Richard Moskowitz, MD (medical doctor)

The refusal of significant numbers of parents to vaccinate their children has created a sizable group of people needing very much to be studied, and has raised a number of important public health issues. Foremost among them is the fear that a large reservoir of unvaccinated persons could contribute to epidemic outbreaks that might involve vaccinated individuals as well. Equally pressing are the immediate practical questions of how best to protect the unvaccinated persons from disease, how to prevent such outbreaks if possible, and how to treat them effectively if they do occur. The long-term question which interests me the most is what the general health of this unvaccinated group will be like, and what we can deduce from this data concerning how vaccines really act.

Joseph Mercola, DO [medical doctor]

September 26, 2009

Signs and Symptoms of Influenza

As most of you probably know, influenza is a contagious viral respiratory infection. Symptoms include, fever, chills, runny nose, sore throat, cough, muscle aches, fatigue, decreased appetite. Typically, the condition will improve after two to three days of bed rest, although some symptoms may persist for about a week. What many people do NOT know, however, is that death caused directly by the flu virus is very rare. The vast majority of so-called "flu deaths" are in fact due to bacterial pneumonia – a potential complication of the flu if your immune system is too weak. Other complications can include ear- or sinus infections, dehydration, and worsening of chronic health conditions. The elderly and people with other pre existing medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease, are at higher risk of developing pneumonia after a bout of the flu.