Chance that swine flu was renamed “H1N1 flu” and that “Asian and Hong Kong
flu” (Influenza A and Influenza B) were renamed “seasonal flu” for “political
correctness”: 100%
The Avian or bird flu lobby has yet to be organized, I guess.
Number of deaths last year in the United States from seasonal flu: 36,000
Number of H1N1 flu cases and deaths in U.S. to date respectively: 13,217 / 27
The month the next peak of flu in the U.S. is expected: December
The month of expected flu peak in Australia: July
Number of H1N1 flu cases and deaths in Australia as of June 2009 respectively: 1,211 / 0
Chance that H1N1 flu will mutate to a more virulent strain by the fall in the U.S.: unknown,
but likely to happen as it did in the 1918 flu pandemic.
Calculated fatality rate of 1918 flu and H1N1 flu, so far, respectively: 5% / 0.7 %
Cost of order placed by U.S. government with Novartis for a vaccine that does not yet exist:
$298 million
Month that Novartis says it will produce the vaccine: September
Number of “quality-associated” conditions that Medicare won’t reimburse hospitals for: 8
Amount that one, “hospital falls and trauma”, can increase patient care costs: $4,000 per fall
Percentage of hospital inpatients that fall while in the hospital: 3 to 20
Percentage of falls that might be prevented by application of evidence-based guidelines: 20
Percentage of studied interventions that prevented serious injury from a hospital fall: 0
Year that the Federal Vaccination Compensation Injury Program was created: 1988
Number of vaccines covered by the VCIP: 16
Different types of complications recognized by VCIP as caused by vaccines: 9
Number of claimants since 1999 alleging that vaccinations cause autism: 5,589
Chance that vaccinations cause autism, immune deficiency, or gastrointestinal dysfunction
as determined by a review of three test cases in U.S. Federal Court of Claims in 2008: 0
Number of scientific journal articles reviewed by the three masters of that court: 900
Number of pages of legal transcripts and briefs reviewed: 5000
Number of expert reports reviewed and medical experts testifying respectively: 50/28
Number of court masters that thought that the families affected were “acting in good faith”
but that the case made by the claimants that vaccinations caused these three conditions
was “not even close”: 3 of 3
Chance that claimants will appeal to state courts or higher Federal Court of Appeals: 100%
Quotable Quote
“There is always an easy solution to every human problem – neat, plausible, and wrong.”
H.L. Mencken
Sources:
Swine Flu- ABC news, WHO, CDC, Associated Press websites, WIRED magazine July
2009, p.33, VNA of Cape Cod Infection Prevention Report
Medicare Quality Incentives – New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) 360:23, p. 2390, S.Inoyue, MD
Vaccine and autism – VCIP page on Health Resources and Services Administration
http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/
New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) 360:24, p. 2500, R. Silverman, MD
Autism Exploitation http://www.acsh.org/factsfears/newsID.1220/news_detail.asp
HUB's LIST of medical fun facts 