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« Opinion
Nonchalant reaction to swine-flu threat risks lives
Nonchalant reaction to swine-flu threat risks lives
EDITOR:
The global H1N1 influenza pandemic has just started and it has, so far, killed over 1,000 Americans and has sent 20,000 to the hospital. It looks like it might be a rampant deadly outbreak. In the 1918 influenza pandemic, over 4,000,000 people died worldwide, and over 600,000 were Americans. Have we learned anything?
Recently, the director of the Centers for Disease Control, T. R. Frieden, when asked about CDC failures, admitted, “It’s frustrating to all of us. Our vaccine technology is antiquated. We are producing vaccines too slowly.” As Americans remain unvaccinated, many are becoming ill, and the mortality rate accelerates. Production is way behind schedule and the swine flu is widespread in 46 states. Ohio is supposed to have 121 sites for its people to obtain the vaccine, and a health department check reveals only four sites, statewide, are open.
Where is Youngstown’s supply? The Ohio Department of Health ordered 66,100 doses of nasal-spray vaccine and 94,000 shots of swine flu vaccine on October 23. What a disgraceful pittance. In Columbus, do they realize that Ohio has 11,353,000 citizens. Obama has declared the swine flu a national emergency. It would be nice to get some lifesaving help from Washington instead of excuses.
The CDC recommends priority vaccinations for certain groups of Americans: pregnant women, caregivers, medical personnel, children, and persons aged 25 to 64, with health conditions. Healthy seniors over age 64 are not on the list, they are never mentioned. In spite of the fact that there are 36.3 million seniors over age 65 in the U.S. today, they are at the bottom of the CDC’s vaccination priority list. What is next, vials of hemlock for a senior euthanasia program?
ANTHONY DeGIDIO
Youngstown
Biros isn’t the only murderer who shouldn’t get a reprieve
EDITOR:
Your Oct. 30 criticism of the Kenneth Biros delay of execution did not go far enough. Yes, U.S. District Court Judge Frost did overstep his constitutional boundary by issuing the Biros stay. But Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland was also wrong to issue postponements of execution for stranglers Lawrence Reynolds and Daryl Durr.
Why should these two thugs receive stays and thus a benefit of doubt when 32 of 33 executions in Ohio have occurred without a hitch? Strickland overreacted and erred on the side of two horrendously evil men at the expense of the victims and their families who once again have to witness the justice system bend backwards and go extremely overboard on behalf of murderers.
Strickland and Frost both totally lack proportionality and perspective when it comes to justice. Where is the balance? It doesn’t exist.
AARON J. VESELENAK
Rogers City, Mich.
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Comments
Anthony, Relax. We probably face greater danger from all the politicians and medical professionals trying to run our lives, than we do from a lack of vaccine.
While I don't doubt there's flu out there, there's lots of other stuff, as well! To listen to the media, you'd think that Swine (oops! sorry! the H1N1) flu was the only threat left to mankind.
There's more than a touch of mob hysteria to this current "crisis". How great is the actual risk? Frankly, I don't think they really know. Sure, people have died from this. But, then, people die everyday from all sorts of things. And, as they investigate many of the deaths supposedly caused by the H1N1 virus, they're discovering that these people have other conditions that are the primary cause of death.
I'm not trying to ignore the risks of this disease; just trying to put it in perspective. Medical science has done an incredible job of improving human existence. But they've yet to find a cure for fear, itself. And right now, that's what most folks are suffering from.
It sells papers and we are here on this site talking about it. Its the flu. If you want the vaccine then get it when its available. They arent even testing for it at this point cause it costs too much. I work with MDs and relax a little. Stress will decrease your bodies defenses anyways. Have a glass of red wine instead.
Better safe than sorry- My child came home from school saying that they learned to cough and sneeze into their elbow with Germy Wormie, and I was totally taken aback. I always covered with my hands. But I went to the website and now I get it, hands touch, elbows don't!! Kids can touch 300 surfaces in 1/2 hour and they hate to wash their hands. There is also a DVD that teaches them in a fun way the elbow cough, as well as other important hygiene habits.
Hi marymoran, The sneezing and handwashing advice being offered is perfectly good. However, I think a lot of people are taking the "better safe than sorry" approach about absolutely everything - and they're being ruled by their fears - and are trying to rule the rest of us by them, as well.
I'm much more fearful of the actual flu and flu shots...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m79mGZyj...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mScGC7nFD...