Year 10 Week 4 - We Got You!

They say we're young and we don't know
We won't find out until we grow
Well I don't know if all that's true
'Cause you got me, and baby I got you
They say our love won't pay the rent
Before it's earned, our money's all been spent
I guess that's so, we don't have a pot
But at least I'm sure of all the things we got - Sonny Bono (BMI)

We Got You Babe - maybe you'll believe it if someone else said it. So we went to a higher authority an "ivy league" source.

“Many parents heeded the public health message to vaccinate their children against this virus, which hit young people unexpectedly hard,” said Professor Robert Blendon, Director of the Harvard Opinion Research Program and an expert in understanding the public response to emergencies that involve health threats. “But there remains a steady core of adults who, regardless of messaging and other efforts, has chosen not to get the H1N1 vaccine. This group’s set of attitudes has proven very difficult for public health officials to change.” (Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH))

Flu Deaths 2010 by Jurisdiction  This Week Last Week YTD 2010 YTD 2009 YTD 2008 YTD 2007 District of Columbia Baltimore, MD Charlotte, NC Richmond / Norfolk, VA 1 24 10 7 3 14 11 6 7 72 47 25 6 80 23 42 5 70 48 24 3 72 48 30 TOTALS WEEK 4  42  34  151  151  147  153

We're still trying to reach the uninfected. We must warn you that the shot won't guarantee that you'll never get sick. It's just an insurance policy against dying unnecessarily from a preventable infection for which there exists sufficient supplies that are now readily available. We still have family and friends whom are catching colds and feeling under the weather. We just aren't hearing of the protected dying from their colds. That's why we're so supportive of the shot!

If you need an official government authority instead of us, we understand. Sure, now you want to hear it from the government. Fine! We won't feel slighted at all. Here's what the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says on the matter. After all they are the source for our fact and figures since our local public health offices have been less than forthcoming with such information.

"...flu activity in the United States remained about the same as during the previous week. Flu activity is relatively low at this time, with most flu continuing to be caused by 2009 H1N1. Flu activity, caused by either 2009 H1N1 or seasonal flu viruses, may rise and fall, but it is expected to continue for several more months. CDC recommends influenza vaccination as the first and most important step in protecting against the flu. CDC is now encouraging everyone to get vaccinated against 2009 H1N1, including people 65 years and older. While less likely to get sick with 2009 H1N1 than younger people, people 65 and older are at high risk of serious complications if they do get sick. Vaccination of people with certain health conditions also is important because they also are at higher risk of serious flu-related complications. Health conditions that increase the risk of being hospitalized from 2009 H1N1 include lung disease like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, heart, or neurologic disease, and pregnancy." (CDC)  

 The egg heads, your government (both local and federal) and us are all urging you to get protected if you still haven't but if you have and you're tired of us going over the same things over and over again to you we say - nevermind!