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Originally Posted by VFX
Ok being very simplistic here so bare with me...
Birds get flu.
Pigs get flu.
People get flu.
People rarely get bird flu or pig flu. Birds rarely get pig flu or human flu. (they sometimes do but apart from H5N1, it's rare)
Pigs are the link here. They can get both human & bird flu.
However, it's not normal for the flu virus to mutate to such a point that pigs can easily infect humans. It's even more rare for that virus to then mutate so that there's human to human contamination.
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The reason pigs seem to be a link appears to be due to the receptors that they have on their cells that the viruses use to attach and infect them. Birds and human proteins are different enough that the viruses have a hard time making that jump. Pigs seem to have proteins similar to both the bird ones and the human ones so the avian flu can jump to pigs more easilly. Once in the pig the virus can mutate to favour the human type receptor proteins and voila, you now have a virus that can more easily infect humans. Secondly, while a mutation to jump species is rare, mutations in general are much more common (I think I read somewhere the mutation rate in influenza virus is 1.4 per generation so in very simplistic terms within three generations of virus you can have a new strain). Especially in things like viruses and bacteria that reproduce quickly and measure their generations in hours instead of years. Thirdly, influenza virus has the ability to have what might be called virus sex (antigenic shift). So if an unlucky pig were to be infected with both an avian flu virus and a human flu virus at the same time they can swap some genes and you can end up with an avian flu virus that now has picked up some tricks to infect human cells too.
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Originally Posted by VFX
With that level of mutation it's likely that the H1N1 virus will mutate again.
Between 2005 & 2008 only dozen people in the US got swine flu. What changed in 2009? Why the sudden worldwide outbreak? Why does H1N1 not have the protein PB1-F2 & how does this effect the virulence & lethality of the flu?
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What likely changed in 2009 was a mutation to make the virus more able able to move from human to human rather than just pig to human. Often humans who work on the farms will catch avian or swine flu but the virus is then not able to go from them to other humans. I suspect it is common for farm workers to catch avian or swine flu but usually they have mild or no symptoms so it likely goes unreported and unknown. But occasionally they may catch a strain that is better able to infect humans and they may have a less mild flu so it is then noticed by the medical professionals. And on that rare occasion we end up with a virus that is more capable of doing the human to human jump and we end up with it now infecting the general population.
Several strains of flu do not produce the PB1-F2 protein and this strain of H1N1 does not either. It is not uncommon and it appears to be a good thing. The PB1-F2 protein appears to increase the virulence of the virus and make it more lethal. It was produced by the viruses that caused pandemics in the past so I guess we are lucky this time. This H1N1 could have been more virulent and deadly had it produced that protein. However, here's the thing. H1N1 does carry the gene for PB1-F2 but it is currently switched off. And while not active at the moment the virus could mutate and the gene could become active so a more virulent strain could emerge. This is one of the reasons vaccination is important. The more people vaccinated, the fewer people get infected and the lower the chance that a more virulent mutation can occur and spread.
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Originally Posted by VFX
The 22m vaccinations with adjuvants you speak of, do these mix fish oils with aluminium & mercury & other undisclosed biologicals? You have the data on this so it'd be great to let us all know.
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The mercury compound found in the vaccine, thimerosal is there as an antifungal and antiseptic agent rather than an adjuvant. You want that there so bacteria don't grow in the vaccine and you end up giving people some other infection when you inject them. Firstly, it is a very low toxicity compound that is different than free mercury which is neurotoxic (although that neurotoxicity is reversible) or the organomercury compounds that are considered very toxic. Secondly, this type of mercury compound is actually excreted by your body fairly easily and will be eliminated quickly. Finally it is important to note that it is present in minute amounts and the vaccine contains less mercury then a can of tuna so it is not something to worry about.
The components in the vaccine are as follows:
1. 3.75 micrograms of H1N1 HA protein from the dead virus
2. Squalene. Doing a quick search it looks like the LD50 (the dose that caused 50% of test animals to die) is 1.8 g/Kg(grams per kilogram body weight). The amount of squalene in a dose of vaccine is 10.69 mg or 0.01069 grams. So in an average say 55 kg adult that works out to a dose of 0.00019436 g/Kg which works out to a margin of safety of over 5000:1. So if you gave a bunch of people 5000 vaccine injections to each of those people then about half would die. Of course that is assuming the same LD50 in humans and the LD50 in humans is typically much higher than in mice so the safety margin is likely even higher than that. BTW, that safety margin of 5000:1 is much better then many drugs you take commonly such as tylenol etc. Also, squalene is commonly used by the cosmetic industry in skin moisturizers so you have probably all been exposed to it in the past.
2. 11.86 mg DL-alpha-tocopherol - This is vitamin E. You all like Vitamin E don't you?
3. 4.86 mg Polysorbate 80. This is an emulsifier that helps keep the squalene (fish oil) mixed in with the water and other components in the vaccine. It is very common in food and cosmetics and considered safe. I think some studies showed that higher doses of Polysorbate 80 may cause infertility in rats that was at much higher doses then you will see in this vaccine (again, probably needing to inject thousands of doses to get to that level)
The vaccine also contains a number of excipients which are routine additives that are considered safe such as sodium chloride, the above mentioned thimerosal, potassium phosphate, potassium chloride etc.
As for other "undisclosed" biologicals that is not likely. Regulators are very strict about disclosure of what is in your drugs etc. and every ingredient, including water, has to be listed and disclosed. Uou typically have to submit results of independent analysis of your drug to the regulatory bodies. If you want to read about the vaccine check this link:
http://www.gsk.ca/english/docs-pdf/A..._CAPA01v01.pdf
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Originally Posted by VFX
When I ask what do you really know, I don't mean in terms of pharmacology, I mean with what's happening on a bigger scale. The larger picture of you will.
You may think it's getting silly to talk of all the different conspiracy theories out there but the one thing they do have in common is population reduction, control over world governments & the end of times.
I'm not saying I believe all those theories, but why discount them & ridicule them? Do you know for sure that everything we're told about the world is the truth?
Anecdotal I know, but I've been advised not to take the H1N1 vaccine by my GP, my partner (pharmaceuticals), the Head of Immunisation for ........ (province name withheld to avoid indentifying him without his permission), a surgeon in the same province, my family doctor in the UK & countless articles in the mainstream & alternative media.
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I do think conspiracy theories are silly. Do you really think secret societies of powerful people are controlling the world? Not likely. Have you seen the egos these people have? Can you imagine Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs etc. being able to work together and agree on things to control the world? Not really likely
As for any conspiracy to reduce the human population why do we need a bioengineered flu virus or suspicious vaccines? We have war and famine and to do the job and mother nature is also very good at controlling populations with diseases such as this. So come on, let's be real. I discount and ridicule them because they are extremely implausible and unlikely. There is no real evidence to support them. But they make good stories for Dan Brown, Hollywood and the internet
I would ask the people advising you not to take the vaccine to explain to you exactly why they are against it and provide sound evidence and reasoning for it.
I'm a scientist and I am all for questioning things as that is the scientific method. But it has to be done in a reasonable and systematic way and conclusions have to be arrived at based on facts, and evidence rather then anecdotes and feelings and fear and misunderstanding.
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Originally Posted by VFX
Also, (and maybe Ron can answer this one too) how does Vit. D (or specifically Vit. D3 according to some) help against H1N1? I understand that it helps against bone dificiencies & helps the absorbtion of calcium & other elements but I'm unsure how it helps against flu.
I'm not being ignorant or arrogant but asking as many questions as I need to help me (& hopefully many others) learn.
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I'm not really sure if any direct link has been established between vitamin D and flus etc. However, it does appear that with our current diets and habits (more time in front of computers, TV, playstations etc.) we are all getting less sunshine and have lower levels of vitamin D so that can probably have general effects on our health and immune system. It does appear that vitamin D plays a role in production of certain immune system proteins in humans. Probably wouldn't hurt to take some Vitamin D supplements to make sure you are getting what you require and maximize your bodies natural defenses. But it is not going to be a a miracle cure or preventative etc. It may just help you fight the infection if you get it.
Anyhow, I need to get back to work now...