Why the secrecy?

Coincidental to the current H1N1 "swine flu" pandemic, about two years ago I read "The Great Influenza" by John M. Barry, a sobering account of the 1918 influenza.

The book traces the explosion of illness along the virus' path and it's human destruction while examining the scientific exploration process used to identify the killer disease.

It also documents the heroes as well as the cowards, along with the maneuvers of institutions which controlled the dissemination of accurate information to the public.

John Barry's insight in The Great Influenza is definitely thought-provoking, compelling, and the lessons both learned and not learned from the 1918 pandemic are still relevant today.

As frustrating as it was to understand the political and institutional mind-set of 1918, I'm appalled that we are dealing the same secrecy in 2009.

Which is why I found the following article well worth sharing.

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Keeping a public health crisis, private.

By: Jo Ciavaglia

phillyBurbs.com


In Pennsylvania – where more than 1.3 million in swine flu vaccination have been distributed among more than 1,300 health care providers whose names are considered a state secret — comes the newest, strange twist in this public health crisis.

Who is dying of this mysterious flu?

Don’t bother asking the state that either. Apparently it’s a secret too.

Apparently almost everything about this H1N1 swine flu is a secret in Pennsylvania except how to can protect yourself.

No doubt the state has spent millions of dollars promoting that information which is basic hygiene 101: don’t sneeze on people, wash you hands, and keep your hands to yourself – and off your face. Just check out the H1N1inpa.com Web site, it’s full of useful information such as:

What is the swine flu virus?

How it spreads

Symptoms

What if you get sick?

Like is there anyone in American that doesn’t know the answers to these questions yet? What we don’t know is WHERE IS THE VACCINE????

The number of swine-flu related deaths in Pennsylvania is now at 38 up from 29 last week. So far, at least one child has died. Yes, it’s a tiny number – less than 1 percent of the 10,000 total state lab confirmed swine flu cases.

But are there any, say, patterns with the deaths with age or perhaps the health of the person.

These are reasonable questions that people – who are considering not only vaccinating themselves, but their kids, would like to know.

Nope. Can’t tell you, is what the state health department told me when I asked for the ages those who’ve died as well did the person have an underlying medical condition.

“As you know, we are restricted in what we can say by the Pennsylvania Disease Prevention and Control Law. We are not releasing any information on deaths other than the county,” was the response I received from a state health spokeswoman.

My reply to this was something to the effect: So you can’t tell me how many of these deaths involved people with serious medical conditions and if there is any pattern with the ages with this public health crisis? Still waiting for a reply to that question.

See, while the state – and everyone else – is hyping up the prevalence of H1N1 infections among people under age 30, what I am wondering is did they get it wrong.

Now clearly the under-30 crowd accounts for the preponderance of swine flu cases in Pennsylvania — 76 percent of the 10,000 so far — at least according to state lab tested confirmations. (Remember the state and CDC stopped testing most people months ago, only people admitted to hospitals are tested now).

But, as people seem to forget this H1N1 virus is a mostly mild – in some cases the seasonal flu is worse. So to me, it seems to those most vulnerable folks – who REALLY need the vaccine -- are the ones DYING of this virus.

Those numbers seem to suggest that people with underlying medical condition are clearly more at risk than younger people. Even among pregnant women in the state fewer than 1 percent have contracted H1N1, according to the state.

Locally, two people in Montgomery County who’ve died of swine flu complications, a 58year old with underlying medical conditions and a 19 year old also with underlying medical conditions.

Across the river in New Jersey, three Burlington County people have died of swine flu and two adult women, ages 38 and 42, had underlying chronic medical conditions and a 17 year old boy, who had no known medical problems.

You sense a pattern here? With the state secrecy that is.







http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/92/2009/november/19/keeping-a-public-health-crisis-private.html