You may think getting the H1N1 vaccine is a good idea. If you’re a kid, elderly, pregnant, or have a vulnerable immune system, sure. But otherwise, you’re being immoral.
This is a pretty simple and obvious reality. The fact on the ground is that, despite dire warnings of mandatory vaccines from one group of Internet crazies and overpromises from the typical government perspective, there is a shortage of swine flu vaccines. And given that they just created the thing, there will be all year.
In fact, they’ve pretty much never had enough flu vaccines to go around in history, seasonal or otherwise. This year, because of the demand for H1N1, they’re actually close to having enough regular flu shots.
At the point at which not everyone can get an H1N1 vaccine, then if you’re happy and healthy and between a certain age range (let’s say 20-50), you’re taking the vaccine out of someone else’s arm and into yours and chances are that other person is more vulnerable than you are. You may actually be contributing to their death.
Sure, I guess if you work with such vulnerable populations there’s a chance that you’ll get it and be contagious, so you could make a mitigative argument there. Although the solution may actually just be for you to stop being a workaholic and stay home when you feel even slightly sick.
This reality may change when either (A) there are 300 million doses of swine flu vaccine available domestically, perfectly distributed throughout the states, and/or (B) people who are 20-50 with good immune systems start dying of this thing. Until then, chill out and let the people who could actually be impacted get in line first.
I sure hope this clears up the pandemic panic.
