Fast and furious is all I have to say. The flu season is open and is happening in a completely unexpected way.
Two weeks ago, about 30% of my clients came in sick. That is not unusual. Usually, a small group of clients come in sick around the same time and then it stops. Two months later, we have a flu outbreak where everyone gets sick. The two month hiatus gives me time to test out how to treat the flu and prepare for the full attack in two months.
This is the first year it hasn’t worked out like that. Last week, 50% of my clients came in sick and one had double pneumonia. The problem was I hadn’t quite figured out how to treat this and that was about three months early for pneumonia.
Then this week happened and 100% of the clients were coming in sick. Taking everything I had learned in two weeks, I went into overdrive to ward off this flu.
This weekend I just read the reports out of the Australian flu season. Australia’s flu season starts before ours. We watch Australia to get an idea of what our season is going to be like. This year, Australia had 2.5x more hospitalizations than last year and twice as many deaths. The majority of the flus, about 70%, were influenza A – H3N2. H3N2 is the flu that has been creating havoc over the last few years.
I am expecting a season that is worse than our pandemic in 2016-2017. Besides being worse, it appears that it is going to be fast and furious.
Our flu vaccine will be based off the vaccine used this season in Australia. Early reports indicate that the viral strain used to address H3N2 was well matched. Yet, even being well matched it appears to be less effective on H3N2.
Looking at the data over the last 5 years, there does seem to be an issue with H3N2. The virus is not as responsive to our current method of creating and vaccinating people. It also appears to be getting more virulent each year. Even I got sick last year, which never happens.
In response, I’ve started the “Fight the Flu” club. This year is our first year testing the concepts of integrating Chinese Medicine into our immune system to strengthen our ability to resist infection and to quickly address the currently migrating flu strains.
By joining this club, you will get:
• Early warning alerts about the flu and current strains circulating and how best to defend yourself,
• Your own personal health defense assessment and
• Personal preparedness plan to put you in your strongest position to avoid the flu,
• Flu response if you do get sick to minimize days you’re feeling under the weather and avoid the hospital.
Early reports are showing that our method of response is working. For those in the club, we have been able to avoid key flus that have been floating around this year, and quickly address those that break through our defenses knocking them out before they have a chance to set-in.
If the flu does manage to break in and set-up residence in your body pressing you to take antibiotics, the club has been able to establish a plan to significantly reduce days sick.
People have been talking about being sick for a month at a time. If you’re o.k. with that, then keep doing what you’re doing. But for many of us, being sick for a month is a poor option. If you could reduce that time to even a week, you would gain three weeks of your life back.
If you’re tired of getting sick for weeks at a time and can’t afford to be sick for that length of time, I urge you to give the office a call at (360)841-7558 and learn more about the “Fight the Flu” club. Close the season on the flu.
REFERENCES:
Australia 2017 Bad Flu Season
CDC US Flu Statistics 2016-2017