tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358633035110069050.post1317759347799796884..comments2023-12-27T23:00:43.438-05:00Comments on Monday Morning Crisis Quarterback: Pediatric H1N1 Deaths: Compared to What?Naomi Zikmund-Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09503425475917614385noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358633035110069050.post-57510684013053768282009-10-30T18:45:23.189-04:002009-10-30T18:45:23.189-04:00In a single google search on child deaths stats, I...In a single google search on child deaths stats, I found some for 2003. If my quick math (done by the method of saying, "hey, Abe, what is 75000 divided by 52, which he then does in his head) is right, about which I make no promises, I come up with it being 14 times more likely that your child will die by poisoning itself on purpose than die of swine flu.<br /><br />So far, it's about 2 kids per state. For each of those families it's a tragedy. I don't want to think of what they are going through....but we, as a society, shouldn't be panicking.<br /><br />But I think it's sort of like that old Baby Blues cartoon...the parents are racing around with a sick child...Dad says, "Don't panic, we shouldn't panic" Wanda says, "why not? Go with our strengths!"Colleenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13029537644437898609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358633035110069050.post-27890098860693273222009-10-30T18:16:19.549-04:002009-10-30T18:16:19.549-04:00On second thought, maybe panic is what it takes to...On second thought, maybe panic is what it takes to get anything accomplished in this culture. Bring on the hysteria! Maybe we'll finally get a real public health service and single payer health care with some teeth.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16117424644209188123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358633035110069050.post-38795690624538493452009-10-30T18:12:18.481-04:002009-10-30T18:12:18.481-04:00An average of four children die a day due to preve...An average of four children die a day due to preventable accidental drownings in the US. This number, of course, spikes in the summer. Non-existent Headline: "120 Children Die in Backyard Pool Accidents this Month".<br /><br />On average, seven children die in auto accidents every day in this country. This also peaks seasonally with the driving season. Another non-existent headline: "Over 200 children dead this month in car accidents."<br /><br />Public health coverage in this country maddens me almost as much as people's inability to assess risk. Of course, flu has this invisible trail, so it seems like it's striking out of nowhere. And it's not like there aren't plenty of accidental deaths that come out of nowhere. But as a group we're not good at figuring out context, and especially not when there's risk assessment in play. And the understanding of the basic science and biology of viruses, and disease in general, is abysmal in this country.<br /><br />I won't get off on another tangent, which is the increasing problem of parents believing vaccines are evil, which is even more maddening (and selfish, and stupid.) (No, I do not honor parents who refuse to vaccine as making 'different choices' anymore than I honor people who play the lottery for having an equally valid concept as me about the laws of probability.)<br /><br />With respect to H1N1, this is clearly something unusual but not, at least at this point, anything that anyone can do anything about short of vaccinating and hand washing and that sort of thing. But there was even more panicky coverage last spring when there weren't ANY fatalities verified in this country (and remember how Mexico was more or less shut down?)<br /><br />When would be the appropriate time to have some public interest? I dunno, when we decided not to invest in a national health care infrastructure? After 9/11 when there was at least panic about biological attacks and maybe we could have had some political momentum to have a national vaccination plan? Or maybe when we ran short of regular flu vaccine a few winters ago? Oh yeah, then we couldn't intervene in the private sector and have an anti-competitive government vaccine manufacturing program. <br /><br />I'm sorry to rant but this is insane. I am ticked off I had to call around incessantly to even find a flu shot for my kids, even a regular flu shot, and I couldn't find one or get one scheduled before Nov. 11th. It's not like I'm panicky about the flu, but we get our kids shots every year. Why is it still so goddamned hard to get basic health care in this country even when you're insured, prophylactic, and reasonably informed and proactive?<br /><br />I hate to be so cynical, but going after the media meme on H1N1 is a losing cause as long as the public is obstinately ignorant. If this goes to 1000 fatalities a month, coverage will spike. But I bet it'd fall off it it rose, or stayed there, as the usual complacency about preventable death in this country inevitably takes over...Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16117424644209188123noreply@blogger.com