On the other hand -- both my kids got the vaccine last year and both missed 2 solid weeks of school with a strain of flu which the vaccine did not address. Julie Krueger ========Original Message======== Subj: [lit-ideas] Re: Homeland Security Date: 10/19/04 10:32:53 PM Central Daylight Time From: _Eternitytime1@xxxxxxxx (mailto:Eternitytime1@xxxxxxx) To: _lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (mailto:lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx) Sent on: In a message dated 10/19/2004 10:01:03 PM Central Daylight Time, andreas@xxxxxxxxxxx writes: A major health catastrophe is coming. Hi, Well, here in KC we have vaccines via the Red Cross. We started having them do vaccines at our library branches a few years ago--we got an award from them last year because of this. The Red Cross here also planned for growth--so that not only do they have vaccine but they probably will be okay--in spite of the fact that KCMO and some of the outlying Kansas suburbs had their health departments get the vaccines from the American Company in England <g> but the Red Cross did not. The CDC has said that all the places will get at least 1/2 of what was ordered--and then there will be some spreading around of what is left. Tell your parents to come to Missouri. <g> We did have a 'rush' at one branch right after it was announced that there was a shortage--we had people driving from both surrounding counties and across the state line. The shortage WE are having is not with the vaccine, but with the fact that there is a shortage of nurses working with the Red Cross in order to be able to accommodate all the demand--for they are two-three hours at one of our branches and then scheduled at another place for another few hours. (It didn't help that the student nurses lined up for helping at that branch didn't show up...) The thinking here is that once people relax a little, it will settle down like it always has. They have almost always had too much vaccine at the end--even when they have always stated that there might not be enough. (they said there wasn't enough last year, too) What bothers us is more that the typical doctor office will not stock vaccine--and the Red Cross and other places (ie. Visiting Nurses) will not give them to children. Last year I had to drive Ben back to Lawrence, KS to get one--will probably have to do that this year, too. (haven't gotten around to it, yet, but the doctor in Lawrence is aware of his history and the need...was the one who told me to get one for him long before most people were giving them to even adults...) THAT is the real problem--people ought to be able to get a shot at the doctor's office (or as your parents noted, at least at a hospital!) and that is something that does need to be addressed. It is kind of ridiculous (at least we have been thinking so!) We are going to have to look very hard, as well, at the library's mission -- we have some of our admin who are trying to figure out where the whole 'community center' aspect of the library falls--we carry tax forms, register voters, provide spots for the AARP tax assistance people, and now do flu shots...and some of our branches are starting to do other sorts of similar things. (Once libraries started carrying tax forms, post offices stopped...some of us think that the grocery stores and pharmacies which now do flu shots will stop once they realize more and more how many people come to the library to get them.) Well, it's another reason to visit Missouri. Get your shot and read a magazine (or the New York Times) at the same time... Marlena in Missouri ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html