The h1n1 Vaccine Frenzy - It would be funny if it weren't so scary

It's all anyone talks about.

"Did your kids get the shot? Where did you get it? Do they have more?"

"Are your kids high risk? Mine aren't, but I'm going to lie."

"Who's going to the county clinics?"

If you spot a group of moms huddled together outside school or daycare you can bet that's what they're discussing. That or the results of So You Think You Can Dance, but really, Swine is getting more air time than even the best reality shows out there these days.

Which is what makes this almost funny.

It's like watching the opening credits to a movie about some dread medical catastrophe. I mean, haven't we seen this one before - panicked citizens race to get vaccinated against some imminent medical threat that looms closer and closer as the pace of the frantic action speeds up and the music becomes more and more ominous?

Sounds like a classic Michael Crichton. In fact if he were still alive I bet we'd see a novel about this hitting the shelves in the Spring.

But for all that this has the makings of a summertime blockbuster, it's not funny, and it's not really all that entertaining. This panic is real and for once not overly fueled by dire news reports. In fact it's surprising how few of the news networks are making a big deal out of this. Come on, doesn't a pandemic of this proportion deserve at least a small CNN banner and fancy name? You have to have a keen eye to pick up on the stories about dead children or dead pregnant women. If you're looking you'll find them in the health section, not the front page where they actually belong.

I get that there's a desire to keep the panic somewhat contained as the CDC struggles to supply every county with necessary vaccines. And even though my daughters have (at long last) gotten theirs, I still worry for all the other kids who are still waiting. And for all the parents who are oblivious to the risk.

Don't blow this off. Keep everyone's hands clean. Teach your kids to cough into their elbows. Stay away from high risk areas. Be smart. And if your kid has a fever, do us all a favor and stay home, even if he feels better after a hit of Motrin. Until we can fast forward to the end of the movie it might help more kids stay healthy this winter.

Original SV Moms Blog post.

Photo courtesy of Microsoft Clipart Gallery.

Jessica Rosenberg is an aspiring novelist and freelance writer who blogs daily at It's My Life... and posts frequent reviews at The Lemonade Stand. She didn't decide to vaccinate her kids lightly. Her angst over the H1N1 vaccine is chronicled here and here.