Let the swine flu propaganda begin…again! There is a slight delay on the supply of everyone’s favorite vaccine and people are getting nervous and greedy.
The Tennessee supply of the H1N1 vaccine, which can be administered as a shot or a mist, was previously scheduled to be released for public use in October. However, due to the newness and mass need for the preventative treatment, it will not be available to Tennessee’s general public until early or mid November.
So who is currently getting the vaccines? The current vaccines that are available around the country are going to people in high risk areas. These can include health care workers, sick people and prisoners. The state of Massachusetts was the first state to declare that prisoners will be some of the first to receive the vaccine and many other states will follow in its footsteps.
Wait a second. I know what you’re thinking. Why are prisoners getting the vaccine early? That is an outrage! Why are criminals getting special treatment instead of the law abiding public? What about my children, grandparents, or teachers? What about me?
This selfish thought process is rapidly spreading across our nation at its own epidemic-like pace and it needs to stop. The government is not punishing you and rewarding bad behavior. The most practical thing it can do is focus on high risk areas and, like it or not, prisons are definitely on that list.
We are so used to getting what we want when we want it that we forget to use our common sense. Instead of thinking about the “who” in this situation, consider the “why” instead.
Due to the close contact living situation, prisons are breeding grounds for all types of viruses, flues, and other sicknesses. One cough or touch of a door handle could transmit a virus from person to person in no time at all.
Not convinced that you have any link to prisoners and the diseases they can spread? Think again. Not only are inmates at risk, but so are the guards, overseers, cooks, and other employees needed to keep a prison running.
Or how about the families that come to visit inmates? The children and wives that faithfully visit every week are also in danger. Do they not deserve to stay healthy as well?
The public needs to calm down and not buy into the panic that is being sold to us every day. The H1N1 virus is no more deadly than the regular flu.
The supply of the vaccine is not scarce, running out, or even short. There is only a one-month delay. I can not believe that something as commonplace as the flu could cause our society to forget about morals and send us into such a frenzy.
These days it is so easy to point our fingers at the government and call foul play, but let’s get serious, people. The world is not out to get you! I know that it is hard to have compassion for criminals behind bars but we need to remember that they are human beings as well. Just because they made a few mistakes does not mean that we have the right to deny them their health. So in the mean time, cover your mouth when you cough, wash your hands, and do what you can until it is your turn. The saying “patience is a virtue” exists for a reason.
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