The Swine Flu

Yes, Germany is under attack from the Swine Flu. But it's interesting to watch the reaction:

• Many people are upset because supposedly politicians and civil servants are getting the "better" vaccine - the one without "mercury and nanoparticles" as someone informed me today. Whatever they are getting, they're not handling the public relations very well.
• Possibly as a result of the above rumors, many people are deciding against the vaccine. One piece I saw in the paper cited a survey in which only 30% of Germans were hoping to get it.
• The Health Ministry has issued a directive requiring all those in close contact to a flu victim to stay home for 7 days (i.e. parents of a sick child).
  

Do you actually want to get the vaccine? It's not that easy.

• Lists of doctors administering the vaccine are in the paper. There is just one in our immediate area. When I called him regarding getting the kids done, the receptionist told me they don't do kids without an acknowledgement from the pediatrician that the child can receive it.
• Our pediatrician's receptionist has never heard of such a thing. The kids and I will head in there this afternoon to chat with him about that - possibly exposing us all to the flu as the waiting room is sure to be filled with fevered children.

Meanwhile, one school in the next city closed last week after most of a class fell ill during a field trip. Both the kindergarten and the school sent home letters yesterday saying that they'd had cases reported, but please, KEINE PANIK! The kindergarten had big signs around informing the parents that one of the kids had been sent home with it on Friday.

But panicking the Schwafheimers seem to be: when I took Anke to kindergarten this morning, she was the first child there. Usually she's 3rd or 4th. Only 1 further child came in while I was talking with a teacher for 10 minutes (helping inform me of the other, above beliefs). Meanwhile, I've been told, a lot of parents are excusing their children from the after-school program for the week, partly because the teachers there, who are still on their feet, have to combine all the kids into one or two groups.

Facemasks have yet to make an appearance.

And yes, we know at least one of the cases: a friend of Pete's, his little brother a close friend of Anke's, and yes, we've had close contact with the family in the past few days. But what can you do, other than risk exposure by going to the doctor's to get the shot? Oh, the irony.

Maybe I should start laying in supplies!