Oh for Heaven's sake, people. Get a grip on yourselves.
You are not going to die of the flu.
Although to flip through the newspaper or click on the television, you'd think we were up against horror novelist Stephen King's latest epidemic. You'd think it was the end of the world. All because of a shortage of flu vaccines.
Here are some recent headlines from the St. Petersburg Times:
"Flu pandemic plan might shut schools, ration drugs;" "Flu vaccine crisis stokes political finger-pointing;" "Residents scramble to receive flu shots;" and "Shots fired over flu vaccine."
Relax. That last one is about politicians firing verbal shots at each other. Although we may not be far from gunplay, the way things are going.
Another headline: "People line up for scarce flu vaccine."
The New York Times: "Elderly and chronically ill people waited in line for hours to get flu shots; some were turned away. One died, after hitting her head when she passed out or fell while waiting. Price gougers demanded $800 for $60 vials of vaccine."
Earlier this month, a crowd of 600 got rowdy outside a St. Petersburg grocery store while awaiting flu shots.
Isn't it odd that grocery stores got flu vaccines while doctors were left without?
A political advertisement, reported by the Washington Post: "Seniors and children wait. Not enough vaccines for pregnant women. A George Bush mess."
Another St. Petersburg Times headline: "Flu vaccine shortfall generates confusion."
Make it stop.
We're acting as if no one has ever survived a winter without a flu vaccine. But that's just not the case. I hadn't even considered getting a flu shot until a few years ago, when I was offered a free one.
Last year, amid dire warnings of a dreaded flu season and massive deaths, I forgot. I didn't get a shot. I didn't get the flu, either.
Most people are going to be fine.
Nurse Vee Dayton, who runs the Pasco County Health Department's senior vaccination program with her partner Pat Bunce, said now is not the time to panic. Now is the time to be rational.
But being rational seems to have gone out the window.
"We can thank the television, the radio and the newspapers who enjoy this type of thing," she said. "They have something to scream about."
If you're relatively healthy, you'll be fine, even if you get the flu. There are medications out there to help you cope with the illness, she said.
True, about 36,000 Americans die from the flu each year, Dayton said. But a vast majority of them were already in poor health - young children with chronic diseases, elderly patients who are already frail and ill.
"The rest of us, just act prudently," Dayton said. "You can get diseases from stress too, and you don't need to get stressed out. We need to put this in perspective, that's all."
What can you do? Wash your hands. A lot. Don't sneeze into your bare hand, use a tissue. Avoid crowds when you can. Get plenty of rest. Take vitamins. And wash your hands. Again.
If you're in a high-risk group, if your immune system is compromised, well, okay. You have a right to be anxious.
The rest of you, lighten up. You probably won't get sick, statistically speaking. And if you do, you'll pull through. You've been sick before.
And we in the news business need to lighten up, too.
The alarm bells are starting to ring hollow.
Here are some more headlines from the St. Petersburg Times (check out the dates):
"Worldwide flu outbreak likely, scientists warn," (12/04/2003); "A shortage of shots, flu vaccine dries up amid scare," (12/10/2003); "Officials prepare for flu shot shortage," (8/5/2000); "Florida becomes a giant sickbed," (3/9/1999); "Annual flu invasion is on its way," (11/13/1988).
Getting the picture?
It's true, the flu can be dangerous. In the 1918 pandemic, more than 20-million people died worldwide, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But that was 1918. That was a long, long time ago.
That was the last time the Boston Red Sox won a World Series.
