Prevent the H1N1 Swine Flu

The world is fraught with danger. War, Famine and Pestilence cover the lands like some biblical dooms day prediction come to life and we here in the United States are stretching the limits of our vast riches and technological resources to keep them from our shores. Politicians on both the local and national stage are preparing for the swine flu pandemic by stock piling millions of doses of H1N1 vaccine for Novel Influenza A in a direct response to the world wide dilemma, "How to prevent H1N1 swine flu?"

Does the United States stand ready as the bell rings for round 3?

This isn't the first time the United States has faced this adversary. In 1918 the government didn't act fast enough and the virus swept through North America killing thousands in its wake. The effects were so devastating it cost us more lives than World War One. Over half a million Americans and 20 million people around the world died. There have been recent claims that the 1918 strain was Avian (bird flu) but that claim is countered by the suspicion world leaders are trying to "control panic" with this "new" information.

In 1976 it's ugly head reared again, this time on a military base Ft. Dix in New Jersey. A young soldier was the first to die and the memories of 1918 kicked off a major national effort to develop a vaccine and inoculate the population.

This time the government charged ahead too quickly, the pandemic never developed (only 200 cases of H1N1 were reported with 1 death) but over 22 thousand Americans developed terrible side effects to the vaccine including Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological condition that causes temporary paralysis and can be fatal. The inoculation effort was abandoned after 10 weeks leaving the government severely embarrassed and creating a public backlash against vaccination that is still felt these 33 years later.

If 3 times a charm, will vaccination prevent H1N1 swine flu in 2009?

No one knows for certain. The inoculation is untested and very few people have been exposed to the "new" formula. Ugly rumors are circulating and conspiracy theories abound. What we know for sure is that our government is getting behind inoculation in their official attempt to prevent a pandemic and there may be little choice in the end.