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BEYOND THE ONIONS: H1N1 -- to fear, or not to fear? That is the question
The lineups that stretch for blocks outside the vaccine clinics, including the initial London disbursement, should come as no surprise, the H1N1 virus, or Swine Flu as it was originally called when it first found its way into the bodies of people in Mexico so many months ago, has been on the public and health community radar for long enough that one would think health officials would have been better prepared for the onslaught of the seemingly over-the-top reaction of the general public. Yet still, despite the many red flags that popped up along the way, warning of the now tsunami-like rush for the H1N1 vaccine, people are being turned away from these clinics in droves and health officials now say there may not be enough vaccine to go around, at least not for a while. One has to wonder what's really at the core of the public's rush to get the shot: Is the Pandemic H1N1 virus really that dangerous or has the constant media coverage and health alarm bells instilled in us an almost panic-like reaction to what some say "is just the flu." It is the flu, but this is a different beast from the strains we're used to. It has the ability to snatch the life from seemingly young, healthy people. Just last week we heard the case of Evan Frustaglio, an athletic 13-year-old boy from Toronto who collapsed and died Oct. 26, after playing a weekend hockey tournament in London. The next day Toronto Public Health confirmed that his death was due to H1N1. And prior to that there was Vanetia Warner, 10, who died at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario the week before Frustaglio, after being diagnosed with H1N1 influenza. She had reportedly been in good health before contracting the virus. These kids are at an age that is not on the priority list for the vaccine, and as a parent, that's concerning. Despite the calming efforts of health officials and the priority lists that seem in need of modification, the general public is either unsure of this new bug or is terrified of its ability to spread and even kill. According to Dr. Anand Kumar, an intensive-care specialist at Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre, there should be no debate — everyone should get vaccinated. "Influenza can hurt you and kill you several different ways and not all of them are predictable at all," he told CBC in an Oct. 28 interview. "So the only, the closest thing you have in terms of a sure bet for avoiding problems is to get vaccinated." So, where does that leave all of us who are not on the priority list and are now being told we might be out of luck, for the time being, at receiving the shot due to an unforeseen shortage? That's the question that's been floating in this mind since the word was released last week that the vaccine could suddenly be in short supply. Though the vaccine was to be made available to all this week, there was a sudden change of plans for the mass vaccination. Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Arlene King said only priority groups will be getting the shot. "It's disappointing we aren't getting more vaccine next week," King told a news conference Friday (Oct. 30), adding that she had been hoping Ontario would be getting 722,000 doses. The news came after an earlier news conference Friday in Ottawa where the federal government announced it will only receive about 665,000 doses of the swine flu vaccine from manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline Inc. next week. That includes 400,000 doses of the regular version containing an adjuvant – a chemical additive that stretches supply and boosts immunity – and 225,000 doses of an adjuvant-free version intended for pregnant women. But wait – the news get better: the shortage will only last one week and afterwards the government expects 3.5 million per week, which should allow everyone who needs and wants the H1N1 vaccine to get a shot by Christmas. It seems this whole H1N1 saga is like a bad soap opera, but one that could have serious ramifications. We can only hope that this virus is not as bad as it seems. I, for one, am still not sure if I need a shot, if I want a shot, and I don't like being "not sure." But I'm not alone in this sentiment, many of us share this uncertainty in a world where the public should be anything but confused in relation to issues of health. It seems at first we were told to be afraid – be very afraid. Then, the message was not to panic, it's just a flu and everything will be hunky dory. Now, with line-ups stretching for blocks, people looking sideways at anyone who sneezes or coughs, it seems we once again should be afraid – be very afraid. That's all for now from Beyond the Onions. -- -- -- -- Ross McDermott is the Editorial Director at LondonTopic.ca. Opinions are those of the author. E-MAIL: Ross McDermott
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| The problem with this strain of the flu is it's "celebrity" status, so to speak. Millions the world over die because of the flu every single year. You are not told this every day, because it's "same'ol, same'ol." Same as car accidents, sleep apnea, allergic reactions, food poisonings, gunshot wounds, cancer, accidental slip and falls, etc. Each of these and countless more things claim lives every single day. You may hear of them in passing but don't give it much thought. Some of these things are incredibly common and we DO hear about them, but so frequently it just comes as expected and "it'll never happen to me." H1N1 claiming two young lives is unfortunate and horrible, but the regular flu could have done it just as easily and people would be none the wiser. If people were to think of every single way of how they could die every day... It's mind boggling. Wash your hands, be weary of other people's hygiene habits and stay in good healthy shape. That's the best you can do with the flu. |
| By: Bob on 11/02/2009 |
| With all the media hype and panic, I've had to double the tin foil on my head. |
| By: ICE COLD on 11/03/2009 |
| I am still undecided as well, staph which follows the flu has killed many people this year through wounds, and that has been ignored, there was SARS, its done, before that there was ARDS, which has totally been forgotten and it killed many young men 19-25 years old, starvation kills millions, and so does the normal flu, due to dehydration, fever and body shut down. If we have no normal immunity in our population due to everyone getting shots how are we ever to survive the real big one when it comes??? |
| By: Rose H on 11/03/2009 |
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