Flu Debates
This Washington Post article makes the claim that our country's fear of the flu is unneccesary given the facts and past history. However, the threat of a worldwide flu Pandemic is very real.I understand what Dubyah is trying to do as well, and I understand what prompted the Washington Post to publish this article. As with most of Dubaya's half-baked schemes, no one should agree with it. He's taking another fear-based threat, and trying to hammer out an agenda that makes him look good. Just like Iraq, the joke's on us . . . a 20 million shot stockpile for Americans is absolutely useless against a global Pandemic. But short-term thinking shows that he's fighting the good fight, caring about American's, blah blah blah. . .
The problem with the article is that it underplays the issue. Pandemics are a real threat to globally-connected, tightly-packed human beings. I think that writing any article that tries to downplay this fact to serve as counterpoint to Bush's agenda is a pretty shallow thing to do.
Furthermore, the article misses the boat. One of the big selling points is to show a graphic that highlights the rise in flu vaccine vs. the yearly deaths from flu. While the use for flu vaccine has risen dramatically, the actual deaths have remained static. Therefore, you can claim that there is no proof that flu vaccines are doing anything helpful.
Unfortunately, this chart is like comparing apples to oranges. The last Pandemic flu in our history, 1918, is the last time we had any appropriate data to use for comparison. And it's effects speak for itself. Granted - medicine is better now than it was in 1918, but urban populations are much denser and the ability for the infected to travel long distances has improved many times over.
Personally, I am very happy that the chart shows vaccine use on a dramatic rise. If anything else, just consider current vaccinations as a yearly fire drill, preparing the world for the big one. For currently un-deadly flu strains, as far as I'm concenred, we could just fill syringes with water. As long as the process for distributing the vaccine, and making the vaccine, continue to improve then who cares?
To fight a Pandemic, the organization, supplies, and adminstrative infrastructure have to be in place, and they have to be routine. This means a yearly vaccination for everybody. Instead of worrying about political agendas, I think it's time to pull our concern for science-based public health out of the urinal, and start thinking about the future.
posted by Chris W. @ 11:17 AM
