Pandemia

It's been almost impossible not to watch the ongoing news coverage of the blossoming Swine Flu outbreak as it begins to grow exponentially with the encroaching winter. Local schools are beginning to feel the impact. Some have closed, including Harbor Springs Schools, which hits pretty close to home. Despite the CDC's calls for the public not to panic, it's a little hard for me not to worry over this one. Three of the people I love most in the world are high-risk.

My husband lost his spleen after bad car accident when he was a child. He has a much harder time fighting off infections that you and I would only sneeze at. For him, a bad case of Pneumonia could be fatal. Our daughter is pregnant and works in a facility for special-needs children and teenagers who like to finger-paint with their feces to get attention. Her toddler, our 17-month-old grandson, is on daily nebulizer treatments for a respiratory condition.

I see footage on the news of people being immunized for the Swine Flu, but to the best of my knowledge, there is no H1N1 vaccine available in Northern Michigan. Jamie says it's not available where her family lives on Cape Cod, either.

So until distribution of the vaccine begins to meet the demand, we do our best to avoid unnecessary exposure and wash our hands, wash our hands, wash our hands.

Oh, yeah... and don't panic. :/

~ Robin