The past two weeks have been rather interesting, not only in my city, but across Canada. What makes it interesting is the hysteria and almost comical nature surrounding the h1n1 vaccination program, or lack thereof. Just reading the news online has led me to wonder how they could screw something like this up, especially after hyping it up and saying they were on it and they had enough vaccines for everyone in Canada. Well since the program started last week, there has been nothing but line ups, and of course the shortage of the damn vaccine itself. Yup, people are drudging out in the cold weather to wait in line for hours to get a shot. A lineup that could potentially increase their chances of catching the very virus they are there to supposedly protect against. The government has dropped the ball big time, and had this been a "real" pandemic many, many people could die.

Follow up:

So the lineups continue, people are being turned away, and tempers are starting to flare. Accusations of assault, both verbal and physical are swirling around as people are growing weary of the confusion and hoops they need to jump through. I can understand their frustration and anger, after all, the government has been pushing the shot and the media hasn't stopped writing about the swine flu for months now. Everyone was under the impression that this is what they were supposed to do but apparently not, as the past weeks have shown. So they lineup and get treated like crap and told to go home because they aren't a higher than high risk. No joke here, those words were uttered by Windsor and Essex County's chief medical officer.

There isn't enough vaccine for all of them. "I'm hoping I can get the high, high risk," Heimann said.

Now the police will be posted at flu clinics to keep the crowds under control. I find it appalling that it has come to this, not that I am going to get a flu shot anyway , but that now the police have to be posted at clinics. How did something so mundane and trivial turn into a nightmare in a matter of days? Who will be responsible? Will the federal, provincial, even municipal governments take responsibility of some sort?

This whole thing is a mess and the people have been scared shitless thanks to the constant media coverage et al.

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