A nice cup of tea with a dash of milk and a spoonful of fear
I have a typical morning routine. I wake up when my early-rising and wonderful husband places a cup of tea at my bedside. I turn on CBC radio. Sometimes it’s just before the 7:00 news, sometimes, just after. And I lay in bed until I’ve heard both the national and regional newscasts. It’s usually a nice way to start the day.
Today, however, was not one of the nice days. I missed the 7:00 AM national news but caught the newscast at 8:00 while brushing my teeth. I wasn’t fully focused, but tuned right in when I heard some spokesperson breathily predicting Armageddon. Asserting that a killer flu pandemic will inevitably hit Canada once the avian flu starts to mutate and spread among humans.
This maestro of mental mayhem also warned that we must be prepared for universal flu vaccination programs and then worried about the fact that some people may be reluctant to get the avian flu vaccine.
I’ve had to deal with school bureaucracies, telling me my son can’t attend unless his vaccines are all up-to-date (which is utter bullshit since no child in Canada can be denied an education simply for not having been vaccinated). I’ve had to deal with very snarky emergency room hospital staff and doctors when taking my son in to get a cast or stitches (of course, a parent who refuses to follow the government mandated vaccination schedule is suspected of other types of child abuse and neglect).
The deal is that childhood vaccines are not mandatory anywhere in Canada, so I get some flack but am ultimately left to make the health care decision for my child. This newscast, and some other stories from Ontario in the last months, are preparing the public to accept forced immunization.
So I’m left with the feeling that the time is now to start organizing. Organizing what, I have no idea. Get myself a lawyer perhaps…find funding to launch an education campaign…build a small shelter to protect my family from the forced needles.
There are already American states where parents have had their non-vaccinated children taken from them and been charged with neglect. The kids are immunized and returned to their family.
Even if you are a firm vaccine supporter, this kind of talk about forced immunization for an event that may never happen – or may happen with a strain of disease that is not contained within the vaccine vial – should make all citizens angry.
The thing I’m most upset about right now is that the fear mongering is actually affecting me. I am scared. But not of the flu pandemic. I’m terrified because it’s clear that our government (and the American government, too) is clearly setting the stage to change immunization policy so they can legally force vaccines on us.
Individual rights? Sorry folks, we’re at war. And the chickens are winning.
Today, however, was not one of the nice days. I missed the 7:00 AM national news but caught the newscast at 8:00 while brushing my teeth. I wasn’t fully focused, but tuned right in when I heard some spokesperson breathily predicting Armageddon. Asserting that a killer flu pandemic will inevitably hit Canada once the avian flu starts to mutate and spread among humans.
This maestro of mental mayhem also warned that we must be prepared for universal flu vaccination programs and then worried about the fact that some people may be reluctant to get the avian flu vaccine.
I’ve had to deal with school bureaucracies, telling me my son can’t attend unless his vaccines are all up-to-date (which is utter bullshit since no child in Canada can be denied an education simply for not having been vaccinated). I’ve had to deal with very snarky emergency room hospital staff and doctors when taking my son in to get a cast or stitches (of course, a parent who refuses to follow the government mandated vaccination schedule is suspected of other types of child abuse and neglect).
The deal is that childhood vaccines are not mandatory anywhere in Canada, so I get some flack but am ultimately left to make the health care decision for my child. This newscast, and some other stories from Ontario in the last months, are preparing the public to accept forced immunization.
So I’m left with the feeling that the time is now to start organizing. Organizing what, I have no idea. Get myself a lawyer perhaps…find funding to launch an education campaign…build a small shelter to protect my family from the forced needles.
There are already American states where parents have had their non-vaccinated children taken from them and been charged with neglect. The kids are immunized and returned to their family.
Even if you are a firm vaccine supporter, this kind of talk about forced immunization for an event that may never happen – or may happen with a strain of disease that is not contained within the vaccine vial – should make all citizens angry.
The thing I’m most upset about right now is that the fear mongering is actually affecting me. I am scared. But not of the flu pandemic. I’m terrified because it’s clear that our government (and the American government, too) is clearly setting the stage to change immunization policy so they can legally force vaccines on us.
Individual rights? Sorry folks, we’re at war. And the chickens are winning.
posted by Donna at 10:51 a.m.
2 Comments:
If you don't like vaccines, use Tamiflu, if you can get it. The vaccines will be in short supply, and I'm sure no one will object if you volunteer to give them yours.
Flu prevention is a bit like pregnancy prevention; the only 100% solution is not to be exposed to the infecting agent.
Good luck with that.
thanks anonymous. That is a great idea, to give away my fu vaccine. I bet I could sell it on eBay...
One comment about the flu/pregnancy analogy. It's a nice image but it just doesn't work, nor does it address my concern: that we are being prepared for mass innoculations.
The USA tried to force the smallpox vaccine on the public a couple of years ago. They had every state establish smallpox vaccine response centres, got the first responders vaccinated, launched some good media campaigns - and then realized that the smallpox vaccine was killing people. Oops. Had to call that off pretty quick.
But with every "red alert" warning, people's anxiety increases (so do sales of antidepressants) and we collectively become less and less able to cope with the constant fear. We give in. We give up our rights. It's just a bad way to live, don't you think?
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