Why The World Wide Panic Scare For The Swine Flu or H1N1 Virus

Why The World Wide Panic Scare For The Swine Flu or H1N1 Virus? Have you noticed how many people at the top levels of government reacted to the “swine flu” or H1N1 Flu, as if it were going to wipe out half of the population?

Here Are Only Few Examples Of What I Am Talking About :

* Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in California to ensure state resources met the “health threat.”
* Governor Rick Perry did the same in Texas and also suspended high school sporting events until May 11.
* President Obama jumped on the bandwagon in late April of 2009l asking Congress for an additional $1.5 billion in his supplemental budget to help fight a possible swine flu outbreak. But The Department of Homeland Security did state that they felt no immediate danger, that the swine flu was no more dangerous then any other flu epidemic that falls on America yearly.
* Vice President Biden announced on TV that he advised his family to avoid confined places, airline travel, and riding the subway.

However, other health specialists and according to a special report by Dr. Lisa Forgione published last week in Total Health Breakthroughs, this flu strain “is no worse than the seasonal flu that usually strikes every winter.” In fact it is believed that it may be nothing more than a late outbreak of the yearly seasonal flu.

The CDC is currently reporting there are only three confirmed deaths in the US from swine flu and 2618 total cases.

Compare These Numbers To The Following:

A Gallup Poll says more than 12 million people are ill from common flu strains on any given day in America and another 5,000 Americans die every year from food-borne illnesses like E. coli, Salmonella and Hepatitis A.1

In comparison, the latter statistics dwarf the number of people that have been affected by swine flu. Yet, we hear nothing to very little about them.

So, what’s the reason for the U.S. and worldwide hysteria…about swine flu?

MMMMMMMmmmm Could it be that…fear keeps people tuned in to the mainstream media…As we learned from the Bush administration, terrified citizens are easier for governments to control and manipulate.

Never forget that fear is an effective marketing tool when there are enormous profits to be made? in this case from flu vaccines and medications.

The current wave of Swine Flu fear mongering seems to fit all of the above.

Quoting Barry Glassner, author of The Culture of Fear, “Why Americans are Afraid of the Wrong Things, there is a “fear industrial complex” at work making sure our fears stay at heightened levels. This network is composed of “politicians, activist groups and corporations that all sell us on the idea that they can provide safety from the very dangers they are scaring us about.”

He then continues with, “When ever somebody’s trying to scare us, the question is ‘Are they benefiting from it, and in what way?’ If they’re selling us a product, if they’re selling us their political campaign or their cause or whatever it is, we should ask how big is the danger, really? Is it big, is it small, or is it just that they stand to benefit by making us scared?”

Why Was There A World Wide Panic Scare For The Swine Flu or H1N1 Virus…well, let’s look at some of the numbers that will support Mr. Glassner’s opinion is legit.

In 2008, pharmaceutical giant, Roche, the manufacturer of Tamiflu, reported that sales fell 68% to about $527 million. In their Annual Report, they noted, “Due to a substantially reduced pandemic, stockpiling orders from governments and corporations” went down.

Roche’s fortunes were on the upswing however by May 4, 2009 as company stock rose to $31.72 per share, a 4.34% increase. Perhaps knowing that good financial times were indeed ahead, Roche affiliate Chugai Pharmaceutical Company of Japan in their 2008 Annual Report, projected sales of Tamiflu to reach $536 million in 2009 thanks to government stockpiling. A remarkable increase of 530% from 2008. Fifty-one percent of Chugai is owned by Roche.

The other major flu drug stockpiled by the US government is Relenza, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. Since the swine flu hype went “viral,” their stock is up 7.57% to $31.56 per share.

Isn’t life grand if you make medications that you can scare people into taking? Follow the money!

It’s clear that certain parties have benefited handsomely from the swine flu hype. But now the question remains how many more times can the media, Big Pharmaceutical Companies and the government cry wolf. before Baby Boomers turn a deaf ear?

Rest assured, the fear industrial complex will not take the blame when there is really a life-threatening contagious disease and no one takes it seriously. The ultimate responsibility will lie with each and every one of us to be healthy and act in responsible healthy ways.

So, What Should Every Self Respecting Baby Boomer Do?

First and foremost you must stay as healthy as humanly possible and then take sensible precautions to avoid contagious bacteria and viruses, that could be lurking around. Plus, just as importantly, you must use your better judgment to discern FEAR mongering for profit from actual threats to your and your families health.

The next time you think Big Pharmaceutical Companies are trying to manipulate you, consult with a health care professional you can trust who knows the facts and has nothing to gain from keeping you in fear.

The first thing I did as a person with an auto-immune disease (Lupus) is ask my health care specialist what they thought was in store with the Swine Flu. They assured me that it was not any thing to be fearful of…it was the same as any other flu.

Do not forget, you don’t need to let “the pharmaceutical powers that be” profit from your fears, nor should you take any kind of needless chances with your health.

Baby Boomers, we can beat them at their own game by simply remembering some old yet very wise words of Sir Francis Bacon, “knowledge is power, and taking a proactive approach to your health is the key.”

For more information on “Why Was There A World Wide Panic Scare For The Swine Flu or H1N1 Virus,” go to CNN News.