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marmar

(77,066 posts) Sat Jan 19, 2013, 08:09 PM Jan 2013

'You don't die from the flu' [View all]

(HuffPost) In the midst of a flu outbreak that health officials say has reached epidemic proportions, one Texas politician made a startling statement this week.

"You don't die from the flu," Houston city council member Jack Christie said Wednesday as he cast the lone vote opposing $3 million in federal money for vaccinating children (although those funds aren't for flu vaccinations), KHOU in Houston reported.

That's just not true. The flu killed between 3,000 and 49,000 people each year between 1976 and 2007, according to the latest data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A 2003 CDC study estimated the flu took an average of 36,000 lives a year from 1990 through 1999.

The current flu season already has claimed the lives of 29 children, the CDC said Friday. The flu was associated with 829 children's deaths between 2004 and last year, CNN reported in October. ........................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-young/flu-deaths-are-real-despi_b_2504509.html

68 replies

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'You don't die from the flu' [View all] marmar Jan 2013 OP

I agree, but the anti-vaxers will set upon you in 3..2..1.. nt stevenleser Jan 2013 #1

the flu pandemic during world war 1 killed millions. roguevalley Jan 2013 #33

The 1918 flu killed more people than all of World War I Wednesdays Jan 2013 #53

I'm sorry about that, Wednesdays. My grandmother talked about it with roguevalley Jan 2013 #67

The amount of people holding political office with such a huge ignorance of basic science is sad Marrah_G Jan 2013 #2

Didn't you know? Bainbridge Bear Jan 2013 #27

+1000 smirkymonkey Jan 2013 #56

Hear, hear! littlemissmartypants Jan 2013 #39

The 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic didnt really kill 20 - 50 million people ... REP Jan 2013 #3

Or abortions. marybourg Jan 2013 #5

When was the Abortion Flu pandemic? REP Jan 2013 #9

666 AD. ChairmanAgnostic Jan 2013 #26

This one killed most members of a family, my father's died in this epidemic leaving 6 children Thinkingabout Jan 2013 #13

And you can't get pregnant if you were "Legitimately" raped rustydog Jan 2013 #4

if only our media reported the facts instead of trying to scare us Coolest Ranger Jan 2013 #6

bah. how will that sell advertising slots? ChairmanAgnostic Jan 2013 #30

They are helping fulfill littlemissmartypants Jan 2013 #40

Proof that being dumb as a 5th grader won't hurt your election to the Houston city counsel HereSince1628 Jan 2013 #7

Doesn't the flu kill more people than AIDS? (nt) Recursion Jan 2013 #8

A 2003 Chicago Tribune story says so jeff47 Jan 2013 #11

Yeah, I realized I was thinking of an old article Recursion Jan 2013 #17

Maybe you can only die from the legitimate flu or... Kalidurga Jan 2013 #10

Thank you for your infections, Texas! randome Jan 2013 #12

What is it with these fucking stupid repukes? Zoeisright Jan 2013 #14

The councilman said: The human body has a way to shut that whole thing down LeftInTX Jan 2013 #15

Anything that THEY don't personally become afflicted with. If that guy came down gateley Jan 2013 #32

HE IS A DOCTOR. littlemissmartypants Jan 2013 #41

Chiropractors are not doctors. Archae Jan 2013 #43

Doctor or not littlemissmartypants Jan 2013 #44

And yet... littlemissmartypants Jan 2013 #45

I'm not going to get this discussion into an argument over chiropractic. Archae Jan 2013 #46

We can only hope that his littlemissmartypants Jan 2013 #47

Beg to differ atreides1 Jan 2013 #52

Thank you. n/t littlemissmartypants Jan 2013 #57

Not a MEDICAL doctor -- a Doctor of Chiropractic. He obviously wasn't trained about influenza. He gateley Jan 2013 #61

The majority of politicians in TX 2naSalit Jan 2013 #16

I Have A Co-Worker Who (Rumor Has It) Is In A Medically Induced COMA... For Influenza B... WillyT Jan 2013 #18

One of my kids was horribly sick from it gollygee Jan 2013 #19

My husband's uncle is still alive!?! proud2BlibKansan Jan 2013 #20

I *think* it's still the deadliest single-pathogen disease out there? Recursion Jan 2013 #37

Oh well. burnsei sensei Jan 2013 #21

I got a flu shot, but got it anyway, then pneumonia. Faygo Kid Jan 2013 #22

me too. well, I didn't get the shot but I got the flu and subsequently pneumonia cali Jan 2013 #55

I'm officially a member of this club TorchTheWitch Jan 2013 #63

That happened to me as well Coolest Ranger Jan 2013 #60

They're starting to find that flu shots are less effective in certain populations jeff47 Jan 2013 #66

K&R abelenkpe Jan 2013 #23

This dumass Republican calls himself a doctor Major Nikon Jan 2013 #24

I'd like to see him say that to an M.D. (a REAL doctor) gateley Jan 2013 #34

So we should lump all "doctors" in littlemissmartypants Jan 2013 #42

Okay, fine. Sorry I set you off. gateley Jan 2013 #62

I knew a guy, when I was much younger, who caught the flu and died in 3 days 1-Old-Man Jan 2013 #25

But you CAN die from STUPIDITY and maybe get a Darwin Award benld74 Jan 2013 #28

I'll write to him tomorrow. My friends father is in a medically induced coma... Lone_Star_Dem Jan 2013 #29

the flu killed more people in 1918 that world War I.. Historic NY Jan 2013 #31

It's been called the worst disaster in history (nt) Recursion Jan 2013 #38

Science "Hall of Fame" Inductee Jack Christie and former Chairman of the State Board of Education xocet Jan 2013 #50

Politician Hall of Shame Member Jack Christie: second only to Sen Mike Walsworth of littlemissmartypants Jan 2013 #35

I just spent two days in the hospital last week liberalhistorian Jan 2013 #36

Wow, scary! Thank you for posting this! It might help someone! n-t Logical Jan 2013 #48

That's really similar to my experience. Lone_Star_Dem Jan 2013 #49

Sorry you had to deal with that, it's no surprise liberalhistorian Jan 2013 #68

That sounds just like what I had (have) TorchTheWitch Jan 2013 #64

And he is a fine example of the damn fools elected to office. They used to tar and feather asses RKP5637 Jan 2013 #51

In the current outbreak intaglio Jan 2013 #54

The STUPID is just overflowing in Texas. smirkymonkey Jan 2013 #58

Suggestion there is a whole bunch of stuipid in 49 other states too so stultusporcos Jan 2013 #59

The comments on the Texas article are scary mainer Jan 2013 #65