Britain is struggling to fight swine flu and with the holidays ending and school returning the number of infected patients are predicted to peak. Even after the epidemic last year, it was predicted to hit hard again this year. The NHS was prepared with vaccine but it came quickly this fall. Now Britain “has done to little too late to tackle the flu.” With school returning the breading grounds of the virus are reopen causing doctors to predict the spike in numbers. Half of the intensive care beds are currently occupied by swine flu patients and “international evidence suggests that up to 15 per cent of those treated for swine flu in intensive care die.” This evidence supports the theory that 100 out of the 738 swine flu patients in Britain hospitals could die. The virus is being found more likely in children under four years of age, and as “ the figures rise to 184 cases per 100,000” it is suspected to rise to 200 cases per 100,000 people which is classified as an epidemic. The news of the outbreak was found in Fiona Macrae’s article “Schools put on swine flu alert: As Christmas holidays end, doctors warn of a ‘children’s epidemic’” posted on January 2, 2011 on Google news. Macrae’s article can also be accessed on: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1343544/Schools-swine-flu-alert-As-Christmas-holidays-end-doctors-warn-childrens-epidemic.html
Britain’s outbreak of swine flu may come to many people in the US as a surprise. The US was part of the epidemic last year, but locally there have not been many recent cases of swine flu here. Most people who received the seasonal flu vaccine were lucky enough to have the swine flu vaccine in it. Britain was not so lucky in that way because they did not get their supply of vaccine out in time for the outbreak. Britain’s vaccination advertising company stopped promoting the swine flu vaccine in the fall in order to save money. It is sad how Britain did not take the epidemic serious last year and now they will be going through it again and seeing many more fatalities due to the lack of work offered in vaccinating the public.
This swine flu outbreak in Britain can be compared to smallpox in the way of distribution of vaccination causing an epidemic to continue. The history of smallpox epidemic is much different in that there were much more of a vast spread of population infected with smallpox, compared to the lack of effort of Britain. This does prove though that a virus will continue to spread until it has been brought to attention and addressed in ways of public vaccination.
All Britain can do now is educate the children going back to school about the predicted ‘children’s epidemic’ and to teach them about good hygiene to prevent the spread of germs in order to decrease the number of cases. If parents suspect their child to be ill they should keep them out of school to prevent the spread of the virus.
Hopefully Britain and the rest of the world can learn their mistake on never underestimating an epidemic.
I agree that it is sad how they did not take it seriously last year and are going through it again this year. It shows that you should never stop vaccinating for a fatal disease if it is not eradicated. The only good thing that I can see aboutn this is that they went through it last year so now they know how to attack and handle the outbreak this year.
ReplyDeleteThis article was really interesting because it seemed like all the hype about swine flu was something of last year, or really 2 years ago now. It shows that a disease can be spread at any time really, especially when you are least expecting it as Britain was. Hopefully they will learn what to do next time and to understand that idea. I just hope we aren't as unlucky here in the US!
ReplyDelete