[Qemu-devel] Towards common sense

[Jeremy Sup <austinr@adresik.com>]

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Towards common sense

The commotion surrounding vaccinations used for waging political battles 
will eventually turn against communities.

The 1918-1919 flu pandemic, nicknamed “the Spanish flu”, was also caused by 
the A/H1N1 swine flu virus. Its first wave had a similar course to the 
current incidence of disease. In spring 1918, the first wave of the 
pandemic hit. Although highly contagious, it did not bring with it a 
significant death rate. The second outbreak, which commenced in September 
1918, was marked by an incredibly high number of fatalities, whilst the 
third took place in 1919.

The course of the current A/H1N1 pandemic without a great number of 
fatalities (if one can describe the death of 20,000 people in such a way) 
is not conducive to a rational assessment of the preventive vaccination 
programme. For many politicians, populism and the desire to win over voters 
are the only determinants of their actions. Such politicians prey on the 
low awareness on the part of society, which notices only events, and 
imagining what could potentially happen is outside their visible realm. 
Also, a lack of knowledge about the course of the “Spanish flu” pandemic of 
1918-1919 and its death toll, estimated at between 50 million and 100 
million people, is not conducive to preventive vaccinations.

If an anti-vaccination attitude is reinforced in social beliefs, then the 
future may see the deaths of millions of people as a result of abandoning 
general preventive vaccinations. The message to inform people of the risk 
carried by an influenza pandemic is an important one. Let us hope that the 
situation will be different from the regularity, which often accompanies 
capital markets, where world crunches occur within cycles every few decades 
or so, and awareness of the threat dies with the generation.

We find ourselves in a place and time where the future of mankind’s 
existence in the conflict with mortal viruses is clinched. Let us stop the 
feverish bus ride, fed with political populism and short-sighted electoral 
perspective. Let us look at the warning signs, which mankind encountered in 
his path in the years 1918-1919.

If you believe that it is worthwhile doing something for the common good, 
then forward this appeal to others or link to: www.right-to-health.org so 
that the information has a chance to spread. We are the ones who can 
influence whether common sense prevails.

Sense is sometimes in the minority and loses out to populism, but let us 
not give up just yet!


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