Louisville Mojo: Swine Flu Anger

The news media spent a great deal of the summer talking about the people who, for one reason or another, don't trust the notion of flu shots.

Some of them think vaccines are a radical new treatment not yet tested. Some think Obama is attempting indoctrination through inoculation. Some of them have actual valid concerns.

But the conversations I mostly overheard in school hallways and playgrounds were more mundane. They were talking about when the shots would finally get here.

And sure enough, when when the first big flu shot clinic opened Wednesday morning at Cardinal Stadium, WHAS was hovering over the lengthy line of people eager to roll up their sleeve.

It seems like the underlying story that ought to be developing is not the people who aren't getting the shots because they don't want them, but the rather large number of people who want them and can't get them.

There's no need to panic. It may be, as it certainly appears now, that this particular strain of flu is not particularly virulent. It will make people very sick and there will be tragic deaths. But far and away, most people will be back at work or school in a few days, hardly worse for wear. This is not the "big one."

But assuming something else doesn't get us first, there's a very good chance that sometime in human history there will be again a rather deadly strain of something going around. We should consider situations like this a dry run for that miserable moment in the future. And if we don't handle this situation well, it does not bode well for the proverbial "ebola has gone airborne" scenario.

I would argue that we're not handling this particularly well. Obviously, you don't want to rush vaccines into production beyond what you can do safely. But Slate did an excellent story about the mistakes that slowed the swine flu vaccine beyond what was necessary.

Meanwhile, this CJ story documents the hodge-podge system of distribution that currently exists, where every agency or doctor's office that gets the vaccine doles out their share according to their own list of priorities.

Making matters worse, many of those places don't actually enforce their own rules, so the person with a vulnerable 5-year-old doesn't take their child in, obeying the priority list that says "4 and under." But if a healthy 37-year-old comes in, no one questions it.

The best part of the CJ story was this gem:

"Wendy Corrigan, director of private duty for VNA Nazareth Home Care, said the organization doesn't yet have the H1N1 vaccine, but when they get it they plan to vaccinate those 12 and older because younger children can be 'very disruptive' at the churches, businesses and other places where they provide vaccinations."

Ok. Businesses? That's one thing. But if there is a church that would turn away a six-year-old with asthma, or a one-year-old who was born premature, because young children might disrupt the important things going on in a church building on your average, say, Thursday morning, then I'd like to give the people of that church a piece of my mind. How did that quote from Jesus go again? Was it: "Suffer the little children to get the swine flu, because I don't want them hanging around in my hallways"?

No, I don't think so.

Meanwhile, of course, Wall Street bankers have the vaccine delivered to their door. (If you missed that story, you can read about it here.)

The way this is being handled ought to make people angry, or at the very least, concerned enough to lobby for some changes. If it doesn't, it's just further evidence that our attention spans are too short to learn lessons from our mistakes.

CDC/ Judy Schmidt

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Rob Beanz #162341 wed nov 11 2009 at 10:16 am ·


	Some of us, who served in a certain Gulf War, are living with the results of unproven vaccines. Most are really really sick if not already dead! And No its not paranoia, its fact! To use these un-proven medicines on your young because YOUR SCARED, well its NOT worth the future risks!! Your best bet, eat & drink healthy and stay active and fit! Its always been the best medicine. Good Luck!

SirLoin! wed nov 11 2009 at 10:26 am ·


	They'll push thimerosal in to my son's veins over my dead body.

Beverly Bartlett wed nov 11 2009 at 10:35 am ·


	Raw Beanz, how dare you suggest you know better than I do why I want to get the shot, or suggest that a one-year-old with cerebral palsy could avoid the flu by staying "active and fit." Great idea, buddy. Let's get him to crawl on a treadmill. Your recommendations have NOT always been the best medicine. Sometimes antibiotics, for example, are the best medicine. If you have juvenile diabetes, INSULIN is the best medicine. The idea that if you jog you never need medicine is insane. I'm sorry for whatever complications you've experienced, but flu vaccines are not unproven. Furthermore, it is not a fact that "Most" of the people who got vaccines in the Gulf War are really, really sick or already dead. I acknowledged that some people have legitimate concerns about vaccines, your unwillingness to acknowledge that some (indeed MOST people) have legitimate reasons for wanting it, speaks volumes.

BOOTIECUTIE;) wed nov 11 2009 at 12:53 pm ·


	congrats to those who got it, and I understand those who did not. I think its not been tested enough. Funny we as america will roll up our sleeves for the flu, but wont wear condoms to prevent the spread of STDS.

Rob Beanz #162341 wed nov 11 2009 at 1:27 pm ·


	Ms Bartlett, This is a good reason freedom of speech has gone to the dogs. To attack me and or what I say is not my idea of it. And to even suggest that a child with those conditions do that is ludicrous that you'd think it even apply to them! In no way was I saying for children with those conditions do that, it was intended for currently healthy ones flocking to the sites. I try my best to NOT direct my responses to any one individual, and am sorry you took it that way. Also to even suggest that Im that stupid to not know about the happenings of the Gulf War and who has what is even more signs of the lack of information being put out to the public. All I do is read and hear about it and its not at all good! Being forces medicines upon me during the Gulf and for 20+ years was not my idea of health because I practiced a very rigorous work out to max the physical fitness test, and it worked until 1991. Oh yea, I was a still am a single Dad for about the last 15 years, so I know a little, just not what you have to go through. One last note, Your VERY Welcome for your right to put me down and Thanks for showing your true colors!! I only wish the best for you and yours, Good Luck and Happy Veterans Day!

Beverly Bartlett wed nov 11 2009 at 1:50 pm ·


	Rawbeanz, I sincerely regret making you feel attacked. But I don't understand why you think that my comment was any more personal than yours was. You said that the only reason I wanted the shot was because "YOUR SCARED." That's what you said, in all caps. You were accusing me of being paranoid, just one sentence after denying that your own concerns were paranoid. I don't see why you think your comment wasn't a personal attack, but my correcting you on the statistics from the gulf war vaccines was. I'm tired of seeing parents insulted for trying to do the best thing for their children, especially when the thing they want to do is following the advice of the best medical minds we can assemble.

Sealilly34 wed nov 11 2009 at 7:14 pm ·


	You will be glad to know that I have been doing my part. I have been at Papa Johns Stadium giving Flu shots to A LOT of people, especially young children. I feel good that they will not be getting the Flu!

Beverly Bartlett wed nov 11 2009 at 7:17 pm ·


	Thank you Sealilly! You must be exhausted. I hope you can take it easy tonight!

Rob Beanz #162341 thu nov 12 2009 at 9:57 am ·


	Wow, Apologies tossed out big time. I have and had a bad habit of thinking faster than typing, and don't have time to go back and proof-read as before when educating. The numbers are high no matter how you look at it, 30% of 700k people (+/-) are inflicted. I was mainly wanting to point out it was MOST of the people in my unit and north of us (3/3 ACR with 18th Air Corp), who took the brunt of oil smoke because we went further west than most. The sad part is the children of those that got shots and etc conceived after the war. Its sad reading! The bottom line, the military is used as the Guinea pigs for civilians, forever. Then you brought up the cerebral palsy, which is mentioned in those births. (I also was sadden not knowing if your child had it and hope I did not insult you). I have been grateful that my daughter was conceived before I left to go to that war. She is perfect! Not so true with some of the rest. Yea numbers may not be that high, but to even be a hundred or ten, that is too many! If you took the part of capital letters as being directed at you, that was already addressed that it was directed to whoever was running scared to take their healthy children to stand in line. Was that not the basis of the heading of the story? Sure get your kids the right shots or vaccines for the right reasons (law), not because of media scare. This stuff hasn't even been on the market but months, no time for the side effects to show up on the tes

Beverly Bartlett thu nov 12 2009 at 11:17 am ·


	I appreciate that, RawBeanZ. The point of the article, at least the point I was intending to make, was that we're giving a lot of attention to people who don't want the shot. But the bigger issue, it seems to me, is the large number of people who want/need the shot but can't get it because of the way it's being distributed. I think it's wrong that people with kids -- all of whom are considered at-risk -- and particularly people with higher-risk situations like Cerebral Palsy can't get the shot, while Wall Street Bankers can. For the record,I'm blessed and my own kids are healthy but like all children are considered at some degree of higher risk because of their age. It irritates me that it's so hard for us to get the shot, while lots of people who are considered low risk are getting it. Now, your response to that is that you don't think we should get it anyway. You may be right. But surely, it is our decision to make. I don't think it's fair for people to suggest that parents who have decided on the shot are doing so only because they're crazed with media fear. I am getting the shots the doctor recommends for my children this year as I do every year. I don't see that makes me gullible or paranoid. If anything, it means I'm taking a leap of faith, putting my trust in the same people that I would run to if my child did have a serious health problem. Anyway, I hope we are cool. I don't think either of us intended for this to be personal. I appreciate your perspecti

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