There is a lot of fear and panic surrounding the H1N1 virus or swine flu. People are rushing to get vaccines and policy makers are pushing for mandatory vaccinations in certain populations, such as schools. Reporter Cynthia Tucker from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution pointed out that “Elmo appears in videos to tell listeners (children and adults) to wash their hands and cough into their sleeves,” which is prudent advice that should not be overlooked.
I, too, support the basic Public Health guideline of washing hands more and coughing and sneezing into your sleeve verses your hand to prevent issues. Vaccines can be useful but it must be fully vetted before the public is encouraged to receive the injections and certainly before it is mandatory. This video points out that many of the scientists who made the vaccine are hesitant at this point to receive the vaccine.
Too often public health tips are overlooked, along with known immune system bolstering techniques such as exercise, healthy diet, and supplementation. Even chiropractic has been shown to improve the overall immune response… these safe techniques should be further studied and publicized in conjunction to putting billions (yes billions) into the vaccine.
