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[helenl]

The reason for fewer cases in the developing world could also be because there are fewer "transients" passing through or locals who travel extensively/long distances where they might be exposed to these "new" viruses.

I'd be interested to see the research on vegans etc showing them to be more resistant to such illnesses.

[Green Acres]

Well, I'm not sure where you are from, but most developed countries stopped immunizations in the 80s. Almost everyone I know that is my age was immunized for small pox and polio, which has been pretty much eradicated (in the developed world).

[helenl]

And so wouldn't your quotations support (at least theoretically) my "ideas" as to why H1N1 isn't so prevalent in less developed countries?

Also, I think that VS and myself were also more concerned with the childhood diseases that are becoming more and more common in developed countries because parents are choosing not to vaccinate their children. In 2008 the CDC issued the following health advisory http://www2a.cdc.gov/han/archivesys/ViewMsgV.asp?AlertNum=00273 concerning measles.

According to this cut and paste from a government website (a Canadian province) these are the usual vaccinations required for a child to gain entry to school.

The MMR vaccine is a "3-in-1" vaccine that protects against measles, mumps, and rubella -- all of which are potentially serious diseases of childhood.

Alternative Names
Vaccine - MMR; Rubella vaccination; Mumps vaccination; Measles - mumps - rubella (MMR) vaccine

Information
WHO SHOULD GET THIS VACCINE

The MMR is one of the recommended childhood immunizations. Generally, proof of MMR vaccination is required for school entry.

�The first shot is recommended when the child is 12 to 15 months old. The timing of vaccination is important to make sure the child is properly protected. It must not be given too early.
�A second MMR is recommended before entering school at 4 - 6 years, but may be given at any time thereafter. Some states require a second MMR at kindergarten entry.
Adults 18 years or older who were born after 1956 should also receive MMR if they are uncertain of their immunization status or if they have only had one MMR prior to school entry.

Adults born during or prior to 1956 are presumed to be immune. Many people within that age group had the actual diseases during childhood.

BENEFITS

One MMR will protect most individuals from contracting measles, mumps, or rubella throughout their lives. The second MMR is recommended to cover those individuals who may not have received adequate protection from the first MMR.

Measles is a virus which causes a rash, cough, runny nose, eye irritation, and fever in most people, but can also lead to pneumonia, seizures, brain damage, and death in some cases.

Mumps virus causes fever, headache, and swollen glands, but can also lead to deafness, meningitis, swollen *beep* or ovaries, and death in some cases.

Rubella, also known as the German measles, is generally a mild disease, but can cause serious birth defects in the child of a woman who becomes infected while pregnant.

RISKS AND SIDE EFFECTS

Watch for and be familiar with how to care for a fever, joint pain and stiffness, minor gland swelling and tenderness, or minor redness and soreness at the injection site. If a rash develops without other symptoms, no treatment is necessary, and it should go away within several days.

Most people who receive the MMR will have no associated problems. Others may have minor problems, such as soreness and redness at the injection site or fevers. Serious problems associated with receiving the MMR are rare.

Potential mild to moderate adverse effects include:

�Fever (1 in 6 children)
�Rash (1 in 20)
�Swollen glands (rare)
�Seizure (1 in 3,000)
�Joint pain/stiffness (1 in 4, usually young women)
�Low platelet count/bleeding (1 in 30,000)
Severe adverse effects may include:

�Allergic reaction (less than 1 per million)
�Long-term seizure, brain damage, or deafness (so rare that the association with the vaccine is questionable)
Despite considerable publicity, there is no evidence linking MMR vaccination with the development of autism. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website (www.cdc.gov/vaccines) provides further information.

The potential benefits from receiving the MMR vaccine far outweigh the potential risks. Measles, mumps, and rubella are all very serious illnesses, and each can have complications that lead to lifetime disabilities or even death.


Any info on the ability of vegans to resist disease?

[veiledsentiments]

[Green Acres]

To answer your question, heleni, i think not. Transients are everywhere. In fact it may be worse in the developing countries. For example, many Asians are traveling and if they show symptoms of H1N1 they can be quarantined. Nobody wants this when traveling, so they take some medicine which they can buy from any pharmacy that lowers their temperature and clears their sinuses -- only to get past airport quarantine. Once in the country, they may be passing the virus on to entire areas.

At times like this, I often wonder what contained the "Spanish flu". Why didnt' it spread through Morocco and Northern Africa, given close contact with Spanish people. France was also spared, and one must wonder why. did the mountains and sea contain the virus? Or were the cultures separated genetically? A similar virus had been contracted by American soldiers in America, then brought to the trenches of Europe, where it spread to the English and French (and I suppose Germans). Both viruses were deadly, but only one of them seem to travel, while the other remained contained. I don't think there are good answers to this question, but what I have always thought is that diet and lifestyle had more to do with containing the disease than anything else. It may be that Muslims in the North of Africa were not included in the food sources of Spain, and certainly this is true over a long period of time preceding the Spanish flu outbreak.

Even my analysis that more cases are reported in the developed world is circumspect, but I doubt it. It's true that the developed world will have better accountability and transparency, though it is also true that developing countries will receive more aid and support for reporting more cases of the virus. One thing for certain -- less reported deaths in the developing countries. I read that W.H.O. is not going to try to document "cases" of the disease since it is out of control, but I'm sure "deaths" are still tallied and watched closely. One thing that complicates reporting is that the symptoms of the disease are felt in developing countries at all times. It's like food poisoning and a bad flu -- which is very common in the developing world.

The questions of immunizing kids, well, how could one take a chance? I don't know that mumps or measles kill, however, Polio and small pox, of course. The immunizations will still not protect kids from the flu, and during a crisis like this, could weaken them. I wouldn't immunize today, but rather later, after this pandemic fear has passed, just to be safe.

[helenl]

Measles and mumps do kill, that's why immunizations are required in North America before children are allowed into schools.