Why the secrecy?

Coincidental to the current H1N1 "swine flu" pandemic, about two years ago I read "The Great Influenza" by John M. Barry, a sobering account of the 1918 influenza.

The book traces the explosion of illness along the virus' path and it's human destruction while examining the scientific exploration process used to identify the killer disease.

It also documents the heroes as well as the cowards, along with the maneuvers of institutions which controlled the dissemination of accurate information to the public.

John Barry's insight in The Great Influenza is definitely thought-provoking, compelling, and the lessons both learned and not learned from the 1918 pandemic are still relevant today.

As frustrating as it was to understand the political and institutional mind-set of 1918, I'm appalled that we are dealing the same secrecy in 2009.

Which is why I found the following article well worth sharing.

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Keeping a public health crisis, private.

By: Jo Ciavaglia

phillyBurbs.com


In Pennsylvania – where more than 1.3 million in swine flu vaccination have been distributed among more than 1,300 health care providers whose names are considered a state secret — comes the newest, strange twist in this public health crisis.

Who is dying of this mysterious flu?

Don’t bother asking the state that either. Apparently it’s a secret too.

Apparently almost everything about this H1N1 swine flu is a secret in Pennsylvania except how to can protect yourself.

No doubt the state has spent millions of dollars promoting that information which is basic hygiene 101: don’t sneeze on people, wash you hands, and keep your hands to yourself – and off your face. Just check out the H1N1inpa.com Web site, it’s full of useful information such as:

What is the swine flu virus?

How it spreads

Symptoms

What if you get sick?

Like is there anyone in American that doesn’t know the answers to these questions yet? What we don’t know is WHERE IS THE VACCINE????

The number of swine-flu related deaths in Pennsylvania is now at 38 up from 29 last week. So far, at least one child has died. Yes, it’s a tiny number – less than 1 percent of the 10,000 total state lab confirmed swine flu cases.

But are there any, say, patterns with the deaths with age or perhaps the health of the person.

These are reasonable questions that people – who are considering not only vaccinating themselves, but their kids, would like to know.

Nope. Can’t tell you, is what the state health department told me when I asked for the ages those who’ve died as well did the person have an underlying medical condition.

“As you know, we are restricted in what we can say by the Pennsylvania Disease Prevention and Control Law. We are not releasing any information on deaths other than the county,” was the response I received from a state health spokeswoman.

My reply to this was something to the effect: So you can’t tell me how many of these deaths involved people with serious medical conditions and if there is any pattern with the ages with this public health crisis? Still waiting for a reply to that question.

See, while the state – and everyone else – is hyping up the prevalence of H1N1 infections among people under age 30, what I am wondering is did they get it wrong.

Now clearly the under-30 crowd accounts for the preponderance of swine flu cases in Pennsylvania — 76 percent of the 10,000 so far — at least according to state lab tested confirmations. (Remember the state and CDC stopped testing most people months ago, only people admitted to hospitals are tested now).

But, as people seem to forget this H1N1 virus is a mostly mild – in some cases the seasonal flu is worse. So to me, it seems to those most vulnerable folks – who REALLY need the vaccine -- are the ones DYING of this virus.

Those numbers seem to suggest that people with underlying medical condition are clearly more at risk than younger people. Even among pregnant women in the state fewer than 1 percent have contracted H1N1, according to the state.

Locally, two people in Montgomery County who’ve died of swine flu complications, a 58year old with underlying medical conditions and a 19 year old also with underlying medical conditions.

Across the river in New Jersey, three Burlington County people have died of swine flu and two adult women, ages 38 and 42, had underlying chronic medical conditions and a 17 year old boy, who had no known medical problems.

You sense a pattern here? With the state secrecy that is.







http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/92/2009/november/19/keeping-a-public-health-crisis-private.html

Phoenixville - through the lens of a camera

Metcafe is the host for this promotional video on Phoenixville.

Enjoy!



Historic Phoenixville, Pennsylvania - Watch a funny movie here

Low bridge, down and out

Over the last few days I've had people comment about the closing of low bridge, Main Street Bridge, for those unfamiliar with local lingo.

I've heard, unofficially, that the

a) tracks are being removed,

b) tracks are being raised.

If anyone knows the "official" reason for the closure and when the residents can expect Main Street to be opened again, please post a response.

Thanks!

NOTICE - Chester County Health Department announces dates for H1N1 vaccination clinics

Received via email.


Chester County Health Department announces dates for H1N1 vaccination clinics

Appointment-only vaccinations to be allocated to Tier One (most vulnerable) residents on November 23-25, 2009

WEST CHESTER The Chester County Health Department has been notified that approximately 5,300 doses of H1N1 vaccine will be sent from the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PADoH) to begin the inoculation of Chester County’s most vulnerable “Tier 1” residents.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) classifies Tier 1 as pregnant women, caregivers of children younger than six months of age, health care and emergency medical services personnel, persons six months through 24 years of age, and persons aged 25 to 64 who have underlying health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza, such as weakened immune systems and cancer.

The Chester County Health Department will administer this free vaccine to Tier 1 persons through its normal clinic appointment program at the Health Department's 601 Westtown Road location in West Chester.

Appointments will be available on a “first requested, first served” basis from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on November 23 and 24, and 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on November 25, 2009.

As the vaccine supply is limited at this time, only people with appointments will be served during these dates.

Appointments can be scheduled by calling 610-344-5353, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To allow efficient distribution of the limited vaccine allocation, the Chester County Health Department is asking only Tier 1 citizens, or family members of Tier 1 citizens, to call for an appointment. Individuals in the healthcare and emergency medical services category must bring organizational identification as proof that they are eligible. Individuals with underlying health conditions must have a doctor’s note verifying that their condition makes them eligible as a Tier 1 citizen.

To enable an efficient vaccination service, all individuals with appointments are asked to wear short-sleeved shirts. Individuals with appointments are also encouraged to go to the health department website and download the required consent form and bring the completed form to the Health Department at their appointment time.

Due to the full day of H1N1 vaccination clinics on November 23, 24 and 25, 2009 all regularly scheduled clinics, apart from the WIC clinic, are cancelled on those dates. The WIC clinic will be held at the Government Services Center as scheduled.

The Chester County Health Department reminds residents to continue to take preventative actions to minimize the spread of the H1N1 virus, including:

· Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it;

· If a tissue is not available, cough or sneeze into your bent elbow;

· Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizing gel;

· Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way;

· Try to avoid close contact with sick people;

· If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever has gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.


Chester County Health Department
Government Services Center
601 Westtown Road, Suite 290
West Chester, Pennsylvania 19390
US

NOTICE - Montco & DelCo residents - H1N1 flu shots will be available in your area

For high priority risk residents of Montgomery and Delaware Counties interested in obtaining the H1N1 flu shot, please read and follow the directions below.

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Montco & DelCo H1N1 flu shot clinics scheduled this week

NORRISTOWN, PA.; November 16, 2009 (WPVI) -- After several delays, health officials are ready to offer H1N1 vaccines in Delaware and Montgomery counties.


The Montgomery County Health Department will hold 2 walk-in H1N1 flu clinics later this week.

These clinics will only offer H1N1 vaccine to those who are in a high priority risk group as determined by the Centers for Disease Control and the Pennsylvania State Health Department.

The dates, times and locations of the clinics are:

*Friday, November 20th from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at Hope Community Church, 2732 N Charlotte St Gilbertsville, PA,

*Saturday, November 21st from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Central Montco Technical High School, 821 Plymouth Road, Plymouth, PA

Residents must bring their driver's license to prove they live in Montgomery County.

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The Pennsylvania Department of Health will also offer a clinic from November 20-22, in Boothwyn, Delaware County, at Chichester Middle School. It is at 925 Meetinghouse Road.

Clinic hours on Friday, Nov. 20 and Sunday, Nov. 22 will be 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Hours on Saturday, Nov. 21, will be 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Appointments can be made at www.H1N1inPA.com under "What's Hot," 24 hours a day.

Individuals without internet access can call 1-877-PA HEALTH (1-877-724-3258) between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Lines are limited.

Anyone seeking vaccination should download an H1N1 vaccine consent form from www.h1n1inPA.com. Consent forms must be completed for each individual.

Individuals in the recommended target groups must schedule an appointment time, day and location for the clinic in Boothwyn. This will help ensure that the correct type and amount of vaccine is available at each location.

Those in the recommended target group include:

" Pregnant women

" Household contacts and caregivers for children younger than 6 months of age

" Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel

" All people from 6 months through 24 years of age

" Persons aged 25 through 64 years who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza.

Children from 6 months to 9 years old will require a second dose approximately four weeks after receiving the first vaccine.

A screening form can be found on the Health Department's website at:

www.health.montcopa.org.

Residents can download, print, fill out the form and bring it to the H1N1 flu clinic or fill out a form when they arrive.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/health&id=7121773

The Clinic

While our Congressmen and Senators continue to debate the future of healthcare in the United States, Dr. Lorna B. Stuart along with other area physicians and dedicated volunteers are providing free or low-cost medical care services to approximately 1000 individuals every month.

Please remember to support the Clinic by becoming a partner in this incredibly compassionate mission.

From the Clinic website:

Our Mission

The Clinic provides quality health care to the uninsured, in an atmosphere which fosters dignity and respect for our patients.

It is our privilege to do so.


Our Vision

To provide quality health care with space, staff and funding sufficient to meet the needs of the growing number of unisured in our region... until everyone has access to health care.

The Clinic was featured on NBC's Today Show recently. In case you missed it, here is the clip directly from NBC's web site:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The Clinic currently serves more than 950 patients per month. We are extremely fortunate to have over 150 volunteers who regularly provide over 16,000 hours of medical and clerical services to The Clinic each year. Support from the community is an essential part of our existence because we are NOT a government-funded organization.

Particularly in this economic climate, and given the heated debate on health care reform, The Clinic’s original mission has never been more relevant. Please join us in welcoming more into a place of healing, hope and dignity. Thank you for all you have done and will continue to do in support of this mission.

The Clinic PA - 143 Church Street - Phoenixville, PA 19460 - 610-935-1134

http://www.theclinicpa.org

Emergency preparedness exercise at Exelon's Nuclear Limerick Generating Station

A weeklong emergency preparedness exercise will begin Monday at Exelon Nuclear's Limerick Generating Station.

Held every other year, the drills test the government's ability to protect public health and safety.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will evaluate state and local emergency response capabilities within the 10-mile emergency-planning zone around the nuclear facility.

FEMA will present preliminary findings in a public briefing Nov. 20 at 11 a.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott Reading, 150 N. Park Road, Wyomissing.

Within 90 days, FEMA will send its evaluation to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for use in licensing decisions. The final report will be available to the public about 120 days after the exercise.

http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=166167

Phoenixville's Ferris Wheel

Will This Wheel's Saga Come Full Circle?

November 12, 2009 - Bryan Schwartzman, Staff Writer


What goes around comes around, at least when talking about the revolutions of a Ferris wheel.

A group in Phoenixville in Chester County is hoping that the story of one such attraction comes full circle: It's working to restore and display a 70-foot-tall historic ride, one of the first ever built, in the very city where it was constructed 114 years ago.

The push is the latest chapter of a decade-long effort to revitalize the downtown enclave that had fallen on hard times when the steel industry left and to help Phoenixville rise from the ashes, so to speak.

This particular artifact has witnessed a thing or two over its long lifetime. In fact, the entertainment apparatus happened to play a bit part in Israel's War for Independence, or at least in the effort on the part of many Americans Jews to illegally ship arms to the nascent Jewish army.

The wheel's one-time owner, a New Jersey man who counted David Ben-Gurion among his friends, often used the ride as a means to guarantee private conversation and help keep his clandestine activities under wraps.

Such a connection isn't lost on Barbara Cohen, a 68-year-old member of the Schuylkill Township Board of Supervisors who is spearheading the reclamation effort. Cohen previously helped raise $5 million to transform a crumbling foundry building near downtown Phoenixville into the home of the Schuylkill River Heritage Center, a nonprofit group that teaches about the city's industrial past; it also serves as a venue for corporate events and weddings.

For Cohen, a longtime member of Congregation B'nai Jacob in Phoenixville, the goal is to "reinvent urban areas, as opposed to building more strip malls. We want to try and rejuvenate the town, to create a memory of an industrial legacy, but at the same time reinvent it in a way that Manayunk has been reinvented."

Dan Baer, an octogenarian born in Phoenixville who still lives in the area, noted that less than a decade ago, "there was no reason for people to come downtown. There weren't enough stores to make it worthwhile."

Her Adopted City

But now, Bridge Street -- the city's main thoroughfare -- is lined with restaurants, pubs and coffeehouses, a far cry from five years ago, according to Barry Cassidy, executive director of the city's Community Development Corp. Things have changed so dramatically that the city is now in need of a parking garage, he said.

"I have adopted Phoenixville because of my appreciation of the amazing legacy of this community, both social and industrial," said Cohen, who has also served as the director of the Chamber of Commerce and the Phoenixville Area Economic Development Corporation.

Cohen's idea is to have an item that speaks to the city's history as a steel producer like no other -- thus, the Ferris wheel -- erected in the vicinity, possibly near the proposed garage. It would no longer function as a working ride, but would instead serve as a kind of "industrial sculpture."

Cohen, a lover of history who once gave Jewish bicentennial tours in downtown Philadelphia and holds a master's degree in design, has delved into the history of this particular amusement-park ride.

In 1895, just two years after George Ferris unveiled his invention at the World's Fair in Chicago, Ernest Schnitzler, owner of an amusement park in Asbury Park, N.J., approached the Phoenix Bridge Company in Phoenixville with a similar design, according to Cohen and other sources. The company ultimately built four such wheels.

Despite the fact that the design of the Ferris wheel underwent some changes -- such as going from 20 to 16 carriages because of a tendency for them to lock in midair -- the "Phoenixville" ride remained at Asbury Park's Palace Amusement, a seashore arcade and theme park, for the better part of 100 years.



At one point, the Ferris wheel in Asbury Park had an observation deck.

(Click to enlarge)

In the 1930s, a New Jersey man named Zimel Resnick -- who was born in Russia in 1897 and immigrated to the United States in 1911 -- became co-owner of the park. A committed Zionist, Resnick had served with the Jewish Legion during World War I, where he had befriended Israel's future prime minister, Ben-Gurion.

According to The Pledge, a book by Leonard Slater about the underground movement to ship arms to Israel after World War II, Resnick collected guns and arms for the Jewish cause.

When Resnick wanted to discuss activities that were at the time illegal, Slater noted that he would lead his contacts "to the Ferris wheel at the amusement park into one of its gaudy carriages, where swinging round and round above the seaside resort, they could talk without fear of being overheard" -- something like a scene taken from the Orson Welles movie "The Third Man."

Jules Resnick, 83, worked for a time at his uncle's amusement park and recalled Ben-Gurion calling the office. The younger Resnick, of Ocean Township, N.J., recalled that as a teenager, his uncle asked him to drive an Israeli who wore an eye patch from Asbury Park to New York City. Only later did the younger Resnick realize that the gentleman was none other than Moshe Dayan.

"When it came to Israel, [my uncle] had complete, 110 percent dedication. He had no children -- really, Israel was his child," said his nephew, adding that his uncle spoke with a Yiddish-inflected accent, but commanded the respect of statesmen. "He's a legend."

Zimel Resnick died in 1971 at age 74; he was buried in Israel.

So, what might the amusement-park owner have thought of having his beloved Ferris wheel standing in downtown Phoenixville?

His nephew isn't sure, but said that his uncle would have "turned in his grave" if he knew about the precipitous economic decline in Asbury Park, as well as the closing of much of the seashore attractions.

Coming Back Home

Indeed, the amusement park closed in the late 1980s, and the Ferris wheel was sold to a park in Mississippi. It stayed there, operating for almost 10 years until New Jersey developer Bill Sitar purchased it, hoping to return the wheel to its home in Asbury Park.

But that plan languished, and Cohen's group, the Schuylkill River Heritage Center, was able to purchase it instead. (Asbury Park, however, thanks in large part to the efforts of rock superstar Bruce Springsteen, has been seeing a resurgence of its own.) In 2008, the wheel was moved, in pieces, back to Phoenixville, where much of it sits in a welding and fabrication shop.

Actually, Cohen said that they paid Sitar $25,000, but still owe him $50,000. She said that she has raised $78,000 of the $146,000 needed to pay for the entire project.

A number of area businesses, including the Phoenixville Federal Bank and even the Borough of Phoenixville itself, have purchased naming rights for 12 of the 16 individual passenger carriages.

Refurbished Ferris wheel seats have been placed on the front lawns of several supporting businesses -- at least, until the go-ahead is given to rebuild the whole thing.



Barbara and Allan Cohen sit in a restored carriage from a historic Ferris wheel now being refurbished.

(Click to enlarge)

"This happens to be a relic from Phoenixville's past," said Carol Buckwalter of Phoenixville Federal Band & Trust.

The hope, said Cohen, is to have it stand on privately owned land adjacent to the refurbished foundry building and next to a new parking garage. Where exactly it will be placed, she said, is a "work in progress."

Yet once situated, it will remain an homage to the past.






http://www.jewishexponent.com/article/20027/

Schuylkill River Heritage Center at Phoenixvile Foundry to host Hopewell Village's one-act play - "From Out the Fiery Furnace"

Mark your calendar for the Schuylkill River Heritage Center performance at the Phoenixville Foundary, February 09, 2010, for this unique presentation by Hopewell Village.

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A One-Act Play About Hopewell Furnace is a Different Sort of Outreach


out•reach (out-rēch') n. A systematic attempt to provide services beyond conventional limits.

The one-act play “From Out the Fiery Furnace” depicts 19th century life in Hopewell Village, putting flesh on the bones of history preserved at Pennsylvania’s Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. Taking a show like this on the road is a type of outreach that other national parks might want to consider.

Hopewell Furnace in southeastern Pennsylvania played a more important role in America’s early manufacturing history than is generally appreciated. Operating from just before the American Revolution until long after the Civil War (1771-1883), Hopewell was one of the “iron plantations” that laid the foundation for America’s transition from dependent colony to industrial giant.

Hopewell Furnace was a large and sophisticated operation for its time. The Hopewell community, which numbered 200-300 people, was a nearly self-sufficient company town. Three nearby mines supplied high-quality iron ore for the iron-making process, and about an acre of hardwood trees had to be felled each day to supply the charcoal that fueled the furnace. A giant water wheel drove large pistons supplying air to a cold-blast furnace that achieved molten iron temperatures as high as 3,000 degrees.

Hopewell Village products



(Click to enlarge)

Hopewell Furnace played an important role during the American Revolution, casting more than 100 cannons and supplying shot and shell in large amounts. (It's strategic significance was so great that George Washington went to great lengths to protect it.) After attaining its heyday during the 1820s to the 1840s, the furnace continued to operate until it was made hopelessly obsolete by the iron and steel industry’s transition to larger, more efficient anthracite-fired furnaces. Hopewell Furnace finally ceased production in 1883.

For other details about Hopewell Furnace, visit this site:

http://www.nps.gov/history/nR/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/97hopewell/97facts3.htm

Today, at an 848-acre site northwest of Philadelphia, Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site (established 1938) preserves more than a dozen historic structures associated with Hopewell Furnace’s past and interprets this historic industrial village's technological, business, and lifestyle characteristics.

The cold-blast iron furnace and accompanying community have been restored to their appearance during Hopewell’s heyday in the 1830s and 1840s. The park’s facilities and attractions include historic buildings and related relics, a visitor center/museum, self-guided walking tour, hiking trails, living history programs and demonstrations, special events throughout the year, and even a u-pick apple orchard with historic and modern varieties.

Last year, only 49,328 people visited the park. While that level of visitation is by no means inconsequential, it is a lot lower than the site can accommodate. Hopewell Furnace would like to have more visitors -- more visitors to entertain, more visitors to educate, more visitors to go away with a greater appreciation for the vital role that Hopewell Furnace and the other iron-producing communities played in America’s early industrial development.

A big part of the problem is the park’s low visibility on the national, regional, and perhaps even local scene. A person is unlikely to visit a particular national park unless he or she is aware of the park and considers it a visit-worthy place. Hopewell is no Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, or Gettysburg, and so it stays below the media radar most of the time. An unknown but undoubtedly substantial percentage of the people who live within day-tripping and weekending range don’t even know it exists, and many who do can’t tell you where it is or what pleasures it may offer.

It’s no small thing that Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site is located in Philadelphia’s day-tripping zone, sits just a 45-minute drive from Valley Forge, and is not very far from major transportation routes serving the densely populated Boston-to-Washington megalopolis. Given the size of this market, anything that increases the park’s visibility and heightens public awareness of its attractions and significance holds promise to boost visitation by an appreciable amount. Every little bit counts.

Against this background, it’s nice to see that a play about historic Hopewell Furnace is being staged in the park’s prime market area and has garnered media attention. “From Out the Fiery Furnace,” a one-act play written and directed by nationally recognized playwright Christine Emmert, features stories about the people of 19th century Hopewell Furnace. It is performed by veteran actress Barbara Hannevig, who portrays runaway slaves, “fallen women,” indentured servants, orphaned children, and other characters.

The play weaves an intricate tale showing how one woman’s life experiences could be traced through her relationship with a Hopewell Stove. The 10-plate cooking stove, a labor-saving innovation that Hopewell Furnace produced in substantial numbers, was prized for the fact that it gave women precious time to pursue interests outside the kitchen.

After the play premiered in September at Hopewell Furnace’s Harvest Time event, Emmert and Hannevig volunteered to take the show on the road to area communities. The next performances are scheduled for November 13 in Douglassville, Pennsylvania.

The 2010 performance schedule, which is still being worked out, will include a February 9 performance at the Phoenixville Foundry, a newly-renovated National Register structure in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, that is now used for special events of various kinds.

Postscript: One of the November 13 performance venues, St. Gabreiel’s Episcopal Church in Douglassville, is the church that Hopewell Furnace founder and ironmaster Mark Bird attended back in the 1770s.

http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2009/11/one-act-play-about-hopewell-furnace-different-sort-outreach4899

Beat Nationwide Shortage of Vaccines with Online Google Flu Shot Finder

Almost every day I'm asked if the doctors or clinics in the Phoenixville area have the H1N1 vaccine. A check of facilities as late as this afternoon did not turn up one location dispensing the shots.

Combine that with the fact that the only news surfacing regarding local cases of the H1N1 swine flu is by word of mouth, an unreliable source of information for those trying to avoid the illness, frustration is mounting.

The CDC now states the total number of deaths in the USA is 4000, four times the 1,000 they have been reporting. The higher totals include deaths caused by complications related to swine flu, including pneumonia and bacterial infections. The CDC also states "many millions" of Americans have already caught pandemic flu virus.

Please remember the CDC recommendations and take these everyday steps to protect your health:

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.) Keep away from others as much as possible to keep from making others sick.

The website search engine, Google, has teamed with the federal health officials to help the public find seasonal flu shots and H1N1 vaccines with a new search tool as explained below.

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Can Google.Com/Flushot Turn You on to Some H1N1 Vaccine or a Seasonal Flu Shot?

The Google flu shot finder helps concerned parents ferret out available H1N1 vaccine doses or even just the seasonal flu shot. Yet is google.com/flushot really a viable alternative to the grapevine?

Google Flu Shot Finder Might Be Your Ticket to Hard to Find Flu Vaccine

While the Obama Administration promised Americans between 80 to 120 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine before Halloween, the Washington Post reports that only about 16.5 million vaccines have been delivered.

Scrambling for answers, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius points an accusing finger to flu shot manufacturers. Jostling for vaccines to at least get children inoculated, parents are relying on "grapevine news" and now hope to find a powerful ally in the Google flu shot finder.

Google Flu Shot Finder: What It Is and How It Works

Access the Google flu shot finder at:

http://maps.google.com/maps/mpl?moduleurl=http://maps.google.com/mapfiles/mapplets/flushot/flushot.xml

...and you are treated to a map of the United Stats. Enter your zip code and you have the option of searching for seasonal flu shots, H1N1 flu shots, or venues that offer both vaccinations. The goal of the flu shot finder is the creation of a coherent clearing house for flu vaccine availability information. At this time, google.com/flushot is still only revving up, and as such does not have access to all clinics offering the flu vaccines. ABC News reports that thus far only 20 states are in the flu shot finder system, while the map is almost complete with information provided by national chain pharmacies.

Before You Head Out for Your Dose of H1N1 or Seasonal Flu Vaccine

The Google flu shot finder can only point you into the direction of healthcare providers and pharmacies that currently report to have flu vaccine available. The flu shot finder cannot guarantee that a) the vaccine will be available when you get there and b) that you will qualify to receive a dose. Moreover, some clinics offering the H1N1 vaccine are not on the list.

For example, Long Beach's Columbia Pediatrics currently does have H1N1 flu vaccine available. This clinic is not on the Google flu shot finder list. That being said, even if it were, the clinic does not dispense H1N1 vaccine doses to all children, but due to limited quantities of available vaccines only gives them to kids, who are in the highest of high risk groups. Children with heart disease, cancer and a variety of other serious illnesses are at the top of the list for receiving the vaccine. Other patients are asked to wait or make use of flu vaccine clinics held at local school.

Parents may be wise to keep a close ear to the grapevine -- in addition to using the Google flu shot finder in the hopes of finding the H1N1 vaccine of even just the seasonal flu shot.


http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2379836/beat_nationwide_shortage_of_vaccines.html?cat=5