H1N1 VS Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina
Via Bloomberg:
Swine flu is refusing to give up its hold on U.S. states with low vaccination rates, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Only Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina — states where the share of immunized population was among the country’s lowest — reported outbreaks last week that spread beyond a single locality, according to reports today from the CDC. Eight states reporting local outbreaks were in U.S. regions that had fewer vaccinations than the national average.
Ya think?
In Georgia, where less than 17 percent of the population was vaccinated, hospitalizations unexpectedly rose to the highest level since October, prompting the state to request a CDC investigation.
Georgia’s Surge
Georgia’s low vaccination rate may have contributed to the late surge in cases, a pattern that may be repeated elsewhere, said Anne Schuchat, head of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC. Georgia had 40 hospitalizations with laboratory-confirmed swine flu last week.
The median state vaccination rate through January was 24 percent, with 33 percent of people in the riskiest groups getting vaccinated, according to the CDC. New England states had the highest vaccination rate — a third of the population — and New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Massachusetts are among eight states reporting no flu cases. [emphasis mine]
Please tell me when being stupid became a badge of honor?
Swine flu, the first pandemic in 40 years, disproportionately targets younger adults and children, with ninety percent of deaths in people younger than age 65, the reverse of a typical flu season.
“It’s too early to say that we’re not going to see outbreaks in other areas,” the CDC’s Schuchat said. “We do know that the virus is still around, and the vaccine is very safe.” [emphasis mine again]
Now I don’t expect facts to sway stupid, but you’d think – given the target group – that parents wouldn’t roll the dice when it comes to their children’s well-being. Looks like quite a few are ready to chance it.
Tags: H1N1
I’ve seen bumper stickers that say, “Keep DC Out of My Blood”. Okay, I haven’t, but that time is coming.
LOL!
This amount of state-by-state variation in care, common sense, and administration is what makes the state-centric parts of ACA so scary. The states that are bad now, and therefore need improvement the most, are unlikely to get much better. On the other hand, the states that are better and healthier already are the ones most likely to see the most benefit from the new programs and regulations. Stories like this always bring out the Federalist in me.
Many southerners (with large milia contingency), believe these shots are designed to “give you the flu”. They believe the CDC and World Health Organization are creating these diseases so big pharma can make trillions off the proceeds. Sorry, I refused to take one, and most everyone I know has done the same. These drugs came out to quickly and without much testing. When I asked my Doctor whether she had taken the drug, she replied. “I have not”. The nurse said, “she would have to take it because she worked with the public but was NOT giving it to her son. So now they are stuck with it all. The whole “flu” thing was hyped and over blown.
JK, thanks for your anecdotal evidence that proves your point.
Oh my.
and JK is such a good speller 🙂
I think Democrats need to be in sales. We need to SELL people the idea that flu shots will protect their children more effectively than not getting flu shots. Probably won’t happen by making fun of what they currently believe.
just a thought. Or, we could spin off the South as part of the country. I’d be cool with that, too. Think my great grandpappies that fought for the Union might regret it, if they saw what a mess we bought with victory.
Well, let’s just say right here in Delaware, Happy Harry’s has it–and can’t even give the stuff away:)
And JK–the nurse took it, saying “because of working w/ the public”, — and the doctor works with who(m)? Fine to keep your own counsel on this–but really, consider the counsel–and then at some point be done. Hey, it’s coming back again anyway by my alerts and stuff I get blasted on. Changing your mind isn’t a bad thing. Closing your mind is. FTR-I’m still unvaccinated, as are 4 of my 5 children. But I’m open–and if this proves to be a next “childhood illness” that won’t burn itself out
then maybe 4 other arms will be rolling their sleeves up. Creating diseases I won’t feed into that frenzy, but capitalizing on routine infirmity–I am highly suspect. We’ll see.