Sep 02 2009
The Threat of Swine Flu is Back
The threat of swine flu is back. Watch any news program during your morning coffee and you will hear swine flu mentioned at least once. Health officials are sending the warning that half of Americans could be infected by the swine flu this flu season and 90,000 could die.
What?
90,000 people could die from the swine flu?
They are encouraging people to get the swine flu vaccine when it becomes available, although there will only be enough for half of the population. Let’s hope it’s the half that would have been infected in the first place.
Why can’t they make enough vaccine to cover the whole population?
I’m sitting here, watching the news as I write, and waited patiently to learn, “how to protect yourself from the swine flu”. I waited through several commercial breaks to hear how I could protect myself and my family from this potentially fatal flu.
What have I learned in the past hour?
First, that I should get vaccinated, but only if I am a school aged child, have asthma, or am otherwise frail.
Second, if I fly, I shouldn’t fly sick. Well, no kidding, but this would mean that I was already infected. The news warned of flying, but then reminded us that all airlines have confirmed that the air inside of planes is HEPA filtered and safe.
Third, I learned that I shouldn’t cough into my hands, but into the crook of my elbow. Again, this would mean I am already infected, and is not a prevention technique to avoid catching illness but a means to not spread infection to others.
The newscast then ended abruptly. What did I really learn about swine flu?
Half of us are going to get sick if we don’t cough into our elbows and wash our hands. 90,000 of us Americans could die, so fly somewhere before you do and enjoy a vacation because the air in planes is HEPA filtered. Get vaccinated, but not if you are healthy, only if you are a child, frail or have asthma.
I learned NOTHING about how to really prevent the swine flu today, but my belief that health officials and the media try to scare the poop out of us is confirmed.
Beware, the threat of swine flu is out there, the terrorist threat level is orange, vaccinations cause autism, the recession will live on forever and toxic lead levels were found in your child’s toys from China. Now, sleep well, don’t panic, and take a vacation.
