Why I'm not Buying into the Hype

As flu season descends upon us the call for vaccines has increased ten fold. Both for the regular one and for the H1N1 swine flu vaccine. Normally to get a flu shot you would call your doctor and make an appointment for those in your family who needed it. Usually it was just the very young and very old who were advised to get it.

This year it's different, and yes I know the swine flu, the swine flu! I get it! Some people have died from it, but have any more really died then from the normal flu? Or have we just heard about it? That woman who died from it in Bend, she would have died from catching a cold! She was on radiation for Leukemia, you get the sniffles and your in intensive care! The swine flu has been around since about the 1950's but you try to tell some people that and your head gets lobbed off.

Why are the flu vaccines so hard to get a hold of this year? Even before they were passed out there were special lists and times to go and get one. If it would have been treated like any other flu season would there be the mad rush? Or is it because we can't readily get them that everybody is freaking out? We must get one right away already there's a short supply!

All of the places giving them out have age limits, the average cut off is 12. 12 and over!! Yes, the little kids who were the group most people used to be worried about now cannot get the flu vaccine. Unless they got on the special list back in August at their regular Doctors office. Those who can't afford to have a family Doctor? Oops sorry your little ones are out of luck! Unless you get the half page sheet of paper the school is sending home with your very reliable never looses anything 5-11 year old!

The swine flu is bad, it has put many people in the hospital. But please lets not buy onto the mass hysteria and look at this thing a little more objectively.

Fact: This strain of the flu has been around for years, the media just picked it up this year.
Fact: The vaccines are hard to get true, but how many of us cared last year? Would everybody care as much if they didn't seem rationed and hard to get?
Fact: Yes, people are dying, but most from flu related complications. Meaning that they were already susceptible to it.
Fact: The flu kills people every year, about 36,000. Mostly the old and very young, not your average healthy American.

Those are just a few of the reasons I'm not all up in arms about the flu this year. Regardless of me being right or wrong, until presented with better evidence to the contrary I will not be buying into the media hype. Besides it's all in Gods hands, even if I was vaccinated up to my eyeballs, if it's my time to go it's my time to go!=)