I Got Shot...

I'm not a huge fan of flu shots. I rarely get them. I wasn't going to get the shot for H1N1 this year either, until I read this article--For bubbly Va. 6-year old, swine flu's attack came quick and strong.¹

Now granted, the article is a bit sensationalist (although, there's nothing sensationalist about the death of a child, an event that is existentially unjust in more ways than I can count), but, not to put too fine a point on it, it scared the shit out of me. Ironically, I've spent the last six months working with very smart folks who are tirelessly trying to get a handle on this pandemic outbreak. I've read a forest full of papers and meeting reports on this subject, but it's all so technical and clinical that the anecdotal stuff sort of gets lost in a wash of action items and policy discussions. The article in the  Washington Post gave it a name and some reality.

Having been offered the opportunity to get the H1N1 vaccine Pandemix, I decided to take it and today was the day. Let's just say, my arm is a bit sore, but I'm hoping I avoid getting the piglet flu. Maybe the motivation for my getting the shot wasn't the best one, but now I've done it and here's hoping...

On a happier note, here's a cute article about a piglet named Tetley.

1. There's a follow-up to this story from the Washington Post's ombudsman. It's worth a read, too.

Photo copyright: Washington Post

Risk Factors and the Edge of the Universe

You've heard about this swine flu thing going around, right? Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 virus?

Seems the Jolly Ol' Elf himself, Santa Claus, wants to be in the priority group of individuals who are at risk for severe illness and who should be among the first in line to receive the H1N1 vaccine. From the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy's Daily News Headlines:

Santa groups air pandemic flu concerns
Santa workers and volunteers are seeking ways to prevent novel H1N1 infection during the holiday season, the Associated Press (AP) reported. One trade group urged its members to use hand sanitizer and take vitamins and the public to keep sick children home. The president of another group asked state lawmakers to consider prioritizing Santa for H1N1 vaccine, given that many are exposed to sick children and are obese, which has been identified as a high-risk condition. [Nov 17 AP story] (Emphasis and double emphasis added.)

In other news, it has also been brought to my attention that the edge of the universe is graph paper.

That is all. You may now go back to business as usual.

Photo source: The Hollywood Roaster.