Sacramento News, Gossip, & Snark
The Sacramento County Public Health site has been updated with new free H1N1 vaccine clinics. In Sacramento County, there are no longer restrictions on who can receive the shots. Follow their Twitter page for the latest.
From the Bee article:
To avoid waiting in long lines at the public clinics, call your doctor’s office to see if they have the vaccination.
Hmm. A lot can be read into that statement, huh?
Hilarious front-page story today in The Onion The Bee about the H1N1 virus and its effect on mall Santas: Mall Santas say H1N1 flu risks warrant early vaccinations
Santas everywhere are saying they should be first in line to get the H1N1 vaccine – even though many don’t fit the priority groups getting the shots.
The story, by the Bee’s Anna Tong, goes on to quote several national mall Santa organizations (there are several!) who are lobbying to get mall Santas their shots.
For the record, I am not looking to spin this as a story about government-run healthcare. To me this is a just a simple story about mall Santas wanting to steal important vaccines away from babies.
What do you all make of the massive crowds at yesterday’s free Sac County H1N1 flu vaccine clinic? On the one hand, even though there have been reports of people trying to cut in line (you stay classy!) and of folks who are not “high risk” being given the vaccines anyway, it seems to have been a pretty civil affair. On the other hand, thousands of people lined up in the cold to get vaccines from the government isn’t exactly a heartwarming sight. What do you all think?
{NOTE – This story contains out-of-date info about the number of cases in our area. For updated Sacramento-specific information, see the County’s DPH website.}
The first case of Swine Flu has been confirmed in the Sacramento area, so get ready for the en-sooey-ing panic.
Sorry.
To avoid unnecessary panic and worry, it is important to understand the facts behind the 2009 Swine bug. The strain(s) of the virus that have been popping up in the United States appears to be a milder version of the more lethal strains that have been found in other countries. Only one patient has required hospitalization, an elderly woman. Everyone else has gotten a nasty flu and recovered. This is the only the 8th case in California and the 40th in the US, so the chances of getting it appear to be quite slim. (Update: 3 positive cases in Fair Oaks, making a total of 10 CA cases as of 4/28)
This is not a deadly superbug. Let’s hope it stays that way.
It is also not spread by eating pigs. Please maintain your normal bacon consumption level.
