Md. Gov. Calls Seasonal Flu Shots a 'Patriotic Duty'

Washpost ^ | 09/02/09 | Aaron C. Davis

[freespirited]

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) on Wednesday said it was residents' "patriotic duty" to get seasonal flu shots in coming weeks to make it easier for health officials to determine if outbreaks are related to H1N1, or swine flu.

If residents do not get vaccinated against seasonal strains and later get sickened by them as a result, there will be little way to determine if those falling ill this fall and winter have been infected by less worrisome strains, or by the more contagious H1N1 virus, O'Malley said.

The governor characterized that scenario as serious because it could stress supplies of antiviral treatments and other resources needed to care for swine flu victims, since only those Marylanders sick enough to be hospitalized may undergo tests to confirm the presence of swine flu, state health officials said.

"You'll be doing your patriotic duty to get your seasonal flu shot this year," O'Malley said. If you've never received one, "by golly, this is a very good year to do it for the first time," he said. ...

[freespirited]

I think I am going to pass. To the best of my memory, I have never had the flu and dont want to mess with the first run of the vaccine.

[bzybee]

I do not rust these guys. If I didnt kow better i think they want to harm people and use it as another crisis. Before the election I think around late September joe Biden
was talking to a group of people how Obama would be tested and he also said something to the fact that Obama would respond to this crisis in such a way that the American people would say NO and Joe said the people would have to trust him. This WH is bad news

[Brugmansian]

Eventually people will understand what this is about. More and more cases such as this are appearing. Or maybe they won't understand unless someone close to them ends up like that kid. This is bad but its not 1918. So, like 9/11, the deaths could be quickly forgotten by the general public. Didn't affect their life so what was the big deal?

[airborne]

I turned down an offer for the flu shot yesterday while at a doctor’s appointment at the Lebanon VA.

My doc said several other vets had also chosen not to take the shot.

[kara2008]

Like ANY of the rats are going to take this vaccine themselves.

I will not take the pseudo science government vaccine.

I will get plenty of SAFE and EFFECTIVE natural vitamins and amino acids like Lysine, C, D3, etc instead.

[cranked]

O’Malley has no clue what “patriotic duty” really is.
Apparently, it is a perception thing....

[Jimmy Valentine]

O'Moron is such an idiot.

Maryland soft heads put this clown into office. Thank the Lord for term limits.

[Madam Theophilus]

Our Maryland church has already been contacted by our county’s Health Department’s Office of Epidemiology and Emergency Preparedness. They want to come and give a “talk” on how to create your own home disaster kit. Apparently September is “National Emergency Preparedness Month.” Along with the brochures on the kit there is also a flyer on getting a flu shot.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Hey, Owe’Malley, suck my b*lls.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

I think it is their patriotic duty to go to Israel and ride around on the buses during the next wave of terrorist attacks.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Oh, I almost forgot...

Maryland “Freak State” PING!

[SoldierDad]

I’ll help them pack their bags for the trip.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Since when does a Democrat care about a “patriotic duty”?

Being patriotic - about the country - is anathema to them.

Of course, if it involves Uhbama and a bunch of communists, then, hell, yes.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Please tell me what no one will:

Why is this flu any worse than any other? Don’t say it’s because it hasn’t been around “before” per se; I’m not interested in that fact or that lots of people get sick.

I want to know why this is treated as if it is some deadly disease. Why is it a big deal?

No one answers that question. Sort of like “why is global warming a big deal?” I honestly don’t know why it’s so scary.

[dianed]

” Why is this flu worse than any other?”

Maybe this will help. Viruses tend to re-assort (mix genetic material) when they coexist in the same vector(in this case, a person). This would become very dangerous in the co-infection with both the H1N1 swine flu virus(which has a .44% mortality rate) and the H5N1 avian flu virus(which has a mortality rate of about 60%). If the new re-assorted virus had a mortality rate of 60%, the mortality rate around the world would be in the BILLIONS.

The fear is, the more vectors (infected people), the more chance for a virus to re-assort. Because H1N1 seems to be easily transmitted and all influenza viruses mutate rapidly.... couple that with a high mortality rate of H5N1 and you have a big problem.

http://jvi.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/83/16/8131?lookupType=volpage&vol=83&fp=8131&view=short

Presently, there are outbreaks of both viruses simultaneously in Indonesia and Egypt.

[the OlLine Rebel]

So this is the BIRD flu we were supposed to be so scared of a few years ago? THAT’S the real concern? (I’ve never heard much period, much less that worrying about Bird flu getting in there was the big part of it.)

And did you really type 0.44% (zero-point, i.e. <1%) vs 60%?

[dianed]

Yes, I did mean .44% which has recently been changed to .98% (due to the virus exploding in developing countries in recent weeks, ex.-India has a 2.3% mortality rate at present)....

http://bmartinmd.com/2009/08/h1n1-death-rate-near-1.html

http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/ops/hsc-scen-3_flu-pandemic-deaths.htm

The 1918 flu mortality rate was 2.5% and if it occurred in the US today, with the present population, it would cause the deaths of nearly 2 million people. The 1918 strain was an H1N1 virus and the “mother” of the present strain of swine flu.

There is also a fear that H1N1 will become more virulent even if it does not re-assort with another virus. Scientists believe that this occurred with the 1918 epidemic which is why the WHO is so concerned. The 1918 flu killed the majority of people in October thru Nov.

If you want to read more about H5N1, here is a scary look into the world of viruses....

http://www.amazon.com/Monster-Our-Door-Global-Threat/dp/1595580115

[the OlLine Rebel]

Thanks for trying to explain it to me. I’ve not once seen any explanation as to why this is as bad as TB or typhoid fever or any other disease that regularly wreaked mayhem in the past.

I still am trying to understand - you say it’s bad IF the TWO viruses are in 1 body? But what are the chances of getting the Bird Flu? Or are you simply saying that being weak (via Swine) makes one more susceptible to the Bird? Or does it HAVE to be both combined?

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

I want to know why this is treated as if it is some deadly disease. Why is it a big deal?

Perhaps because it is a golden opportunity to (re)introduce the idea of forced quarantine (home detention) for the sick.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Increased virulence or genetic mixing could occur with ANY flu strain and H5N1. But, for some reason, only H1N1 gets the government’s panties in a bunch. So, I stand by my hypothesis that government could be using the relatively exotic H1N1 as a boogeyman to scare people into accepting bigger government (in this case, in the area of infectious diseases).