Grassroots Science

One of the Tundra Teachers ** I read was able to take advantage of the flu shot clinic this weekend. Actually, it was the mass dispensing exercise to demonstrate disaster preparation in the region, held for the second year.

• Does mass dispensing exercise prove disaster readiness
• Illustrations of public involvement (risk communication) related to H5N1 avian flu or pandemic preparedness

Unbelievably, the 2nd prize again this year is a pass to the “emergency shelter” which still doesn’t exist. First prize is the free shot, which this year should be an effective shot (last year it wasn’t sure the vaccines had been kept at the proper temperature so, letters were issued to come in again later. The elders who go to the senior center will get their flu shots next week, just before Thanksgiving. Elders don’t get flu shots earlier in the season, depending on how much vaccine the state sends out to us.)

I can see how someone last year must have thought it was “more authentic” to issue a pretend pass to a non-existent shelter; unacceptable but plausible. But, again? Who has the authority to declare an Infectious Disease Outbreak? Why is there a non-existent shelter for disease outbreaks and not for flooding, electrical explosion, chemical fire? What happens if a member of your family or a neighbor didn’t get a flu shot at the mass dispensing– Will they be denied access to the non-existent shelter? What if I lend my card to an elder? Can I bring my active TB?

How effective are official false hope and rumors in risk communication, preparedness, and disaster mitigation? What will you E-mail the Governor?

“Sunday, November 4, 2007
Get a Flu Shot

They were giving out free flu shots at the National Guard Armory yesterday, so Avery and I went and got one. The interesting thing about this is that once we got done with our flu shots, we received an interesting card. It’s a business card from the State of Alaska and the YKHC (Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation) and this is what it says….”

http://alishaadventures.blogspot.com/2007/11/get-flu-shot.html

see previous

• More questions to ask: church responsibilities in case of pandemics
• Bird Flu: Communicating the Risk, Sandman & Lanard
• Getting Results from Your Experts
• Resources to Understand Epidemiology & Disease Ecology
• British teachers use Suffolk H5N1 outbreak
• Top 50 reading list for emergency management

[Tundra Teachers** are a mix RSS feed in the sidebar here and individually at the Edublogs site So many teachers qualify this year (blogs from teachers in the Arctic and sub-Arctic) that I am behind in posting links.]

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