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H1N1 Less Lethal than Feared

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/12/10/h1n1-pandemics-study.html Ya think? I said, right from the beginning, that this whole H1N1 thing was blown way out of proportion.  The media caused a frenzy all over the world, predicting a pandemic unlike any ever known before.  What they will do to sell a story.  And look at how many people fell for it. I'm not disputing the fact that H1N1 should be taken seriously and treated with care . . . just like any other communicable disease.  But let's put things in perspective here.  The annual deaths resulting from your ordinary run-of-the-mill flu far outnumber those from swine flu.  Far.  Really far.  I won't bore you with the statistics, but do your homework and you'll see I'm right. Now that the "crisis" has passed without too much hoopla, the media is spinning their story in the other direction.  They're leaking information such as the article referenced above - an article that wouldn't have ...

I'm not alone!

CBC News - Canada - Canadians think H1N1 risks exaggerated: poll Although the media has made this H1N1 thing out to be the plague, apparently most Canadians agree with me that it's not as bad as they're making it out to be. I read an article on www.foxnews.com this morning as well that said there have been 22,000,000 cases of H1N1 in the USA alone since April. And how many deaths? Not so many. I don't know about you, but I am pretty sick of the media blowing things out of proportion. Is the virus dangerous? Yes, I won't argue that point. Is it going to be the end of mankind? I don't think so, but many media outlets are giving that impression. I wish that the media would start reporting more good news for a change, instead of making bad news into worse news. In recent weeks, the old question of "how are you today?" has been replaced with "are you getting the shot?" It makes me want to scream! No one asked me last year if I was gettin...

The H1N1 Panic

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 o...