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U.S. Purchases 195 Million Doses of H1N1 Vaccine

Did you know that this week 100,000 people in the UK contracted the H1N1 flu virus (the Swine Flu)? Well, it’s true. These are confirmed cases of the swine flu. Last week, there were 55,000 cases. The craziest thing is that the flu season doesn’t typically begin in England until December or January. What’s going to happen when flu season actually hits? Here are some of the bullet points for the current UK flu scare:

  • New cases of swine flu double in seven days
  • 840 people ‘seriously ill’ in hospital, 63 in intensive care
  • Majority of cases are people aged 16-64

Thankfully, the United States has purchased 195 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine. That’s good, right? Well, maybe not. There are over 300 million people in the United States. Hopefully this flu virus doesn’t attack everyone. But if it does, our government also purchased 120 million doses of adjvant:

The U.S. government has bought 195 million doses of H1N1 swine flu vaccine for a possible autumn vaccination campaign, a U.S. federal official said Thursday.

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department has also contracted for 120 million doses of adjuvant, a compound to stretch the number of doses of vaccine needed, the department’s Dr. Robin Robinson told a meeting of Food and Drug Administration advisers.

Autumn vaccination campaign? I know there is currently a pretty strong flu vaccination campaign every Autumn. But many people ignore it. If the US government wants everyone to get vaccinated, they will need to scare the crap out of people. Maybe with TV ads, newspaper ads, search campaigns, websites, etc… But that is really a doomsday scenario. I hope it doesn’t get to that point. I guess the point is: If you can get a flu vaccine this year, get one.

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CDC Worries H1N1 Swine Flu Will Become A Summer Influenza

According to this article (here):

CDC officials say around 100,000 people are likely infected with the new flu strain in the United States

Wow. That’s shocking. The H1N1 flu virus, also known as the Swine Flu or Pig Flu, has long been forgotten about by most Americans. In fact, I have heard a number of TV anchors and radio personalities making fun of just how overblown the Swine Flu hysteria was. And we’re on to other things now anyways. America is once again talking steroids in sports and the commencement address of President Obama at Notre Dame’s graduation ceremony. In our world of up-to-the-minute coverage of everything, the Swine Flu is yesterday’s news. Or is it?

Don’t look now, but the Swine Flu is back in the news, and the CDC believes there will be a summer influenza. That’s right. Rather than hitting in the normal flu season, a summer flu may strike. And don’t look now part two: the strain is virtually everywhere:

The influenza, officially known as H1N1, sickened at least 125 in Japan as the number of infections worldwide topped 8,800 in 40 countries. Health officials of more than 190 nations began a meeting today of the World Health Assembly in Geneva to debate whether swine flu is spreading widely enough to upgrade the threat to level 6, the highest, and declare it the first pandemic since 1968.

But wait! There’s more bad news, especially if you are younger. The H1N1 flu virus may be a mild in nature, but it is disproportionately affecting children, teenagers and young adults. And even though it’s symptoms are mild for most, it has hospitalized up to 200 of the younger demographic. Some people believe that young people are at higher risk of this flu because they are more social and have more contact with other people. And some believe that many older people have had a similar variant to this strain a long time ago, making them mostly immune to the H1N1 virus.

Well, I’m going to file this post under the Doom & Gloom category. Maybe not. But seriously, I hope that none of you get this flu virus. Drink lots of water and don’t be social, especially with kids.