The BC budget was updated last month and amongst all the items included that the government is spending money on there is eighty million dollars set aside to fight H1N1 flu virus. As you probably are aware this is a strain of flu known as Swine flu.

It is interesting that the fear mongering is starting very early this year how many cases of the flu do we usually see in the summer? This year the intended marketing for the multi-billion dollar flu vaccine seems to be the younger crowd and school aged children and the best way to get compliance with this year's flu shot is by scaring the parents the message is saturating the media.

Swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Swine flu viruses cause high levels of illness and low death rates in pigs. Swine influenza viruses may circulate among swine throughout the year, but most outbreaks occur during the late fall and winter months similar to outbreaks in humans. The strain in most cases causes only mild symptoms and the infected person makes a full recovery without requiring medical attention and without the use of antiviral medicines.

I have news for you, according to the results of a recent poll undertaken in Canada many people consider the H1N1 vaccine more dangerous than the actual H1N1 Virus. Many people have bad memories of the 1976 swine flu vaccine. Hundreds of people in the U.S. came down with Guillain-Barré syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that causes paralysis, and 25 people died before the vaccine was pulled from use and that number are only the reported cases. Scientists still don't know exactly what went wrong with that vaccine. It is easy to see why they call it swine flu, when the only swine are the “guinea swine” called humans.

There are also public concerns about the safety of an additive in the swine flu vaccine called an adjuvant that is intended to help boost a person's immunity to the flu. Unfortunately this adjuvant has already been linked to infertility and cancer. What better way to control future population growth? Canadians have observed so many failures and complications associated with many medications, tests and surgeries over the past few decades and frankly not many cures they have lost faith in the health care system in general. Remember, the medical system is not here to cure, it is here to keep you alive quantity not quality.

I find it quite bizarre that when people question the safety of a particular vaccine especially if it has not been tested and its effectiveness has likewise not been proven and there are some very real dangers associated with it they are called “anti-vaccine” radicals. On the other hand, it is called being prudent when a parent questions everything else about their child’s health. All I am saying is do not stop the questioning, do not be a sheep over swine flu vaccine. Do your research.

It is unfortunate that as a society we seem to want or need to use fear to gather control of the population and that tactic seems to work well in certain demographics such as the elderly and families with children. By no means am I suggesting that you do or do not go out and opt into any particular vaccination or fear mongering program. I am suggesting getting your information from reliable sources and arming yourself with the truth.

There are many ways to keep yourself healthy that are safe and non invasive such as a healthy diet, homeopathic medicine, herbs, supplements and many other natural substances.

It will not be in the too distant future when all these vaccines will be mandatory and this season with all its increased media blitz unfortunately, will be the head waters of this program. Next week I will discuss alternative ways to avoid the flu and how you can boost your immunity.