I don’t scare easily.
But Sunday’s “60 Minutes” story on the H1N1 virus terrified me.
Before Scott Pelley’s report, I’d thought of swine flu as some sort of overdone media hype, like the Y2K, um, bug.
Now I think of H1N1 as another 1918 pandemic, except I’m alive for this one.
And I hope to remain so.
Which is why, at the end of the segment, I and every other “60 Minutes” viewer raced to our computers and clicked on the link the show thoughtfully provided, to find out where to get our own flu shots.
I drilled down several levels. The good news is, I easily found the “CT Flu Watch” page, and from there the Westport Weston Health District page.
The bad news is — well, read it yourself:
Both the Westport Weston Health District and the Wilton Health Department have received a limited amount of live, attenuated influenza vaccine. This is a thimerosal-free nasal spray indicated for healthy individuals ages 2 – 49 years of age who are not pregnant. At this time, use of this vaccine is restricted to the following priority populations:
Children aged 2 – 4 years
Persons who live with or care for children less than 6 months of age.
The vaccine is currently available at 3 pediatric groups: Bay Street, Village and Willows, as well as the Health District itself.
As more vaccine becomes available, it will be offered to the following high-risk target groups:
Pregnant women
People who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age
Certain healthcare and emergency medical services personnel who work directly with patients
Children 6 months through 4 years of age
Children 5 through 18 years of age who have chronic medical conditions.
Finally — I should live so long — the vaccine will be available for my demographic: “everyone (else) who wishes to be vaccinated.”
I’ll keep checking the Health District site, as suggested.
In the meantime, I’ve got another plan: Stop watching “60 Minutes.”
