Students, protect yourselves against the pig
Posted November 11, 2009 at 11:10 pm in Columns, Opinion
Why did the chicken cross the road?
Because he had the swine flu.
How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Thomas Curry | Daily Trojan
As much as he could before he caught the swine flu.
Where’s Waldo?
I don’t know, but there’s probably a rash of swine flu cases there.
Jokes aside, the H1N1 virus is everywhere.
Just as potent as it was earlier this year, the swine flu is rearing its ugly snout all across the world, with new cases of the illness emerging at an alarming rate. Currently, there are 6,508 confirmed swine-flu related deaths worldwide, with the number growing by the hundreds every week.
The startling facts of the disease have become common knowledge, as talk of the H1N1 virus has dominated news coverage for the better part of the year. The underlying message has been very clear: This is the common flu on steroids.
Aside from a gnarly and potentially fatal set of symptoms and complications, this strain of the flu virus is particularly dangerous because those who have the biggest risk of contracting the illness make up what has traditionally been the healthiest age demographic — young adults ranging in age from 18-29. In adding this group to the traditional list of highly susceptible groups, it’s not hard to see why there’s been such a widespread panic.
And yet, in spite of all of the literature available about the dangers of the disease, the general attitude of those in the “highest risk” category seems to be one of cautious indifference, with many giving H1N1 the same respect as the Y2K bug in the midst of one of the largest health scares in recent memory.
According to a survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 40 percent of young adults said that they would get the H1N1 vaccination.
It’s fitting that this particular strain of virus has also been labeled “novel influenza” by the CDC, as it seems to be treated more like a novelty than a life-threatening illness. If anything, the tense atmosphere that has been created by this panic has served as a goldmine for fair-weather students who can use the buzzwords “swine flu” and “flu-like symptoms” as convenient excuses to finagle a way out of classes.
Realistically, it seems logical to think that everyone would want to have protection against the swine flu. Given the grave circumstances, why wouldn’t people be jumping at the opportunity to shield themselves from a pandemic?
The problem, then, must lie elsewhere.
Could it be the limited supply of the vaccine? Perhaps the collective mindset is that of altruistic deference — an elaborate goodwill effort to give others the opportunity to receive the vaccine before oneself. But it’s both a doubtful and moot point, considering most students fall into one of the high-risk groups that are being given priority for these shots.
Additionally, based on the fervor shown when people have to fight to snatch up a finite number of tickets for major football away games, it seems curious that they would not be capable of showing the same effort for something with a much more pronounced benefit.
Maybe the long lines are scaring away potential vaccine recipients. The prospect of being forced to stand in a motionless queue is only as rewarding as the prize to be found at the end. Understandably, the H1N1 vaccine is slightly less appealing compared to say, Space Mountain at Disneyland.
But, the fact remains that many of the distribution sites for the vaccines are offering extremely affordable (if not free) prices. Given this, wouldn’t it be an auspicious time investment to stick around?
The majority of the concern then, seems to fall upon the vaccine itself.
Granted, there have been isolated cases of severe allergic reactions to the H1N1 vaccine. Naturally, word of these particular incidents travels much farther than that of all the successful vaccinations. But most of the hype surrounding the dangers of the vaccine is misinformed.
The actual vaccine itself is the same as the seasonal flu variety, just with a different strain. Thus, rather than having two radically different treatments, you have very similar models with a twist.
It’s not unlike the difference between Bud Light and Bud Light Lime — they’re essentially the same product: If you’re going to get drunk with one of them, you’re going to find a similar result in the other.
In the same vein, those who got sick from the H1N1 treatment would’ve most likely found themselves with a similar averse reaction to the garden-variety flu vaccine.
Ultimately, the decision to get vaccinated isn’t a personal one, especially in the context of a highly interactive community setting such as a college campus. By holding out on the swine flu vaccine, you run the risk of being that guy.
The one who gets everyone in his house sick, even if it’s unintentional. And the one who is stoic enough to go class feeling under the weather, only to contaminate those within a one-seat radius, eventually leading to a snowball effect.
Slippery slope? Yes.
But wholly possible.
Out of consideration for others, it would be in the interest of all to try and get vaccinated.
With plenty of opportunities to receive vaccines at free clinics and physician’s offices, and a continued production of the vaccine, the only conceivable reason why someone would skip out on the vaccine is pure laziness.
Perhaps this is just a case of Darwinism waiting to run its course.
It would be in the best interest of all to reverse our pigheaded ways before we find out.
Soojin Yoon is a junior majoring in public relations. His column, “Boy Meets Word,” runs Thursdays.
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I think that the swine flu is a serious thing becuase it is a flu, but in a way people exagerate to make it bigger that what it is. It is bad but they make it seem bigger. I myself take really good of myself to prevent myself from getting it, I use sanitizer for my hands and i also wash my hands to prevent from getting any germs.
“Since this is an opinion article, I think the swine flu is way over rated.” – Oh, really. Maybe you should look up the 1918 Spanish Flu on Wikipedia. While you are at it, look up cytokine storm, and perhaps you’ll appreciate why the young and the healthy are at particular risk from a novel influenza virus.
“People made it into some huge pandemic when all it is is a flu.” – Have you ever had influenza, not just what your mother tells you is a flu? I have. Try a 103 degree fever, chills, coughing up blood after a week, and not being “right” for a couple of months afterward. That’s influenza – it ain’t a runny nose and a sore throat.
‘”Speaking of the flu, the flu kills thousands of people every year yet people don’t freak out about that.” – People should. Influenza kills a lot more people that a many other diseases that get a lot more money thrown at them by the government and private industry. If a fraction of the money spent on the more “glamorous” diseases was spent on influenza, we’d have a universal vaccine (that is, one against all flu strains) that wasn’t made in chicken eggs (the cause for many of the allergic reactions, and a huge supply chain issue).
” It is just a new kind of flu introduced to the world; it does not need to be looked any differently than the common cold.” – See the comments above; flu is NOT the common cold. It can kill you, it can kill your grandmother, it can kill your nieces and nephews.
Get vaccinated, if not for you, for those around you.
Thanks for pointing this out, Yoon. I have been asking for what seems to be an eternity to my mother, “When are we going to get our vaccine?”. She always says “When the lines aren’t so big” or “When the clinics are set up”. That is when I am forced to go against my own set of values and beliefs and obey her. She just does not have the same mentality that many others, including me, have when it comes to getting vaccinated. We do not want another Spanish Flu catastrophy like we witnessed in the early 1900′s. Tens of thousands died because of that breakout. But, we did not have the technology that we have today. We now have vaccines, vaccines that cost millions of dollars to purchase and make. Vaccines that millions of Americans requested, but now that we have them, we decide not to consume them. What is it America? Is laziness yet another one of your “famous” traits. I think that we as a nation need to get vaccinated and set an example to the rest of the world that we can stop this nasty flu.
Since this is an opinion article, I think the swine flu is way over rated. People made it into some huge pandemic when all it is is a flu. Speaking of the flu, the flu kills thousands of people every year yet people don’t freak out about that. It is just a new kind of flu introduced to the world; it does not need to be looked any differently than the common cold.
– Bo Curbow
Beg to differ, I think that you are completely wrong. We are taking very asseverate precautions to prevent more people dying around the world. True, flu does kill thousands during this time of the year, but this new flu does not have a season. This flu will stay with us until we have taken the needed measures to contain it.