 "Photo: Osa Okundaye")
Since the H1N1 flu has become an epidemic, critics have raised staunch opposition to the vaccine for little reason other than causing controversy. People already scared and confused about H1N1 may avoid getting the vaccine because of this political ploy. People who may get sick and even die.
Several institutions and public figures have inanely attacked the vaccine. Health Freedom USA's "Stop the Shot" Complaint for Injunction claims, "There is no pandemic disease which threatens our health. There are only vaccines that do so."
Adding to the madness is Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan's who made the following claim concerning the H1N1 vaccine in a FOX News interview: "The Earth can't take 6.5 billion people. We just can't feed that many. So what are you going to do? Kill as many as you can. We have to develop a science that kills them and makes it look as though they died from some disease."
Such a claim is absolutely ridiculous, yet media clowns continue to thrive. Glenn Beck's show on FOX News earlier this month claimed to show both sides of the argument, but made a very clear bias. When a strong pro-vaccine comment was made in the debate, he made implications like holding up cigarette advertisements with doctors on them, making snide remarks like "remember, doctors say lucky strikes."
The show coupled facts and figures with opposing speculation, further confusing the American people as to the current state of affairs.
"Do you trust your government in A, that this crisis is even real, and B, that they have competently worked with the best medicine to develop, distribute, and administer a potentially lifesaving vaccine," said Beck on the Oct. 9 episode of the "Glenn Beck Show." "Do you believe that?"
Meanwhile, Beck will not disclose whether or not he and his family will get the vaccine.
Obama has declared the H1N1 pandemic a national emergency. Since April, millions have been infected, more than 20,000 have been hospitalized and more than 1,000 have died, according to Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Thomas Frieden.
A popularly elected president deserves far more faith than a media clown. But if you truly doubt the president, on June 11, Margaret Chan, the director general of WHO, raised the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 5 to 6 on the WHO Web site, declaring that, "the world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic."
At no point does Beck say that either the vaccine is more dangerous than the virus or vice-versa, but his questioning of a safe vaccine is meant to bring up fear and distrust for the sole purpose of attacking the current administration, waving the American flag to draw attention.
Members of the right-wing political community are going ballistic over potential healthcare reform, and yet criticize the current plan for dealing with H1N1. They are simply finding any way to attack the president, regardless of the issue.
Vaccine scares have happened before. When the oral polio vaccine was tested on roughly 1 million people, it was blamed for the spread of AIDS. Modern studies have since disproven this. What must be realized is that the vaccine is no different from any other flu vaccine.
"This vaccine, it's very similar, it's made the same way as the yearly flu vaccine, which we've given to over hundreds of billions of people over the past fifty years, same technique," said FOX News Medical Contributor Dr. Marc Siegel.
Glenn Beck's behavior, using fear mongering to stir up sentiment against the H1N1 vaccine for no purpose other than to attack Obama, is opportunist and irresponsible. He raises doubt and paranoia, ultimately threatening lives, all while leaving himself free to take the vaccine.
Our political parties shouldn't attack each other on something as simple as a flu vaccine for the sole purpose of gaining a rally effect. It's a yearly flu vaccine. Ignore the cries of lunatics and jesters, the H1N1 pandemic is a real concern, beyond all reasonable doubt. Go get the vaccine as soon as you can.
Steven Laxton is a freshman general studies major.
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