Dr. Stohr will probably succeed in stirring up fears, because the flu is a sore subject in the United States right now. As you may have heard, the country is dealing with a sparse supply of flu vaccine.
That?s caused some people, including Barbara Zmoos of Long Island, to lose their heads a bit. The Chicago Tribune reported in October that Zmoos spent $1,400 dollars flying to Canada to get a flu shot. Talk about the cure being worse than the disease.
Especially since, in the worst-case scenario, a flu shot isn?t going to be much help. ?The global spread of such a pandemic virus cannot be prevented,? Dr. Stohr told CNN. ?We cannot produce a vaccine now because we don?t know which virus might cause the pandemic.? In fact, he admits it would take between six and eight months to generate a vaccine.
Let?s be honest with ourselves. Flu is a problem, just as hurricanes are. It kills about 36,000 Americans in an average year. Still, there?s no sense in panicking.
Millions more vaccine doses are on the way, so there should be enough for everyone who really needs one this year. In fact, the shortage is already passing. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on Dec. 5 that ?some public health departments in Missouri, Illinois and other midwestern states are reporting a flu vaccine surplus.?
If you?re elderly, have a heart problem or take care of a baby, get a flu shot.
Otherwise, remain calm. If you feel sick, stay home. Wash your hands often and don?t touch your eyes or mouth. These common-sense steps will minimize the spread of the flu, pandemic or not.
After all, no matter what the experts say, for most of us, a flu shot is like an NHL hockey game: In an average year we don?t see one, and this year we can?t.
But we won?t miss it, either.