As the Minister of Media & Public Relations for SYPH and GH, I must address the H1N1 issue.
On my way to work this morning, I was listening to a local news radio station. Every other story related to H1N1 - how the Harper government has apparently botched the vaccination process, how businesses will suffer because of the high numbers of employees staying home sick, how pandemic preparedness is different from pandemic readiness. It was depressing. I was about to turn off the radio when one listener called in to make this statement: "While the H1N1 vaccinations need to be administered to those at greatest risk, the media needs to shut up and stop creating panic amongst the masses".
I couldn't agree more.
While I am not disputing the reality of a serious disease, I am more than a little bothered by the way the media has blown this H1N1 thing WAY out of proportion. President Obama has declared a state of emergency in the United States because 1,000 people died of H1N1. I don't get it. 5,000 people have died globally of H1N1 since April 2009 - that's 23 per day - and a large percentage of those people had underlying medical issues. But the ordinary seasonal flu kills between 250,000 and 500,000 people annually - 685-1370 per day. You don't hear about any state of emergency being declared over that.
This morning's newscast provided statistics on how businesses will not be able to survive if one third of their employees are ill at one time, particularly following the hardship of Canada's recent recession. In the next breath, the newscaster advised that people should stay home if they are not feeling well. Let's think about this a moment.
Everywhere you turn, someone on TV or the radio or the newspaper is telling you that we have a world-wide H1N1 pandemic. They are subtly telling you that you MUST get vaccinated or you will die. They are telling you that you WILL feel sick and that you MUST stay home. And people believe what they hear, regardless of whether or not it is true. So what happens? People start feeling sick, they stay home, and many will milk their employers for paid days off. As an employer myself, I've seen this before. It's nothing new. But watch the absenteeism increase this year.
Why?
Those in the media are not dummies. They know exactly how to spin the news. They can tell us anything they want, knowing the majority will believe them. They are the ones who initiated the H1N1 panic. Just like they created a recession mentality out of a slight downturn in the economy.
My advice . . .
Find out the truth for yourself, folks. Don't believe everything you see or hear or read. Get the facts. Unless, of course, you are okay with being manipulated by the media into believing whatever it is they want you to believe.
On my way to work this morning, I was listening to a local news radio station. Every other story related to H1N1 - how the Harper government has apparently botched the vaccination process, how businesses will suffer because of the high numbers of employees staying home sick, how pandemic preparedness is different from pandemic readiness. It was depressing. I was about to turn off the radio when one listener called in to make this statement: "While the H1N1 vaccinations need to be administered to those at greatest risk, the media needs to shut up and stop creating panic amongst the masses".
I couldn't agree more.
While I am not disputing the reality of a serious disease, I am more than a little bothered by the way the media has blown this H1N1 thing WAY out of proportion. President Obama has declared a state of emergency in the United States because 1,000 people died of H1N1. I don't get it. 5,000 people have died globally of H1N1 since April 2009 - that's 23 per day - and a large percentage of those people had underlying medical issues. But the ordinary seasonal flu kills between 250,000 and 500,000 people annually - 685-1370 per day. You don't hear about any state of emergency being declared over that.
This morning's newscast provided statistics on how businesses will not be able to survive if one third of their employees are ill at one time, particularly following the hardship of Canada's recent recession. In the next breath, the newscaster advised that people should stay home if they are not feeling well. Let's think about this a moment.
Everywhere you turn, someone on TV or the radio or the newspaper is telling you that we have a world-wide H1N1 pandemic. They are subtly telling you that you MUST get vaccinated or you will die. They are telling you that you WILL feel sick and that you MUST stay home. And people believe what they hear, regardless of whether or not it is true. So what happens? People start feeling sick, they stay home, and many will milk their employers for paid days off. As an employer myself, I've seen this before. It's nothing new. But watch the absenteeism increase this year.
Why?
Those in the media are not dummies. They know exactly how to spin the news. They can tell us anything they want, knowing the majority will believe them. They are the ones who initiated the H1N1 panic. Just like they created a recession mentality out of a slight downturn in the economy.
My advice . . .
Find out the truth for yourself, folks. Don't believe everything you see or hear or read. Get the facts. Unless, of course, you are okay with being manipulated by the media into believing whatever it is they want you to believe.
There doesn't seem to be a real rush to get the vaccine out to everyone. No one, other than the media, seems to be too concerned about the shortage.
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