Get Your Goddamn Flu Shot, Fred
Published November 7, 2009 @ 11:41 in Health and Safety

A little over a week ago, I suggested your personal decision to not get the H1N1 vaccination was selfish.

That's right. I think those who reject science and prefer to buy into silly conspiracy theories and urban legends and reject the free H1N1 flu shot are selfish. They're selfish because getting immunized means a person does not spread the illness to others. That's one less carrier walking around, shaking hands, touching public door knobs and TTC poles and spreading the virus.

With 54 comments, that entry seemed to strike a nerve with people, especially my pal Freddie P from Canadian Thinker. He wrote an entry about my stance in which he said he was "amazed" by what I had wrote. Freddie didn't hold back and let me have it.

It's a personal decision and certainly not something that should be criticized or lead to insults from people who are willing to buy into every flavour of the month.

If you want to throw the word selfish around, how about those bastards who showed up even though they knew they weren't eligible. And I wonder how many healthy people have actually contracted something while standing in one of those pathetic lineups.

If you're that worried about the virus put your house in lock-down or wear a flippin' mask when you leave the house.

There are 47 more comments over there. Hector wrote, "Well said Fred! I couldn't believe Mike's stance on this issue." Argie wrote, "I totally agree Freddie. Mike, I'm afraid, has a case of Torontoitis. This sickness is diagnosed as any person who follows, like a blind sheep, whatever the Toronto media preaches." And James Edgar wrote, "I usually side with Mike but this time he's off base."

I value Fred's opinion, as I do Hector's, Argie's and James Edgar's, but I stand by what I wrote. The more people who get the H1N1 flu shot, the less dead bodies there will be.

As I read the dead tree version of today's Globe, I couldn't help but notice a full-page letter to Canadians from Dr. David Butler-Jones, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada. Dr. Butler-Jones outlines the government's plan to protect Canadians against the H1N1 flu virus.

There was one line that spoke to my point about how not getting the vaccine is selfish. "The more Canadians who get vaccinated, the better we all are protected against the H1N1 flu virus".

Without actually printing the word "selfish", Dr. David Butler-Jones, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, has my back. It's a simple numbers game. The less people carrying the virus, the less people contracting the virus, the less deaths there will be.

Get your goddamn flu shot, Fred.

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Leafs and Raptors Pregnant
Published November 5, 2009 @ 20:38 in Health and Safety, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors

Congratulations are in order for the members of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors. They're all expecting!

I assume they're pregnant, because I know they're over the age of five, and they've all received their H1N1 vaccinations while the shots are reserved for high-priority groups. It's miraculous to consider one man becoming pregnant. Over 30 men becoming pregnant is something else entirely.

I want to be vaccinated as well, but as a healthy non-pregnant adult I'm not in the high-priority group so I have to patiently wait my turn. Ontario health minister Deb Matthews says we'll run out of the H1N1 vaccine before school-age children like my very own can be vaccinated.

But at least pregnant folks, like members of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors, can jump the line before the province’s supply dwindles. Good on them.

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H1N1 Flu Shot Myths Infuriate Me (or Why Your Ignorance Makes Me Feel Superior To You)
Published October 29, 2009 @ 09:12 in Health and Safety

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know I come out yearly and encourage you all to get your flu shots. Here's the 2003 plea and here's my 2004 plea. I get the flu shot every year, as does my entire family, including my two young children.

This year, with the H1N1 influenza virus creating the need for an H1N1 vaccination, there's been more chatter than usual. Everybody, it seems, has an opinion on the H1N1 vaccine. Old myths reserved for the regular ol' flu shot have been resurrected and are flying around the office at full steam. One lady is convinced the H1N1 vaccine will give her "the swine flu", another thinks it's a pharmaceutical industry conspiracy and another has found a quote from a retired quack American doctor who advises against the shot. Of all the great and respected doctors on this continent, that quack doctor got her to send an email to all of her contacts urging us to say no to the H1N1 vaccine.

I am not a doctor. It's highly likely that you're not a doctor either. When it comes to decisions for me and my family regarding vaccinations, I speak to medical doctors I trust. Every single one I've spoken to or heard from say, without hesitation, that we should all get immunized as soon as possible. The scientific evidence is overwhelming. As a responsible parent, I'll ensure my kids receive the H1N1 vaccine as soon as possible. As a responsible member of society, I'll ensure I get the H1N1 vaccine as soon as possible.

That's right. I think those who reject science and prefer to buy into silly conspiracy theories and urban legends and reject the free H1N1 flu shot are selfish. They're selfish because getting immunized means a person does not spread the illness to others. That's one less carrier walking around, shaking hands, touching public door knobs and TTC poles and spreading the virus.

I'm going to close with what I wrote back in 2003.

If you could avoid getting the flu, wouldn't you? Getting a flu vaccination makes good sense, right? You'd be surprised at the conspiracy theories I heard when talking with coworkers. Some think it's a cash-grab for the pharmaceutical industry. Others think it will leave them defenseless when the "super flu" arrives. Some even think the contents of the vaccination aren't to be trusted and that it could cause the flu or even worse. Someone even claimed their friend told her it contained radiator coolant. I've heard it all.

If you believe in such conspiracies, then you believe that every single medical doctor in the country is in on the deal. I challenge you to find one doctor who will tell you the flu vaccination is a bad idea. You won't because it isn't.

Get a damn flu shot. This isn't The X Files.

Other relevant links:

• H1N1 Flu Vaccination Clinics in Toronto: Where and When
• The Difference Between Cold and H1N1 Flu Symptoms
• Ontario Flu Trend Shows Intense Activity
• Your Swine Flu Playlist (Music to Pandemic By)

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H1N1 Flu Vaccination Clinics in Toronto: Where and When
Published October 25, 2009 @ 10:55 in Health and Safety, Toronto News ~ Toronto Focus

The City of Toronto has revealed 10 locations where residents will be able to get H1N1 influenza vaccinations. They are:

Location	Address
Metro Hall - Rotunda	55 John Street
East York Civic Centre - Lower Level	850 Coxwell Avenue
North York Civic Centre - Members Lounge	5100 Yonge Street
North Toronto Memorial Community Centre	200 Eglinton Avenue West
Etobicoke Civic Centre - Committee rooms 1, 2, 3	399 The West Mall
Melody Public School - Gym (closed school)	24 Strathburn Blvd. (closed school)
Masaryk-Cowan Community Recreation Centre	220 Cowan Avenue
Scarborough Civic Centre - Rotunda	150 Borough Drive
North Kipling Community Centre	2 Rowntree Road
Timothy Eaton Business and Technical Institute - Cafeteria (closed school)	1251 Bridletowne Circle (closed school)

These locations open to the general public on November 2 for six weeks. The vaccination hours for the first two weeks are:

Week 1	Hours of operation
Monday, November 2 - Friday, November 6	1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 7	10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Week 2
Tuesday, November 10 - Friday, November 13	1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 14	10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

If you're over six months old, you should get this H1N1 vaccine, or so says every doctor I've heard from, including the two I trust and have spoken to directly. For the latest information on H1N1 and the city of Toronto, visit http://www.toronto.ca/health/cdc/h1n1/public.htm.

Here's a handy Google Map look at where the 10 vaccination clinics in Toronto can be found.

[Map via Map of the Week]

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Ontario Flu Trend Shows Intense Activity
Published October 24, 2009 @ 13:30 in Health and Safety

Is there anything Google can't do? They claim they're able to estimate current flu activity in real-time.

Here's what they're saying about Ontario. It's intense, alright.

Here's evidence that they might know what they're talking about.

I'm on a pretty good flu-free streak. I'd like to keep the streak going. And no, I'm not about to knock on wood. That superstition stuff is just plain silly.

Explore flu trends here. And here's The Difference Between Cold and H1N1 Flu Symptoms.

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The Difference Between Cold and H1N1 Flu Symptoms
Published October 17, 2009 @ 14:03 in Health and Safety

Remember when we were all calling H1N1 the swine flu? We've come a long way since then. Nobody's calling it swine flu anymore and pigs throughout the world are grateful.

We're being bombarded with H1N1 awareness campaigns, and we're all being told to stay home if we have H1N1 flu symptoms, but if what I'm overhearing in the hallways at work is any indication, everyone with a stuffed nose, cough or headache thinks they've got H1N1. It's time to take a closer look at the symptoms of H1N1 vs. the symptoms of the common cold.

I decided it might be wise to share the differences between cold and H1N1 flu symptoms after getting an email from Mike from Lowville. Here it is.

Symptom	Cold	H1N1 Flu
Fever	Fever is rare with a cold.	Fever is usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of 100°F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the flu.
Coughing	A hacking, productive (mucus- producing) cough is often present with a cold.	A non-productive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with the flu (sometimes referred to as dry cough).
Aches	Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold.	Severe aches and pains are common with the flu.
Stuffy Nose	Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week.	Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the flu.
Chills	Chills are uncommon with a cold.	60% of people who have the flu experience chills.
Tiredness	Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold.	Tiredness is moderate to severe with the flu.
Sneezing	Sneezing is commonly present with a cold.	Sneezing is not common with the flu.
Sudden Symptoms	Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days.	The flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains.
Headache	A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold.	A headache is very common with the flu, present in 80% of flu cases.
Sore Throat	Sore throat is commonly present with a cold.	Sore throat is not commonly present with the flu.
Chest Discomfort	Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold.	Chest discomfort is often severe with the flu.

And here's your swine flu playlist, or as I call it, music to pandemic by.

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