October 23, 2009

H1N1: Big Deal or Not?


H1N1 or the "swine flu".  Just what in the heck is it and why should we care? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it "is a new influenza A (H1N1) virus that has never before circulated among humans. This virus is not related to previous or current human seasonal influenza viruses."  So what does this mean for you and I?  In my opinion not too much.

Remember the Bird Flu?  Whatever happened to that?  Seems that it took a back seat and quietly went away.  Over the past 3 to 4 years, the WHO and the CDC have been talking about we are due for a Pandemic (well at least according to statistical trends).  Now we have the Swine Flu.  I think the WHO and CDC are correct in alarming the public that there is a new virus out there - after all it is their job.  However, you have to start looking at the media and drug companies for really pushing this thing and scaring folks.

People have died.  Yes, and I am sensitive to this.  However, more people die from AIDS, Cancer, etc. all the time and it never gets as much coverage as the new virus on the block.  Is it me, or do you find it amazing that from the time we first heard about H1N1 until now, there is a vaccine for it?!!  Vaccines and new drugs typically take years to clear the FDA (if ever), but this one has managed to infiltrate the markets and now they have run out!

Can you say the law of supply and demand?  You only make a little bit of the vaccine to see who "bites" and when you run out, there is a huge demand for more! Duh!  See where this is going.  I may be wrong here, but this sounds like a case for increasing the pockets of some drug companies and possibly some politicians as well.

Let's see how long this one stay in the news before the next flu comes out.  We've had the Bird Flu and the Swine Flu.....next up, Fish Flu.
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2 comments:

  1. As I sit here reading this and nodding my head, a commercial for the H1N1 vaccine comes on tv.

    I was just saying to my husband that I think people are getting a little out of hand with this. There were people on the news actually crying b/c the local clinic ran out of vaccines. We should be cautious, but let's not go crazy.

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