Here & There Column 12-1-09

Flu Shot Shortage & Do We Need It?

Has there been a strong demand for the H1N1 and Seasonal Flu vaccines and has that demand caused some clinical practices to run short?
This question has been debated and discussed and there has even been blame placed on our health care system for not being able to deliver enough flu shots when they are most needed.
There is no clear explanation from folks in the medical field about the fact that we have seen the H1N1 virus coming for over a year and we still were faced with the reported shortage of flu shots.
We have even heard some folks creating questions about government run medical programs and that the allege shortage of flu shots when they were most needed doesn't present a rosy picture on proposals to manage, overhaul and streamline the health care system.
One year ago, the government pointed out that we would have hundreds of million of vaccinations available, then, over the summer, the prediction was that 40 million would be on hand by the end of October.....then it was scaled back to 28 million.
Of course no one will step up and take the blame here but the alleged shortage could leave tens of millions vulnerable. With the tendency of the virus to strike the young, who is going to answer questions of why some children could not get protection?
And then there have been statements written by some in the medical profession saying that flu shots are worse than useless and that 99 percent of the population doesn't know that yet.
Dr. David Williams, known for his independence and a reputation as one of the world's leading authorities on natural healing, in one of his recent email newsletters said, "flu shots are worse than useless," and, "in fact the vaccine really increases your chances of catching the flu," and flu shots, "vaccination actually caused more damage and deaths than the flu itself."
Dr. Williams was critical of what the flu shot contains and that the flu "vaccine itself is toxic and a killer cocktail."
We will stay clear of who is right and who is wrong on these subjects and pass that responsibility along to the general public to make that decision.
Flu seasons come and flu seasons go and the H1Ni will not mean the end of the world but folks should educate themselves and several ways to avoid the flu is wash your hands regularly, keep and use hand sanitizers regularly, stay away from crowded indoor events, eat healthy foods and exercise.
Medical folks are also urging everyone to keep our mental health intact through this flu season time and remember that no one has yet to push the panic button.