Eric Klinenberg’s Op-Ed in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal about how the Obama family should set a good example for getting the H1N1 flu vaccine reminded me of an entertaining interview he gave about the virus to NPR’s On the Media this spring. In the interview, Klinenberg describes how the media kept contacting him asking him to discuss the panic about H1N1. He kept explaining that there wasn’t a panic. Of course that is part of the problem. According to Klinenberg’s Op-Ed yesterday:
Swine Flu may not be more lethal than ordinary seasonal flu, but it is unusually virulent and therefore likely to be more widespread. It is undoubtedly dangerous and it has already killed at least 3,200 people world-wide. It is likely to hit hard starting this fall. In addition to the human toll, a massive outbreak would also affect families, schools, governments and businesses that would find their normal routines disrupted as they deal with containing an outbreak. Hospitals, particularly those in underserved areas, could be overwhelmed by a surge in demand for emergency services. A small number of people may have adverse reactions to vaccinations, but the benefits of not having a mass outbreak outweigh the risks.
Nonetheless, it appears that many people are not planning to get the Swine Flu shot. A recent survey from the University of Pittsburgh shows that about three-quarters of Americans believe that neither they nor their family members or friends will contract H1N1, and a poll from the University of Michigan reveals that only 40% of parents plan to inoculate their children.
