Public Health Strategy - H1N1 Immunization Clinics

Being a child of the 1950's and 1960's, I became accustomed to lining up once a year at school to receive a polio shot.

Polio immunization 1956 

Past seasonal flu seasons have hit older Americans the hardest with about 30,000 deaths annually. Pandemic flu epidemics seem to affect the young and healthy, too.

Swine flu (H1N1) 2009  seems to be more dangerous for those born after 1950; and especially so for those 6 months to 24 years of age.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

I can't help but wonder why the limited supplies of vaccine haven't been distributed, free of charge, to local school districts nation wide, as it seems likely that school children are bringing the flu home to their parents and siblings.

Contact your state or local public health officials for current information on H1N1 immunization opportunities.

Find your state public health contact information

here.

   

H1N1 (Swine Flu)

   
   
   

Recession Notes: 1958 vs 2009

Spring 1958 and my younger brother had the mumps. Our parents were concerned because mumps led to sterility in some cases. Their solution was to purchase our very first black and white television set. The idea was to keep my brother as still as possible with the hope that he would recover without complication.

Along with the westerns, Saturday cartoons, and game shows, I remember a public service announcement that I found to be particularly intriguing. The spot was an animated story about a hot dog stand. The message, as I remember it, suggested that negative gossip could have an adverse effect on business. I saw the hot dog stand grow smaller and smaller. This public service ad played over and over and over again.

Billboards along our highways have often been considered a blight, obstructing the view of our beautiful America. Over the past two years more and more billboards have stood begging for business, advertising only themselves. I will believe the economy is on the way to a solid recovery only when billboards in America are no longer so under utilized.

Update (11/7/2009) I couldn't help but laugh out loud when I read this post again. I laughed because of all the mini billboards that I have placed on this blog. Physical billboards have been around for a long time but, any more, advertisers reach us by internet (less and less by radio, televison, newspapers or billboards).