I think it is reasonable to look at vaccines, medication and other prescribed treatments with healthy skepticism. And this thread certainly has presented a lot of those issues.

I rarely get colds; I have had the flu once in the last 20 years. I work with a very vulnerable population - most of the kids I work with are immune-suppressed. I did get H1N1 vaccine for that reason. Not the happiest decision I made. I do worry that the amount of vaccine we expose people to are hyper-stimulating the immune system. A challenge to that thought is that our immune system is constantly being exposed to stuff anyway.

Zen - I'll have to read the book you suggested. My great-grandmother died of the flu in 1918- I understand it was young healthy adults with great immune systems that perhaps reacted "too much" to the virus. And I also understand that there was no way to treat the overwhelming lung infections that resulted in so many deaths - penicillin was not used in humans until 1941.

And curses to people who go to work sick, take public transit and spew and cough and sneeze and then touch everything......One woman last week coughed so hard (and of course did not cover her mouth) I felt it on my arm- I just glared at her and then proceeded to place my jacket over my mouth and nose.....I had to restrain myself from making a scene...I really am thinking seriously about driving into work.