a pandemic,
symptoms may not follow the usual course. If the coming one is anything like the
1918 influenza pandemic, inflammation may not be confined to the lungs, like regular flu, but could affect the brain, liver, and other
body tissues. The virus could even bypass the respiratory system entirely.
-
Beating the Flu: The Natural Prescription for Surviving Pandemic Influenza and Bird Flu by J. E. Williams-
Available on Amazon.comThe 1918-19 epidemic of Spanish
influenza killed 20-40 million people in less than a year, causing more deaths than all the massive military casualties of World War I. In the spring of
1918, the German Army's assault on Paris was halted by this flu. It not only affected Europeans, but an unbelievable 80 percent of the United States Army's
death toll was from the Spanish flu that killed 43,000 American soldiers between 1917 and 1919 -- nearly as many as died in combat in the Korean War some thirty years later.
-
Viral Immunity by J. E. Williams, O.M.D.-
Available on Amazon.comDuring the conquest of the Americas, upward of 95 percent of indigenous people in North America, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America were wiped out by smallpox and
influenza. The last major killer pandemic, the Spanish flu of
1918, caused an estimated 50 million deaths and possibly as high as 100 million in a single year. It reached even remote corners of the globe. The
1918 Spanish flu pandemic was more like a Biblical prophecy come true than a medical disease.
-
Beating the Flu: The Natural Prescription for Surviving Pandemic Influenza and Bird Flu by J. E. Williams-
Available on Amazon.comThis tablet is made from the combined strains of
influenza virus from the major flu epidemics since
1918. The combined strains are then homeopathically prepared and potentized. No ill effects have ever been reported from the "cold and flu" tablet, and the rate of
protection has been high. In the flu epidemic of
1918 to 1920, the homeopaths lost only 1 percent of their patients, as opposed to 30 to 40 percent under allopathic care.
-
Homeopathic Medicine at Home: Natural Remedies for Everyday Ailments and Minor Injuries by Maesimund B. Panos, M.D. and Jane Heimlich-
Available on Amazon.comThe
1918 outbreak was directly linked with the Great War (World War 1). The
influenza A virus strain of subtype H1N1 behind the flu pandemic was unusually severe and deadly. What made it that way? At no time in history was the world exposed to such massive and 24-hour pollution created by the fumes and smoke resulting from continuous bomb and grenade explosions, the burning of entire cities, the effects of mustard gases and other biological weapons by Germans. Nobody remained uninfluenced by it.
-
Timeless Secrets of Health & Rejuvenation: Unleash The Natural Healing Power That Lies Dormant Within You by Andreas Moritz-
Available on Amazon.comQuotes on Flu Shots
A study from the Netherlands showed that among two groups of
elderly people, one that received
flu shots and one that received a
placebo, the group receiving the
flu shot only had a 1 percent lower incidence of flu than the placebo group! Flu shots are not without
side effects. Studies have shown that as many as one in 10 people who get a
flu shot experience flu symptoms within a week.
-
Prescription Alternatives, Third Edition: Hundreds of Safe, Natural Prescription-Free Remedies to Restore and Maintain Your Health by Earl L. Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.-
Available on Amazon.comThere are no controlled trials that show that a
flu shot prevents deaths in children or the elderly. The only positive
studies are of patients with COPD, probably because COPD patients have marginal lung function and preventing any flu
infections will have a greater impact. Dr. Tom Jefferson, an epidemiologist working for the Cochrane Collaboration in Rome, Italy, a nonprofit organization that conducts analyses of published clinical trials, led a group that performed a comprehensive
review of the published data on flu vaccines.
-
Before You Take that Pill: Why the Drug Industry May Be Bad for Your Health by J. Douglas Bremner-
Available on Amazon.comJust as the vaccination against hepatitis will give a false positive, the innocuous
flu shot will create the same mistaken result. The New York Times reported, "Some
blood donors who received the Beijing
flu shot were testing positive to HFV... Upon further blood testing, the 'positive'
HIV tests were determined to be 'false-positive.'" A more scholarly examination appeared in the American Journal of Epidemiology, which noted that in December 1991, "U.S. blood centers reported an unusual increase in donations that tested falsely reactive" for HIV antibodies and other infections.
-
AIDS: A Second Opinion by Gary Null, James Feast-
Available on Amazon.comThe decision was to compensate anyone who got the disease within ten weeks of a swine
flu shot. The cases were to be tried by federal district judges, without a jury, and so it would be up to the judges to decide who had a legitimate claim and who did not. The law allowed people to file claims within two years after their
injuries, and the claims steadily dribbled in. In September 1977, 743 claims had been filed, seeking $325,671,708 in damages. There were also 67 claims of wrongful
death, including 19 of
death from Guillain-Barre syndrome, and these claims sought an additional $1,032,948,179.
-
Flu : The Story Of The Great Influenza Pandemic by Gina Kolata-
Available on Amazon.comWith each new
flu shot, on the other hand, your immune system becomes more depleted and the
side effects become more pronounced and severe. And, you may still get the flu anyway... The bottom line is that there is no real advantage in having a
flu shot. And certainly, given the frailty of so many of the oldest members of society, there is absolutely no reliable way of telling whether the flu or something else may have led to their
death. The
death rate in and out of the flu season is actually about the same. But then, as we have seen with
AIDS, statistics can be manipulated in ways that support theories which have only one objective, to keep the medical business going.
-
Timeless Secrets of Health & Rejuvenation: Unleash The Natural Healing Power That Lies Dormant Within You by Andreas Moritz-
Available on Amazon.comIn 1999 a bizarre flu-like illness struck millions, the
flu shot seemingly offering little if any protection. Instead of lasting the typical week or so, symptoms persisted as long as six weeks, severely weakening infected individuals. Yet, it was Dr. Lederberg who described the return of the cycle of epidemic
infection, not nationally but, rather, globally. He predicts that a pandemic, that is a global epidemic afflicting untold millions, perhaps billions, will strike at any moment. His view is shared by the majority of microbiologists. The viruses of the current era are highly invasive.
-
Dr. Cass Ingram's Lifesaving Cures by Dr. Cass Ingram-
Available on Amazon.com
About the author: Mike Adams is an award-winning journalist and holistic nutritionist with a passion for sharing empowering information to help improve personal and planetary health He has authored and published thousands of articles, interviews, consumers guides, and books on topics like health and the environment, reaching millions of readers with information that is saving lives and improving personal health around the world. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2010, Adams co-founded NaturalNews.TV, a natural health video sharing site that has now grown in popularity. He's also a noted technology pioneer and founded a software company in 1993 that developed the HTML email newsletter software currently powering the NaturalNews subscriptions. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and enjoys outdoor activities, nature photography, Pilates and martial arts training. He's also author a large number of health books offered by Truth Publishing and is the creator of numerous reference website including NaturalPedia.com and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. His websites also include the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the innate healing ability of the human body. Known by his callsign, the 'Health Ranger,' Adams posts his missions statements, health statistics and health photos at www.HealthRanger.org
Have comments on this article? Post them here:
people have commented on this article.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Email this article to a friend
Share this article on: 
Now Available from 
