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MajorGallagher

Listed below are comments made by MajorGallagher between Tuesday, 2nd June 2009 and Monday, 13th July 2009.

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Health workers first in line for vaccine 7:14pm on 13 Jul 2009 Well said, GillieBollie. Even the BBC News webpage had a headline a few days ago "Swine Flu claims two more victims" before going on to say that a hospital spokesman had said it was too early to determine if the deaths had actually been as a result of swine flu! That's just utterly irresponsible, sensationalistic reporting and strict curbs on this sort of misleading and potentially dangerous twisting by the media should really be imposed by those at the highest levels.
How to track swine flu 4:44pm on 13 Jul 2009 SkylineOnFire,

Please keep posting - a voice of sanity amid all the hype and anxiety that's being fed by the media and getting some people into a near-panic.
Predictions should come with a health warning 12:42pm on 03 Jul 2009 Fergus, what I don't understand is you mention "a few waves spread over two years" but surely a vaccine will be available to the entire population within a few months so how would the two year timescale fit?
Policy shift expected 10:34pm on 02 Jul 2009 Re. Post 19.: If we are talking of peak figures then 100,000 cases a week - albeit still very substantial - is rather a lot less than 100,000 per DAY!

Mexico hasn't reported anything like these figures and the last I heard the virus seemed to be fading out in Mexico City.

I'd also like to know if/when swine flu hits really big, how long do experts expect it to be around for? I mean, will it be long gone say a year from now or will cases continue (albeit presumably much less so) for a very prolonged period of time?
Policy shift expected 5:06pm on 02 Jul 2009 Re. Post 10. I have to agree - these sort of projected figures just aren't borne out by what is happening elsewhere: Mexico has had swine flu longer than the rest of the world and their (albeit official) total of cases to date is still well below ten thousand!

So much for the "don't panic" approach - what on earth is Andy Burnham thinking about?!
Should I worry about a flu pandemic? 6:28pm on 14 Jun 2009 honestlilyann: I'll be very interested to read what Fergus has to say in reply to your post above.

However, as I understand it, thoughts are already turning to moving past the stage of trying to contain the virus. As people were allowed to travel to and from Mexico City I don't see there is any chance of "summer holidays abroad being stopped"! Also on this point; let's also try and keep it in perspective - on a global scale very few people have died.
Should I worry about a flu pandemic? 5:47pm on 12 Jun 2009 cogitodexter posed the same question I have wondered about for some time: why is the reporting not discussing how many people have now recoved from swine flu?

Also: Reports state that only a third of those exposed to swine flu will actually become ill so why then did almost all of the Rangers fans on the bus become ill? Clearly many more than a third!

Also, I read some time ago that people shouldn't take Tamiflu unless they were prescribed it as "it couldn't be taken again", yet it is being handed out as a precaution to schoolchildren who are not showing any symptoms. Is this not dangerous as they could becone infected some months from now and Tamiflu would be ineffective?
Swine flu cases continue to rise 08:58am on 06 Jun 2009 Cases continue to rise but don't you think it should also be getting highlighted how many people currently have the virus and how many have subsequently now recovered?
Pandemic predicted in autumn 12:35pm on 03 Jun 2009 Fergus, you misread my post - I was responding to the comment 3. above from Ikarus.
Pandemic predicted in autumn 8:47pm on 02 Jun 2009 Ikarus wrote: "One would expect to experience a bereavement in the next year", which, based on the current evidence is surely grossly over-stating the dangers, even assuming a figure at the higher end of the projected figures (that is a 1% fatality).

You say "no reason to panic" but in the next breath seem to be saying "people can expect one of their loved ones to die within the next year from swine flu"!

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