So far the H1N1 “swine flu” pandemic has not been as severe in many parts of North America as we have been led to believe. This is not the time to breathe a sigh of relief and drop our guard. Instead we should seize this chance to increase prevention efforts and get more people educated.
Although the threat of a significant H1N1 strain circulating around the world has lessened, we should still do all we are able to to battle the flu. The most efficient and effective way is to get immunized. There is no excuse especially since sufficient doses of H1N1 vaccine are available, and everybody can receive this life-saving vaccination or nasal spray.
There is a lot to learn from the past few months. On the whole, people were very cooperative when the vaccine was initially received. There was not a mad rush for everyone to get immunized. Individuals respected the fact that pregnant women, young children and those with special conditions had a priority in getting vaccinated first.
Members of the professional health care community worked hard and selflessly in getting the H1N1 outbreak under control. The level of public awareness was crucial, and governments on all levels played their part.
Now that we have experienced 2 waves of the virus in the last 12 months, we should not rest on our laurels and expect everything to be fine. History has taught us that there are at least 3 waves of a flu pandemic in any season. At the same time, we are still in winter and the weather can get worse. Many youngsters have not yet taken their second vaccination. This still makes them vulnerable.