we have a large population of semieducated people who believe they understand science, but do not. from this we get whole cities in colorado not requiring childhood vaccinations and the result is an epidemic in those places of diseases that most people have not seen for decades. the diseases not only risk the life of the child but in some cases cause future health problems many years removed from childhood.
despite this these people carry on, go figure
The swine doubt break (as Jon Stewart calls it) has brought forth a real response.
The National Vaccine Program Office (a proud unit of the Department of Health and Human Services) has created a working group to monitor the safety of the vaccine.
Marie McCormick of the Harvard School of Public Health is heading the working group.
So far the only recommendation is that, if you get a rare reaction called Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) within six weeks of getting the seasonal flu shot, don’t get this one because it’s made the same way.
The same holds for concerns about thimesoral, a mercury-based preservative. The flu is more dangerous to your infant than the vaccine. Get it, is the advice.
The crazy regarding the H1N1 vaccine is actually a symptom of something much, much deeper, namely a distrust of any authority. This can happen in uncertain times — remember the 60s?
But the current outbreak is a reminder that when history repeats itself it often comes back as satire. The government is out to get you, science is out to get you, and there may not be enough?
