NO DC FLU Deaths in Week 41

We should say no reported DC flu deaths in Week 41. We keep forgetting and the news hasn't done a good job or reporting it as well. Thanks to the New York Times for telling us what we too often forget: "The only flu circulating now is swine flu — seasonal flu is not expected to emerge for another month — but most of the vaccine available is against seasonal flu, because it was ready first; vaccine companies started making it in February, and swine flu emerged in April."

Percentage of Visits for Influenza-like Illness (ILI) Reported by the U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet), National Summary 2008-2009 and Previous Two Seasons (Posted October 16, 2009, 7:30 PM ET, for Week Ending October 10, 2009)

Which is why we disagree with US News' expert's (Jon Andrus of the Pan American Health Organization) assessment concerning the flu and the flu numbers. What we have now is not a peak and it has exceeded last years high although the flu season has not yet begun. It has already eclipsed last years highest totals and its just getting started. All of the most recent research contradicts their experts findings. We hope you'll ignore it as well.

We are volunteering at the District of Columbia's Department of Health's H1N1 Mass Vaccination Program at their Mass Vaccination Clinics. We thought it the easiest way to get vaccinated. We were wrong. Volunteers get water and lunch but that's about it. We aren't allowed to answer questions, medical or otherwise. All information must be provided by the Public Information Officer (PIO) so we have to keep our mouths shut and defer all questions to the appropriate person. Only official forms may be used. Computer downloaded forms may not be used.

What we would have said was this isn't the H1N1 vaccine. That vaccine isn't available currently. Not that there is anything wrong with the vaccine. There isn't. That's why we will need to receive two shots. The first to prevent what isn't currently affecting us and second to catch up with the virus that is currently affecting us. The two strains are similar enough that we might have enough protection from the first to keep us from succumbing to the second. "(V)irtually everything that's circulating now is the 2009 H1N1 influenza strain" according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

WJLA-TV 7 reports "US Swine flu deaths surpass 1,000" as their headline adding: "60 million people have been vaccinated already - an unprecedented number for October. Most seasonal flu shots usually aren't given until later in the fall."

NBC TV 4 went to Grundy, VA to find free health care provided by American relief organization charity called Remote Area Medical featured in 2008 in a 60 minutes report on health care in America called Lifeline.

		Pneumonia/ Flu Deaths	WEEK 41 2009	WEEK 41 2008	WEEK 41 2007
		District of Columbia Baltimore, MD Richmond / Norfolk, VA	95 611 202	55 661 172	48 530 185
		TOTALS	908	888	763

FOX News 5 improperly titled their story: Drive Through Clinics "They must remain in their cars and no immunizations will be given to pedestrians." Which isn't true but we do learn that in Virginia residency isn't a requirement in the national capital area to receive the vaccine.

WUSA-TV 9 reports: "The way the system is working at the Alexandria Health Department however, is new. Health officials gave out numbers to people. The Health Department Director Lisa Kaplowitz tells 9NEWS NOW the number system reduced confusion for people in line. So if people are handed a number, they are assured they will get inside the clinic." Hopefully all the jurisdiction will operate this way though some individuals may line up to sell their numbers to the more desperate among us. What's unfortunate is that "no injectable vaccine will be available at this site at this time."

These are the official numbers as reported by the Center for Disease Control and Protection (CDC).

Three Little Pigs

It's a story that can't be true - it more of a fairy tale than a news report but from Denise Grady of the no less than the New York Times wrote: "Three pigs at the Minnesota State Fair tested positive in late August for H1N1, the flu virus that is causing the current pandemic, the Agriculture Department reported Friday." The little is our addition but you understand how we couldn't help ourselves.

It's not quite a biblical pronouncement but it's a sign that hard to ignore. So we revisit the story for you. OK maybe that's going too far. To continue the story from only the New York Times and Monica Davey from Chicago will make us contact the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. We'll keep you informed.

"Infected pigs have been found in eight other countries. The virus does not seem to make pigs very sick. Of 103 pigs tested at the Minnesota fair, in St Paul, only three were found to be carrying the virus, and all appeared healthy. They probably caught the virus from infected people, researchers said." Follow the link and read the story.

From the Associated Press (AP) this bit of info: "In a conference call with reporters Friday, Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Gene Hugoson said officials don't know what happened to the three pigs, but that they probably were sent to slaughter soon after they were shown at the fair, which ended on Labor Day."

It's not what you know - it's what you can prove in a court of law. Maybe that's true as a defense for charges against the "balloon boy" family. When it comes to the health of you and your family that might not be necessarily so true. We heard the story of the three (3) little pigs and thought we'd heard it or knew the story until we did the researched. Whether this story is true or not the original and the current can still serve as a cautionary tale for us all. What we knew or rather thought we knew of the original story is indeed the basis of the many variation that race to get to the end of the story and leave out much of the story. However the original tale as shown by "A Ladybird 'easy-reading' book" illustrated on the web is probably the best method for a healthy survivable pandemic season - if we like the first pig accept the first available treatment available. While others might think themselves smarter by waiting until other options are exhausted what happens in real life might not emulate what happens in fairy tales.

In the tale the first pig took the first offer, the second big took the second offer and the third pig took the last and historically speaking best offer. In real life the wolf is no longer one (1) huffing and puffing creature but an institution that has no time for press or publication. In the tale the wolf died, boiled alive in the third pigs pot - or did it?

Not according to the follow-up as told by on A. Wolf in his trail transcripts in defense of his actions in the "Defendant Testifies."

In reality all three (3) pigs were sent to slaughter, we contacted the Department of Agriculture (DOA) for verification of the "three (3)" pigs story after finding the press release on their site about the outbreak. We followed up our telephone call with an email to their contact person. In actuality the individual who answered the telephone was not allowed to answer our question: "Were there really three (3) pigs?" They were NOT permitted to do anything other than answer the telephone and take our information for a return call from the appropriate individual.

We understand the need to manage the media. We aren't media. Are we? We report but that doesn't make us reporters. Does it? We seek to understand. Our understanding of all things government is that it doesn't matter who is in office. Governments operate in secret. Secrets get people killed. Transparency by our leaders - whom ever they are does not nor ever has existed. Hence our raison d'etre. That's no fairy tale.

Get the vaccine - don't wait. If ill you MAY pull through without hospitalization. You may even show improvement but if you don't receive the proper treatment you can die. Not will die - but your death is "no skin off their nose." Protect yourself and protect your family. Trust but verify!

What Are We Trying To Say?

We admit that at times we are a little difficult to follow. We don't talk to you like you're a six year old. We don't think we should - however whenever we don't it's hard to follow our line of reasoning. For that we apologize and this is one of those times.

So we will try to be more linear in ten (10) steps. Starting at:
Step 1: We were sick this weekend. It was most likely food poisoning.
Step 2: We've been warned that eating food "found" in the refrigerator can make us sick when it's date of packaging is unknown. (Old food can make you sick so don't eat it).
Step 3: The New York Times reported on a 22 year old woman who was left paralyzed by a homemade hamburger. We are like this 22 year old woman.
Step 4: Her issues are our issues. She blames the slaughterhouse for her injury. She has an attorney. She complains in the video that she wished she could sue someone. We don't wish to sue anyone and we are not paralyzed.
Step 5: The Minnesota Department of Health had the hamburger analyzed and discovered disturbing information about the meat and how meat is made.
Step 6: The slaughterhouse would not give the US Government or the New York Times information about the meat saying its a "trade secret."
Step 7: We believe the New York Times because the slaughterhouse refuses to speak to the paper, the government or the public.
Step 8: Companies are considered individuals to the legal system. We think the company guilty until proven innocent.
Step 9: Director Roman Polanski arrested in Switzerland for rape of a child. CBS News Producer Robert "Joe" Halderman arrested for attempted blackmailing. We think them guilty until proven innocent.
Step 10: Fairness is important. We should make every effort to be fair. All should be considered innocent until proven guilty.

This sucks because it goes against our worst judgment. Big businesses, blackmailers, rapists are bad and a charge of criminal actions is sufficient evidence of guilt for us. To quote former Attorney General Ed Meese: "...you don't have many suspects who are innocent of a crime. That's contradictory. If a person is innocent of a crime, then he is not a suspect." If they're not guilty then they'll be found not guilty on some legal loophole and get away with their crimes.

That's what we believe and that's wrong. Like former Attorney General Ed Meese if we were a suspect, as he was, we're innocent. It doesn't matter what the charge is we didn't do it. No matter what evidence may be presented against us. We didn't do it. What's what we're trying to say - today! We reserve the right to contradict ourselves.