(a semi-silly post)
I'm taking this time out to express my gratitude for the internet! Because of this monster invention, I can talk to my friends and family members, find out what's going on in different parts of the world, look up information, read differing opinions on various topics, etc.
Can anyone take this away from me?
When I read that Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), said (about the H1N1 flu vaccines:
"Although the virus has not delivered any devastating surprises, we have seen some surprises on other fronts," Chan said in her prepared remarks. "We anticipated problems in producing enough vaccine fast enough, and this did indeed happen. But we did not anticipate that people would decide not be vaccinated."
my first reaction was to chuckle and snortle. And the she continued...
Chan did not refer explicitly to those allegations in her speech. But, given the vast range of health information now available to the public, she said, public health leaders may not have the authority and credibility they once did.
"People make their own decisions about what information to trust, and base their actions on those decisions," she said. "The days when health officials could issue advice, based on the very best medical and scientific data, and expect populations to comply, may be fading. It may no longer be sufficient to say that a vaccine is safe, or testing complied with all regulatory standards, or a risk is real." (source)
*gulp*
So, if you think the H1N1 pandemic and vaccine was all a hoax, then the next time WHO, big pharmaceutical companies, and compliant governments want to do something like this again they will know to take care of the flow of information? Am I getting too spooky? lol!
Hmmm, word of mouth. I miss word of mouth info. Is there a way to speed that up in the 21st century without the use of internet?
(You can read Dr. Chan's entire opening speech at the WHO's website)
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2 comments:
Sorry to say this, but it's their own fault. One of the main reasons that people go to the internet to diagnose themselves is because (drum roll please?) it's free! The health care industry is a business and because of this people have a tendency to think that the decisions that they make are not on the basis of helping people, but just based on profit. Unfortunately, in some cases this can be true. Either way, the whole swine flu thing was definitely interesting because people (even doctors) were split down the middle as to whether to get the vaccine or not.
Arnetta,
Yes. I was also going back and forth as to whether to believe it or not and take the vaccine.
who's watching WHO?
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