Are We in a National Emergency Hoax?

This time labels won't cut it. My three children and perhaps yours are smack-dab in the middle of the high-risk group, and we keep watching people on television lined up to get the H1N1 flu shot wondering where those fortunate people live. Where most of us live you know that H1N1 is a national emergency, but there's nothing you can do about it. The vaccine is always coming next week. You know that they don't want to close the schools until so many people are sick that education is nearly impossible. Okay, I guess. But, what they don't know is where you can get your kids, and yourselves, into a line that actually leads to prevention.

Now, if this doesn't remind you of the government's inept Hurricane Katrina response where people desperate for water and help waited, waited and waited, then you must have been born in the last few years.

The head of the CDC, Thomas Frieden, has apologized. He says he "shares" our frustration. Is that what he was doing in August when he downplayed flu fears? And why was the White House not on that problem right away given that its own report contradicted this view?

The apology is disingenuous and doesn't mean beans to parents wondering if their child is going to be one of the unfortunate who, for some as yet unknown reason, has a violent reaction to H1N1. And why are we in the dark? And why is that acceptable?

Have members of Congress gotten H1N1 shots or sprays yet? Have their families? Well, what about yours and mine? If it's a national emergency and an informed hospital health care worker I overhead talking today is right, that most of the flu we're now seeing is H1N1 and the severity of the threat is being understated, then what is going on?

Is this the same government that wants us to believe that we need to send thousands of troops to Afghanistan? If they can't even get flu shots to kids in danger at home, then what makes us think these geniuses know what they're doing there either? Once again are their kids being protected and ours not?

We're in a national emergency and most of us are seeing squat when it comes to a national response.

There is no excuse for this. No apology makes it acceptable. If we don't see action now, then we need new people in government, a new party to run against the two bought and sold ones. As we can see this time, and there will be other times, they don't protect our children until they're good and ready to get around to it. But they don't mind sending them half way around the world to make some generals happy, our president a "wartime" one, and some masters of the universe even more deliriously wealthy. If they want our trust, they can earn it.

Dr. Reardon also blogs at bardscove.

Comments

[mofmars333]

For those who want the facts about the risk & benefit of getting the H1N1 vaccine or not, see this article;

http://www.thevaccination.com/article/2/Should-I-get-the-new-H1N1-vaccine.html

This article will help people make informed decisions so please pass it everywhere & do your part to help educate the masses.

Read & learn more from the comments at:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/16/mandatory-flu-vaccines-fo_n_323923.html?show_comment_id=33374563#comment_33374563

[SEQUOIABISON]

I am sorry Ms Reardon I usually agree with you, but I think you are contributing to the panic and scare tactics emblematic of the pharmaceutical industry. There are just far too many objections coming from credible sources, that insist inoculations may have harmful side effects. I do not think these warnings should be dismissed so causally. The emphasis should be on telling people to stay healthy and strong so their body's immune system can fight off invading germs naturally.

[strangelet]

Dr. Reardon -- I am not an M.D., and of course neither are you, but the news surrounding the "National Emergency" announcement seemed pretty clear. The principal objective was to permit the emergency waiver of some regulations, to allow hospitals to set up separate staging areas (e.g., tents in parking lots) for folks showing up at ERs with flu-like symptoms, so the ERs don't turn into flu incubators.

Frankly, that seems like a pretty reasonable idea. While I tend to think that there is something amiss with a system that can only deal with this matter by declaring a "National Health Emergency", if that is what the law requires then it was the correct thing to do. I hardly think that constitutes a "hoax" -- the rationale was clearly explained.

As to the availability of vaccines -- you must be aware that the Government does not actually produce vaccines. That is done by private pharmaceutical companies. It appears that the production ramp of H1N1 vaccine has taken longer than forecast by the manufacturers. That is very bad news, but I fail to see in it much evidence of government incompetence. I suppose the government could have said "We don't believe your forecasts, so you're gonna be late, so don't bother", and saved some money; but I'm also sure that you would be assailing that decision as criminally negligent if an H1N1 pandemic actually were to occur.

[offred]

Well said.

Fanned.

[mofmars333]

Autism activists question H1N1 vaccine

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/top-stories/autism-activists-question-h1n1-vaccine-1.1815379

"Autism Increase Environmental Not Genetic – Says New Director of USA’s $30.5 Billion Health Research Budget"

http://childhealthsafety.wordpress.com/2009/10/24/autismenvironmental/

[mofmars333]

"Are We in a National Emergency Hoax?"

We are, Kathleen, but not in the way you think. Please reevaluate all fact from both sides of this issue & especially the information presented in the comment section at the following link.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/24/obama-declares-swine-flu_n_332617.html

Please see the revealing information there that exposes this whole matter to the point there's no room left for the duped to deny or the shills to try to fool "US" any more.

"They can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but they can not fool all of the people all of the time"

[mjc]

You're right. It is a national hoax....at least I can hope it is. I've asked my doc whether I should get the vaccine and he said yes, but I am out of the categories that are presently being vaccinated in my area. Over 64, not pregnant, not a health care worker....but I do have asthma and have for years. By the time they get around to distributing it to my age group either most of us will have had it or will get the disease and be seriously sick or dead. The government is certainly not fulfilling its obligation to its people by suggesting everyone ought to be vaccinated and yet falling so short of supplies of the vaccine

[Pillar-of-Autumn]

WOLF! The public heard it before about SARS, then Bird Flu, now Swine Flu. None every materialized as ANY threat at all to the American people. H1N1's lethality is absolutely trivial. Yawn. Compare it to the actual seasonal flu! There is no credibility to the media-medical epidemic catastrophy hype complex. Its unfortunate that stuff like this continues, because it makes us skeptical of the danger of any coming "catastrophe" and thus distracts from real emergencies we need to act on, like global warming and peak oil. This kind of stuff does a tremendous disservice to all people.

[mofmars333]

Swine flu peaks out before vaccines even make it into widespread distribution

http://www.naturalnews.com/027347_vaccines_swine_flu_H1N1.html

[mofmars333]

Please help "US" All!

The Obama Administration is listening to "US" concerning too many vaccines & other toxins those we trusted with our well being let loose on "US"

Make your voice heard by adding it to the many others for one so loud, it can't be ignored.

No matter which side of this issue you stand on concerning vaccinations, our children are too important not to address this matter.

See this most revealing & eye opening information at this most important article in the comment section;

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/24/obama-declares-swine-flu_n_332617.html

[MattoutinAZ]

Government run Health Care would be WAAAY better than government run vaccines. Just a preview of things to come.

This N1H1 joke has killed 15 times LESS people than the common seasonal flu so run for the hills because the nothing is coming.

[jade7243]

Although the seasonal flu kills approximately 34,000 people year, the H1N1 strain is different and targets groups not typically vulnerable to seasonal flu. Children, pregnant women, teens are especially likely to develop complications and die.

H1N1 is a combination of influenza viruses which include so-called swine and bird flu strains.

If you don't want to take care of yourself and take the vaccine, don't. You have that right.

However, I'd advise that if you can get the vaccine whenever it becomes available, do get it. Be patient so you won't become a patient.

[mbaty]

This "national emergency" does seem to be a hoax. Apparently, the CDC has stopped counting actual H!N! cases and just assumes any "flu-like" reports to be H!N! But the swine flu seems to be relatively mild and not nearly as pandemic-y as the media is hyping it to be. The vaccine is basically untested and is known to contain dangerous additives, and yet the pharma companies have legal immunity and have already been paid. So many things about this "national emergency" are shady and don't add up. Now they are trying to sell a cervical cancer vaccine to boys saying, "no it was a sexually transmitted infection vaccine." There is too much money flying around to even make sense of what's what or who has vested interests where. I say, vitamin D is your friend. And don't forget the lessons of history (1970's anyone?) The last thing our health care system needs is a bunch of people disabled by a careless swine shot with no way of getting compensated for their injuries.