Swine-flu cases more than double

Monday 23rd November 2009, 2:59PM GMT.

Consultant microbiologist Dr Ivan Muscat

Consultant microbiologist Dr Ivan Muscat

THE number of swine-flu cases continued to rise last week as more and more schools were struck by the mass outbreak.

Provisional figures released this morning revealed that there were 240 new cases last week, compared to 119 the week before and 34 the week before that.

Before the outbreak began, Health predicted that it would come in a four-to-six-week wave, with the numbers peaking in weeks three and four.

However, consultant microbiologist Dr Ivan Muscat said that efforts to control the illness, such as inoculations and the use of Tamiflu, meant that it was now harder to say when the outbreak would peak.


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  1. 1
    Magnolia Man

    I really think that Dr Rosemary Geller is now entitled to say (although I know she would never do so), “I told you so!”

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  2. 2
    Karen

    What are the benefits of Tamiflu being given to healthy people?

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  3. 3
    Suspicious Mind

    Funny that about the increase in swine flu cases after vaccination, simples!!!! and I’ve not seen any mention about the booster jab everyone will be getting in approximately 4 weeks from now, I’ve read the patients leaflet which clearly states a course of two jabs. Why is this leaflet not being issued at the time of vaccination????? only a consent form is requested to be signed, did none of you who took the vaccination ask the question where is my information leaflet you would expect to see when you buy any medication over the counter??????? Is this not negligence?????

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  4. 4
    Wellllll

    I’m not a Dr, but it makes zero sense to me to be placing whole families of healthy individuals on tamiflu just because of potential exposure. If healthy you should just accept the risk, if you get swine flu your body is more than capable of dealing with it on its own.

    My daughter was diagnosed by her GP with possible SF, and GP wanted us all on tamiflu. Daughter took it and became very ill. We went to the general where a specialist told us to stop the tamiflu immediately. He said that healthy people should not be given the drug and that the only reason it was happening like this was because some people needed to justify the decision to stock pile it.

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  5. 5
    darren

    Magnolia Man – Do you really think that? Why do you think that? Please explain yourself fully with facts and figures. Thankyou.

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  6. 6
    Shush

    I will be very interested to know how many children who took the vaccine were taken to hospital / Gp with complications.

    Will the states ever admit if our children have suffered lasting damage from a new vaccine which even the W.H.O. experts have agreed do not have enough safety information for childrens’ doseage.

    What kind of safeguards are in place to check on the vaccines side effects?

    How much is all this extra tamiflu and Swine flu vaccines costing?

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  7. 7
    REG

    Magnolia Man – i hardly think a total of 393 in 3 weeks (approx. 0.43% of pop.) counts as a mass epidemic!!

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  8. 8
    Magnolia Man

    Darren (no. 5)

    Read the newspapers, listen to the radio news or watch it on television – this time without your blinkers of prejudice.

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  9. 9
    Paul Mac

    like the good people of Britain and Germany during the war. Never ever listen and plainly accept anything the TV tells you especially if its from the government. The media is almost totally owned by warmonger and passionate population reducer Rupert Murdoch.

    Oh there is a large number of high powered people very interested in reducing the global population by any where from what would be considered moderate to 80% to a 95% reduction. This is not a theory you find this in there own books or even better in there special interest groups foundational documents.

    Vaccines have been used against Africans, black Americans and north American Indians and many other groups to spread pestilence and sickness this is a totally proven fact and the greatest sickness is it gets called an accident.

    The UK Gov has admitted in the past spraying certain cities with low strength bio chem to see what whould happen. Trust the gov and trust the media and dont listen to the whistle blowers they are just nuts.

    They might be doctors and scientists with actual special training in vaccines, And even though childhood complaints like cancer and autism have soared, Its nothing to do with big pharma ever though in groups that don’t eat a western diet and are not part of a vaccine program these medical maladies are rare.

    Real science or propaganda don’t believe what I say look for your self i could easily be lying I could be behind a group not wanting people to be vaccinated to cull population. Look for your self don’t just listen to what the papers say.

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  10. 10
    TB

    7.REG – I stand to be corrected but I don’t recall Rosemary Geller ever using the phrase ‘mass epidemic’. She did warn that the number of cases would increase sharply in the autumn/winter and clearly she has got that right. The hysterical language in previous articles has been used by the so-called ‘journalists’.

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  11. 11
    darren

    8 Magnolia Man – Please answer my original question.

    Yet another pro Geller fan who refuses to accept that others have the right to a different point of view.

    This is a recurring theme on these forums and its shameful.

    Some of us have faith in our own bodies to have the ability to fight this without pumping ourselves full of untested (10 years of clinical research and analysis)drugs that YOU have no idea of the long term implications of.

    I respect your right to rely on drugs, respect mine that I dont need them. How you can argue against this baffles me and the rest of those who choose not to take these drugs.

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  12. 12
    PJG

    darren #11
    I am sure Magnolia Man can speak for himself, but my slant on this is,
    If or when swine flu becomes epidemic in Jersey depends on how many people are immune to the disease. More people have died from swine flu than the vaccine, more people have had the vaccine than swine flu(I am sure I will be corrected if this is not so).
    So to a simple soul such as me it says very loudly its safer to vaccinated.
    If it does becomes epidemic who is going to look after, and, pay to look after those who took the decision not to immunise, answer, those who did and are still working and earning.

    You say,
    “Yet another pro Geller fan who refuses to accept that others have the right to a different point of view.

    In your case could that not be reversed and say

    Yet another anti Geller fan who refuses to accept that others have the right to a different point of view.”

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  13. 13
    Pip Clement

    According to the Today programme on Radio 4 this morning swine flu may be about to peak in a few weeks before tailing off.
    Besides the reported cases quite a few people seem to have been exposed to the virus and developed antibodies without having any symptoms or they were so mild they ignored them.
    If the island ends up having a few thousand cases in total we are going to have a lot of unwanted Tamiflu.

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  14. 14
    darren

    12 PJG – You are correct, I’m also sure that Magnolia Man can speak for himself.

    For the last time – I understand and respect that you have a right to your opinion. What do you not understand about this statement?

    You PJG are a prime example of the recurring theme I spoke of earlier.

    I am not anti Geller at all, I am pro individual research and investigation and pro the right to make my own decisions. Again, what do you not understand about this statement?

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  15. 15
    david brown

    i saw someone with a pack of tamiflu and looked at the sell by date, january 2010. in a few weeks it will be out of date, i looked around the packet for a manufacture date, but it eluded me.

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  16. 16
    PJG

    darren
    You say
    I understand and respect that you have a right to your opinion
    I to you also.
    But I am also prepared to listen to your opinion and be persuaded to change my mind.
    You on the other hand appear to become agitated by disagreement.
    You PJG are a prime example of the recurring theme I spoke of earlier

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  17. 17
    Michael Neal

    #3 Suspicous Mind: ‘Funny that about the increase in swine flu cases after vaccination’

    Why? It is now the time of year for flu, seasonal and otherwise. Swine flu was anyway increasing prior to the vaccine being rolled out. The swine flu vaccine does not cause swine flu.

    #9 Paul Mac

    Perhaps you’d like to provide the evidence?

    Incidentally, rather than ‘special interest groups’ I prefer Stephen Fry’s more accurate phrase ‘serial single issue fanatics’.

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  18. 18
    darren

    PJG – I’m not agitated by disagreement, this is obviously where ones original sentiment can become lost in translation of the written word.

    Neither do I wear blinkers of prejudice to which you referred earlier.

    If anybody can give me a valid reason that is not laced with sarcasm or a holier than thou attitude I am of course prepared to listen. I’m afraid to say that not one pro H1N1 or Tamiflu champion has been able to do that on any of the forums here.

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  19. 19
    Linda

    15# David,

    Don’t worry about the sell by date on this 2005 Tamiflu, you can bet your bottom dollar they will hype it all up in the hopes of frightening every one into taking it, or there will be some special dispensation in an ‘Emergency’ situation whereby they will extend the sell by date and assure us it will be perfectly alright for a year past the end date.

    I’m thoroughly fed up with all the nonsense about this DUD pandemic.

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  20. 20
    PJG

    darren #18
    To date over 200 people have died as a result of swine flu in the UK alone. We do not, as yet, have an epidemic.

    That must be a valid reason. And I can assure you I am not being sarcastic

    You say
    Neither do I wear blinkers of prejudice to which you referred earlier ?
    not me, chastise Magnolia Man #8 for that poke.

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  21. 21
    darren

    PJG – 200 dead is terrible news but please keep in context that in Europe between 30000 and 40000 people die every year from seasonal flu. I agree its a valid reason if you feel that you dont have the constitution or internal means to battle this yourself, thats your choice to take the drug and I respect that.

    I apologise for directing that earlier comment at you PJG, my mistake.

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  22. 22
    Porky

    My husband and I are overweight. We know that. We had also not been worried about Swine Flu. But then we both had letters from our respective GP’s saying that due to our medical history (ie fat) we were to call to make an appointment for a Swine Flu jab. We had not planned to seek a jab, but discussed the letters and agreed that if the medical chaps deemed it sensible we should go. So we rang to make appointments and were told that they had run out of supplies. So then we started to worry. If we are in a high risk group and unable to get vacinated what should we do? So we turned from ‘fat and happy’ to ‘fat and stressed! Anyway, last wek we both became very ill for 24 hours and a little unwell for a few days. So we have probably had it! We never wanted to have the jab anyway, but might have been ‘scared’ into having it if there had been any to have!

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  23. 23
    BS Deluxe

    ….and how many people will die this winter because they can’t afford heating???

    How many people will die this winter because they can’t feed themselves, are neglected and abused, through drugs or alcohol??

    If the States put as much effort into other more pressing issues than an unfounded “epidemic” then Jersey might actually become a better place for us all to live in..

    Just my opinion Magnolia Man, PJG et al.

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  24. 24
    Leah Holmes

    #3 You couldn’t be more wrong. The vaccine does NOT give you swine flu. You will get similar symptoms for a couple of days but it is (by definition) inactive so it CANNOT give you swine flu and you are NOT infectious!

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  25. 25
    caddis

    As a health worker serving behind the scenes for the general public I have to say this. We as health workers have been encouraged to take the vaccine despite the “minor risks” because:
    1) We work in an environment where sick patients are particularly vulnerable. It would be irresponsible of us to potentially infect them.
    2) As health workers we consider ourselves invaluable and sickness leading to staff shortages would substantially decrease the effectiveness of our service.
    3) We take the vaccine simply because we don’t want to be ill.

    I say this particularly to you Darren. Quote: “Some of us have faith in our own bodies to have the ability to fight this without pumping ourselves full of untested (10 years of clinical research and analysis)drugs that YOU have no idea of the long term implications of”. That’s all very well however, how would your workplace deal with your absence as you “fight” the infection? Moreover, those of you who chose not to receive the vaccine should consider themselves as irresponsible since you are putting others around you at risk when inevitably you will get ill. If I am not talking common sense then by all means say so but I strongly believe vaccination to everyone is the key to the success of reducing the risk of illness and consequently reducing the mortally of the island population.

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  26. 26
    Linda

    I am really beginning to wonder if there is anyone sane around regarding this so called Pandemic and I would like you to re read the other article in the JEP which states:

    Eighteen Islanders have been treated in hospital for suspected swine flu since the virus arrived in Jersey, the Health Department have revealed.

    Six patients are currently in isolation in the General Hospital and are believed to be recovering well.

    The others have been discharged after being tested and treated with the anti-viral drug Tamiflu.

    IT IS BELIEVED THAT ONLY A SMALL NUMBER OF THOSE TREATED ACTUALLY HAD THE SWINE FLU VIRUS !

    So, how many exactly out of 18 was that?

    Let’s assume it is the 6 still in there, that would be 6 in a population of 96,000 plus?
    Definately makes this a DUDEMIC as far as I’m concerned, and a fortune for the Pharmaceutical companies. They are on a win-win whatever.

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  27. 27
    Magnolia Man

    #12 PJG

    Thank you!

    I never thought the day would come when you and I were in complete agreement!

    Best wishes, and keep your truncheon ready.

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  28. 28
    Udupi

    BS Deluxe wrote:

    “How many people will die this winter because they can’t feed themselves, are neglected and abused, through drugs or alcohol??”

    Leaving the hungry aside for a moment, let us remember that no one forces people to abuse THEMSELVES by the misuse of drugs or alcohol.

    Drug and alcohol abuse are self-induced, and cannot be blamed on anyone else.

    Just the opinion of the majority, BS Deluxe.

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  29. 29
    PJG

    Magnolia Man #27
    “truncheon”
    now, now, are you trying to weedle confesion from me ?

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  30. 30
    Adrian

    Is vaccination much use against flu? In my opinion it isn’t unless it exactly matches the type of flu it is fighting.

    Since flu tends to alter its makeup fairly quickly all vaccines will be behind times will they not?

    If this is the case then having these vaccines could well be a waste of time and money for the majority in my honest opinion.

    This does not take into account any adverse side effects these vaccines can cause to anyone taking them. I would ask anyone who has medical knowledge to answer this import question are these vaccinations safe? I myself have doubts.

    I myself have found that vitamin C is very good at preventing colds and flu. I am surprised more focus isn’t put on this cheap and I believe safe method of fighting these types of illnesses.

    To me I can see that business would want people to have vaccinations as they think this will stop people from becoming ill. This may seem to be a considerate act by the employer. However I believe it is more a case of not wanting people to have an excuse to be off ill with the flu as it will cost them money. So in reality a loss of productivity is the driver behind this not peoples wellbeing.

    BSD has valid points about hunger and a lack of proper heating etc this causes many deaths which may not be given as the reason for death. Example an elderly person dies and heart failure or influenza could be put down as reason for death instead of hypothermia.

    I would have to say in my honest opinion more elderly people will die due to lack of proper heating, lack of proper care, lack of being checked on regularily, lack of proper food and lack of money which means they will succumb to illness. Thus I say the illness is more than likely a mask for other issues. So why not sort out the other issues first to help cut down on these types of deaths?

    Oh dear we get back to the driver for everything don’t we? Money.

    I also have to say that those above retirement age don’t appear to be given the same resources as those of working age. From this I have to think that usefullness of the person to society dictates the level of care given. If one has a finite number of resources how can it be any other way?

    As an example if you had £1M only to spend on medication would you spend it on one elderly person who could well die in the near future, or treat 1,000 workers some of whom would die if not given treatment? It is pretty obvious what most would answer to this question.

    This is the nature of the beast I am afraid.

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  31. 31
    gerard

    Caddis – how depressing to hear yet another ‘expert’ telling us of the ‘benefits’ of tamiflu or vaccination. Does this person know anything about tamiflu? Or of the highly dangerous preservatives and enhancers added to the flu vaccine? Or that the vaccine is next to useless on the over 60′s – the very people medics suggest need the vaccine?
    Does Caddis know how big pharma manipulates tests to ‘prove’ drugs are safe when they are anything but?
    This whole ‘pandemic’ is a hoax designed to a) make health employees feel important, b) use up stocks of drugs.
    Even basic research proves the vaccine is more dangerous than the ailment it’s supposed to prevent. Oh, and another thing – we all know vaccines are 100% effective, don’t we?? How come, then, so many people fall ill after having them? Does the packet guarantee you won’t get the ‘flu? No, I thought not. In fact, it’s so risky, even pharma won’t accept liability so, if several die – as with the equally useless cervical vaccine – who gets sued? The States of Jersey for pushing it? And whose money would that be? Ah yes – ours.

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  32. 32
    Born Warrior

    I, for one, shall not have the jab, nor shall I take Tamiflu if I fall ill. But the fact that Jersey’s health department is providing these options is commendable. The money spent on the vaccination programme, Tamiflu, extra apparatus and staff training is the price of “What if?” and should never be considered a waste (especially when Jersey has spent thousands on ‘confusing’ milestones and other such madcap ideas). In my opinion, money spent on the welfare of the population (especially the weak) is always well spent!
    Furthermore, once done, there’s little gained by complaining. What people should be asking themselves now is: “What is to be done with the unused Tamiflu which apparently expires in January?” and “Will the Tamiflu have lost its potency after the expiration date?”…or is the expiration date on a medication simply just another scam?

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  33. 33
    caddis

    31 gerard – oh for god’s sake do you really think this is a money issue? vaccines are produced to save lives not cause disease. there maybe a small percentage who will be unfortunate to have side effects but that is a risk most people who have received the vaccine are willing to take. i have received two doses of the vaccine (alongside the seasonal flu vaccine) and have not had any complications whatsoever. would you prefer it if us health workers didn’t take it and then subsequently infect hospitalised patients? was smallpox a hoax? was the plague a hoax? was hiv a hoax? maybe when you get the flu you’ll understand how important this is. and i’m not trying to BIG myself up here.

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