Natural Disasters Archives

Safety Of The H1N1 Vaccine And Pregnancy

 

In recent years vaccines have taken a hit. It used to be that vaccines were trusted, no questions asked. It took vaccines to knock out Smallpox. Today, many people question the safety of vaccines, some attribute vaccines to the cause of Autism. The H1N1 vaccine has been met with skepticism, and it’s no wonder when you turn on the TV and see study after study with different conclusions. Most vaccines are safe and effective against the targeted disease, and stay the same, year after year. Not so with flu vaccines.

With flu vaccines, scientists have to guess what strains will be the dominant strain that season, then create a cocktail of dead viruses for that years vaccine. Sometimes they miss the strongest strain and that seasons vaccine is not as effective. Add to this, the flu viruses are always changing and mutating. The virus can change the shape of it’s receptors that allow it to link to the human cells and begin infection.

 

Is the H1N1 vaccine safe, Is it safe for pregnant women
© Cyril Serpault – Fotolia.com

With H1N1, this is a new flu virus, or one that has been dormant for a long time, hence the higher immunity for people born before 1950. They must have had contact with this virus, or a similar one, at some time, and developed antibodies against it. The perception with the H1N1 vaccine is that it is a completely new vaccine, and that is true. It is also true that if the virus had been noticed earlier, it would have been included in the normal seasonal flu vaccine, and most people would have never known the difference. So, is this vaccine safe? That’s for you to decide, but consider the following. The vaccine is made in the exact same way the seasonal flu vaccine is made. As I stated earlier, it would have been included in the seasonal vaccine, if discovered in time for production. Since the vaccine is produced the same way as the seasonal vaccine, there are still people who should avoid it, especially people allergic to eggs.

One of the major worries about the H1N1 vaccine concerns pregnant women. A lot of pregnant women, and future fathers, are worried about the vaccines link to autism. While the jury is still out on the vaccine-autism link, there are things to consider. The H1N1 virus is deadly to pregnant women and their unborn child. You have to ask yourself, which would be worse, taking the vaccine and having a healthy pregnancy and child, with an extremely low chance of autism (if any), or the death of both the mother and child from H1N1 flu? Even if a pregnant woman catches the virus and lives through it, there are cases where the illness leads to severe mental birth defects in the child. These birth defects are much more severe than autism, and much more likely than vaccine related autism, to occur.

The decision is completely up to the mother, and should be. When making that decision, please weigh the facts above and consider which course of action has the best outcome.

 

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What Haiti Showed Us


What happened in Haiti was a horrible event, but lessons can be learned from it. It’s highly unlikely that we will experience any kind of devastation in the States like they did. We can, and will someday, experience emergencies on a large scale.

The key is to be prepared as much as possible for as many different events we can think of. This applies not only applies to eathquakes, but also Hurricanes, fires, pandemics, tornadoes, etc.

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Doomsday Shelter – Or Survive In Place?

Doomsday shelters are in vogue again. It hasn’t been like this since the cold war, bomb shelters in back yards, freeze dried food flying off shelves, people wanting to feel secure. Why not? Even if you don’t believe in 2012, or civil and economic collapse, it’s always a good idea to be ready for ANYTHING!  How can you prepare for “anything”? You can’t. You can make some basic decisions and take some safeguards that will help you and your family survive a lot of different scenarios, but not everything.

 

Lost childhood - Doomsday shelters, oe survive in place?
© Marijus – Fotolia.com

While doomsday shelters can guard against a lot of emergencies, they can’t guard against them all. If an asteroid the size of Rhode Island hit the central United States tomorrow, there isn’t a bomb shelter made that would save you and your family. The best you can do is stock up, plan, and pray. You could spend the equivalent of a new home for what it costs for a bomb shelter. If you have that kind of money, go for it.

If you are like the average Joe, and you just want to do what you can, with what you have, then concentrate on just a few important points. First, spend what you can on water purification - be it filters, tablets, storage, or wells (all of the above if you can). Second,  stock up on non-perishable foods. Keep in mind how many family members you are planning for. Third, fortify any space you can, a basement, shed, or, in extreme cases,  a fortified hole in your yard with basic roof coverage. Please, DO NOT just dig a hole in your yard, it will kill you. Only dig a hole if you know danger is imminent, then make sure you fortify the walls, every step you dig. (Please, I cannot caution you enough on how dangerous this can be).

In the end, planning to survive in place, is the most economical, and most encompassing method of preperation. Think about it this way, if you spend thousands on a doomsday shelter, food, and water only to experience a catastrophe that no one normally could survive, are you sure you want to be around afterwards? A slower, more painful end may be the ultimate result.

What Are Some Examples of Marine Survival Gear?

If you are thinking about marine survival gear then you’re probably pondering over the safety of your upcoming sea voyage. Better safe than sorry! Since most marine survival items can be stored in a bag or box, there’s no sense in disregarding these important items that could very well save a person’s life. What is some of the most commonly recommended marine survival gear for boaters?

Let’s start with a life vest, possibly the most important item you can carry, as this can prevent a person from drowning if he or she were tossed overboard. Keep in mind that some survival items can actually be packed into life vest pockets. You can also use pants or shirt pockets for extra room if you run out of space in the survival kit. The survival kit itself should have the ability to float, open or close, just in case you drop it. One novel invention in marine survival gear is a floatable kit with a long poly line and clip, so that it can attach to other survivors or perhaps a raft.

A waterproof match case may prove helpful as well as bottle of water disinfectant tabs inside a waterproof container and storage bags for water. Other items of note include signal mirrors, an emergency whistle to communicate with others, and a fire-starter kit. When it comes to batteries, you want to bring backups for all your electronic devices, including AA battery gadgets (like flashlights or long lasting chemical light sticks) as well as smaller batteries for watches or GPS systems. Knives are always an important item in marine survival gear, so find a long knife at least six inches, as well as tool kit and perhaps a knife sharpener. Make sure to plan on bringing a saw for more intensive cutting, as well as some needle nose grips for pulling.

If you are fishing then bring along a fishing kit and make sure you have plenty of hooks, flies, swivels, lines, safety pins, razors, spinners, spoons and sewing needles. You might also want to bring along an aluminum case for storage and cloth tape. You definitely don’t want to run out of fishing equipment just a few hours into your expedition! Special fishing equipment might also be necessary for your trip, depending on where you will be located. Just to be safe bring along additional fishing marine survival gear like a snare wire, spear head and net.

Non-electronic items will still prove valuable in an emergency. Bring a poncho to protect yourself from rain and water, a hat with a neck flap, anti UV sun glasses, waterproof sunscreen, lip balm, and insect repellant. Bring an extra blanket in case you get cold, along with extra bags, a waterproof notebook and “space” pen. (It writes upside down!)

Last but not least in planning your marine survival gear, you want to take a survival manual so you can remain calm in an emergency. Also be sure to take along plenty of food, water and medication to sustain you in the event of hunger, thirst, injury, or motion sickness. For more information on what marine survival gear you need, look up marine retail stores online.

BoaterSupply.com Provides Expert opinions and reviews to help you Compare marine electronics and marine survival gear.

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How To Survive A Cheating Spouse

In this article we will talk about how to survive a cheating spouse, and also, how to come to terms when it comes to dealing with a cheating spouse.

First of all, depending on how long you have been together, you will want to have a long hard think alone whether you want to stay in the relationship. I guess this applies to both people in the relationship.

Cheating can be a heart wrenching experience, and dealing with a cheating spouse first has to come after the decision as to whether or not you want to stay together as a couple.

If you do decide to stay together and want to try and survive a cheating spouse, then it is going to be a long hard time for you both. Building back trust is a long, slow process, but some couples have proved that it can be done.

Personally, I don’t agree or believe with going behind you partners back. It would be much better to always try and communicate problems in the relationship before doing something you may regret for the rest of your life.

However, sometimes in life, people do cheat on their spouse, and it can destroy people’s lives when they do. Some people may choose not to forgive their partners betrayal, and this is a choice anyone is free to make, however, if the relationship has lasted a long time, there may be other complications to think about when dealing with a cheating spouse, such as children, other family members, and even the fact of do you really want to start again with someone new, when you have built up everything together, through the good and the bad.

As you can see from the above, there are many things to think about.

So if one chooses to go alone and go their separate ways after the affair, how can one truly survive a cheating spouse?

To be honest, some people may not survive a cheating spouse, depending on the length of the relationship; it may indeed destroy part of a person’s soul and heart.

For this kind of situation, we would be lying if we could offer you any advice that may help you, simply because of the time and love you have shared with that person. The only thing we would say is that in life, you have to move forward. If you surrender to life, and it happens to many people across the world, you could well become dead alive. What we mean by this is that you could just give up and become so depressed and in denial, that you could give up on life, and slowly to start to rot away until you no longer want to be apart of this life. This is sad, and we hate to sound negative, but it can be the case for some people.

Here are some guidelines for dealing with a cheating spouse that we recommend anyone read if they are currently dealing with a cheating spouse:

1) In life, we must move forward, no matter what happens, slowly moving forward is the only way you eventually move on

2) If you do become a victim to an unfaithful partner and you choose not to stay, then we suggest you find out what your dreams are, and start a path to slowly follow them, everything else may fit in with this. Again, it may not because some people will not ever get over there past, no matter what they believe. Emotional turmoil is the biggest and hardest obstacle to overcome in life.

3) Be active, dont lie around and think, time makes things easier, in time we heal, and with time, we may even forgive. Remember, life is hard, mean place, it isn’t easy, and dealing with a cheating spouse is part of the many aspects of life.

4) Finally, we believe if that one truly loves one, they will not cheat, and do whatever they can to solve issues in the relationship. If one does cheat, did they truly have the commitment that love should bring? Giving up and breaking up is easy, going for the long haul is something that doesn’t happen as much these days. People seem to believe they don’t have to stay with that person, maybe so, but if you choose someone to spend your life with, seeing it through to the end makes you both winners.

Do you think your spouse may be cheating on you?

You can get all the helpful cheating spouse advice you need at:

http://www.CheatingSpouseAdvice.com

All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active and do not edit the article in any way.

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The H1N1, or swine flu, is fast becoming the pandemic everyone feared it wouldA large percentage of the population are not following the suggested hygienic guidelines allowing the virus to spread at an alarming rate. This is leading to the rapid spread of the flu and bringing about the predicted pandemic situation we are currently experiencing.

Health officials are concerned about the behavior of the H1N1 virus. This is a new strain of virus that most of the population has not been in contact with, leaving them without the antibodies needed to fight off the virus. Another alarming behavior with this strain is the fact that the virus continued to spread through the summer in United States, a season usually associated with little to no flu activity. Physicians are worried about the normal flu season when children are back in school and temperatures are low, allowing for increased flu activity.

While there are plenty of seasonal flu vaccines, we are just now getting some doses of the H1N1 vaccine, leaving a large majority of the population at risk for H1N1.

Work Together To Stop The Spread Of H1N1
© Jorge Casais – Fotolia.com

Without wide spread vaccination, all we can do is follow the accepted hygienic guidelines to fight the spread of the swine flu. This is were you come in, this where everyone needs to cooperate to stop the spread of the virus.

We all have a personal and community duty to stop this virus. It is irresponsible to ignore the simple measures that can help stop this pandemic. Ignoring these guidelines will not only cause you to get sick, it will also cause society to get sick. Even if someone doesn’t care about their own health, they need to follow the simple rules for society’s sake. In this modern world with community transportation and global airline flights, the flu can spread literally overnight around the world.

Try as hard as you can to stay out of crowded places. Always wash your hands as often as possible. Cover your mouth with a napkin when you cough, or sneeze. If you cannot find something to cough, or sneeze into, use the sleeve of your shirt, or jacket. If you have any symptoms of the flu, stay home. If you live with your family, or others, try to isolate yourself to one room of your home. Please show your children the proper way to cough, or sneeze. Teach your children how to properly was their hands, make it fun, tell them to sing the Happy Birthday song while they scrub their hands and not to stop until the song is over. These are such small things to do, and so easy to follow.

With these simple measures this virus can be stopped if EVERYONE follows these simple guidelines.

Can We Live Without Fossil Fuels?

Can we survive without fossil fuels? Absolutely! Not only can we survive, we can prosper. When we use fossil fuel for energy, we also produce CO2. This is the major contributor to global warming. By products produced when oil is refined are disposed of because they are toxic and unusable. If these chemicals make their way into the environment the effects can be catastrophic.

Harm to humans can come in the form of fatal illness. Most toxins can be directly attributed in various forms of cancer. If we continue to allow the production of chemicals that we know are going to be harmful to our communities, we are responsible for the lives that are affected.

The solution to the problem is so simple, why didn’t we think of it sooner? The truth of the matter is, we did.

We have known about solar and wind energy for centuries. We have gotten away from these clean energy sources in the pursuit of oil. Now that we are aware of the dangers associated with the production of fossil fuel, we are looking back to cleaner energy sources.

When we decide to totally make to switch back to solar and wind energy for our electricity needs, we will begin to see a healthier environment. We will discover that we can live comfortably with out the need for fossil fuels. We will also find that we feel better when we eliminate toxins from the air we breath in our own homes.

The time is ripe to make the switch. It has never been more affordable and accessible for home owners to move from oil and gas to solar power.

Sandra Englander is passionate and dedicated to self sufficiency in the home. She is a keen promoter of quality, easy to use DIY products. For more valuable information visit: http://www.earthforenergyefficiency.com

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Have you ever wondered what exactly you would do if you were stranded in a wilderness setting? There are many wonderful resources out there (and some not so wonderful) to teach you about the basics of wilderness survival. However, most go into levels of detail about arcane situations that most people would never find themselves in. My intent here is to provide a basic overview of survival based on the “Rules of 3.”

All you have to do is commit to memory these Survival Rules of 3, and if the situation ever arises, you will know what you have to deal with first. In a nutshell, the Rules of 3 are:

3 Minutes without Air

3 Hours without Shelter

3 Days without Water

3 Weeks without Food

For all intents and purposes, unless you have found yourself (or more likely, someone else has found you) in a medical situation, you do not have to worry about the first rule. Common sense, and physical urges, would tell us if we were under water, we have less than 3 minutes to get to air.

So, in a wilderness survival setting, our first priority is shelter. In extreme conditions, the average person needs to find shelter from the elements within 3 hours. Obviously, cold conditions are the main target of this rule. Keep in mind that being wet or hot would also apply here. When you find yourself in a survival situation, the first thing you must do is find shelter from the elements. If you have a tent, put it up. If not, you can construct a lean to from the natural resources you find in the area. If you need shelter immediately, you can find a natural rock overhang or something similar to get out of the snow, rain, and/or wind. Remember, you have to protect yourself from hypothermia. After you have built a shelter, make a fire. A fire will keep you warm and also lift your spirits.

Once you have secured a good shelter and fire, your next thoughts should turn to water. Human beings can not live beyond 3 days without water. Unless you are on a backpacking trip, you probably do not have iodine tablets or some other method of clearing water of bacteria. You should look for immediate water sources. If you find them, you can boil the water for safety. Otherwise, you may to use other resources, such as making a solar still or using the evaporation method. More on these methods can be found elsewhere.

The final Rule of 3 is 3 weeks without food. Many survival shows on TV or survival websites trump up methods of find food or the priority of finding food. The truth is most people who are lost are found within 3 days. Food should be your last priority. And also remember, you don’t want to spend more energy finding good than you will get from the food. You want to conserve energy, you want to stay in one spot, and you want to stay safe. However, let’s say you are in a survival situation long enough to need food. Your thoughts can then turn to finding something to eat. Unless you are an expert on local plants, do not eat berries, leaves, or mushrooms that you think might be edible. You could easily die. You also do not want to spend time and energy hunting animals far off from your campsite. Considering that you want to conserve energy, the ideal method is to create snares to catch small animals such as squirrels or rabbits. While the chances of catching one is slim, remember that you will not expend much energy using this method, and you don’t need much food to stay alive.

One final note about wilderness survival: always tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return. This is the best guarantee that you will survive if you found yourself in a survival situation. If no one knows that you are missing, then no one will be looking for you.

John Haynes is a camping and hiking enthusiast who lives with his daughter in Northwest Florida. Find out more about him and his business at http://www.themodernexplorer.net

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What Are Outdoor Survival Kits?

Outdoor survival kits can be purchased as is when they’re pre-made, or they can often also be the result of a do it yourself project. There is no one set right or wrong way to set up or put together the ideal survival kit, but one thing to understand right off the bat is that if someone is trying to charge more for an “outdoor” specialty kit versus a “regular” kit, don’t fall for the rip off. The two are pretty much synonyms.

An outdoor emergency kit is meant to help a person deal with the elements, which are inherently outdoors. The materials in these kits have to take into account what would be needed if you were stuck outside and had to deal with the elements. A flint and steel and a cotton ball for starting fires, water purification tablets to make safe drinking water, and gauze to bandage wounds are just three of the materials that should be included in any such kit.

Anything you can think of that could be helpful in a conventional wilderness survival kit are the same materials that you should find in any high quality outdoor kit. This can include fishing line, medication, knife, fire starters – anything that can possibly be of use when out in any outdoor environment.

Many people prefer to make their own because they can customize the kits based on specific needs, environments, and skills, but there are plenty of already made ones that can work just as well.

And if you would like to learn more about outdoor survival kits, or if maybe you’re just interested in basic survival kits in general, then you will want to take a look at this online blog.

Thanks for Reading.

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Uncle Sam Wants to Know Where You Are Going!

It is no secret that US International Travelers are at risk in the world today. However this cannot be a major factor in your decision to travel. Travel for many people including myself, is a chosen addiction. For some of us, we feel that a small part of us would be lost if we were not able to travel. It’s not easy to explain, it’s like a calling to go to the airport, or to embark on a mega cruise ship, or catch greyhound if our monies are low. Most of us pay our rent or mortgage before we leave town, however, if comes down to our 401K plan and our quarterly travel plans, you guessed it, the 401K will either be robbed or put on hold.

At a later time I will explain our general thoughts on how we plan to live once we retire)

However, for now, I shall attempt to explain the US State Department’s Travel Registration. ‘Travel registration is a free service provided by the U.S. Government to U.S. citizens who are traveling to, or living in, a foreign country. Registration allows you to record information about your upcoming trip abroad that the Department of State can use to assist you in case of an emergency. Americans residing abroad can also get routine information from the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate’

The Federal Government is very nice about the reason that they want you to register. And we realize that most people, including myself are not completely happy with the idea of telling Uncle Sam where we are going, when and for how long. BUT, in light of world events, especially the events that ARE NOT in the news we strongly suggest that you register you foreign travel.

The Federal Government puts it like this ” ……Millions of Americans travel abroad every year and encounter no difficulties. However, U.S. embassies and consulates assist nearly 200,000 Americans each year who are victims of crime, accident, or illness, or whose family and friends need to contact them in an emergency. When an emergency happens, or if natural disaster, terrorism, or civil unrest strikes during your foreign travel, the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate can be your source of assistance and information. By registering your trip, you help the embassy or consulate locate you when you might need them the most. Registration is voluntary and costs nothing, but it should be a big part of your travel planning and security”

The keywords in the above paragraph are ‘terrorism or civil unrest strikes during your foreign travel’ Things are happening. You can read the Current Travel Warnings & the State Department’s Public Announcements and get a summary of what is really happening in the world today. “The State Department issues Public Announcements about terrorist threats and other conditions that pose significant risks to Americans. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid a certain country” In most cases Americans are given free will, however after reading some of the Warnings in detail, you more then likely will agree with the State Department.

For the sake of research so that you have a better understanding, listen to the world news or the local news. Then click on Public Announcement or Current Travel Warnings on the http://www.travel360degrees.com Home Page and compare the Travel Announcements or Warnings with news that WAS NOT mentioned in the e-media. Our government has a responsibility to tell us as much as they can about a foreign country before we depart the US. And they do an excellent job with the Travel Warnings.

Travel is a multi-bullion dollar industry, no country wants to end up on the “US Current Travel Warning’s Page” so I image that a great effort is made to maintain a positive relationship with countries that end up on “the sheet” So read between the lines. http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html

Educate yourself before you purchase your ticket and check back often before your departure. Things change, as you can see by the list of Countries listed in the Travel Warnings. To protect yourself, purchase Travel Insurance that has a civil unrest and or a terrorism clause in it. And of course get a quote from the travel360degrees.com site for your Business Class and International Flights.

Cassandra Ingraham is the webmaster for travel360degrees.com. Sign up today for free e-Travel Alerts, Travel Security Tips and International Airfare Consolidator quotes.

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