Controversy Around Massive Swine Flu Vaccination Plan at NY

[joeblow]

Controversy Around Massive Swine Flu Vaccination Plan at NY Elementary Schools

http://www.gnn.tv/headlines/21076/Contr ... ry_Schools

Summary:

Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzalez discusses the massive swine flu vaccination plan at New York City elementary schools. "The city is depending on public school nurses to spearhead its massive swine flu vaccination plan at elementary schools this fall," writes Gonzalez. "But the nurses are balking at some aspects of Mayor Bloomberg's proposal, including whether they should be the ones giving the nasal spray and shots to students."
[Posted By ShiftShapers]
By Amy Goodman & Juan Gonzalez
Republished from Democracy Now!
President Obama himself is recommending vaccinations for all Americans.

AMY GOODMAN: Juan, before we begin, you've had some interesting columns in the New York Daily News on kids going back to school and swine flu.

JUAN GONZALEZ: Yes. Well, in New York City, obviously, and in New York state, many parts around the country, school begins next week. And this week, Mayor Bloomberg and all of his top health officials announced a massive program to basically provide free vaccines to all of the 1.1 million New York City public school students. It's an enormous—an enormous undertaking, although it's voluntary. Parents must give written permission for it. But it will entail an enormous amount of effort by the city. And elementary school children will be offered the vaccines in the public schools.

Of course, this is a response to the expected surge in H1N1 virus that's expected this fall. And it comes after only about a week and a half after the President's White House Council on Science and Technology had a grim report, a scenario that conceivably as many as 90,000 Americans could die this fall as a result of the H1N1 virus spreading rapidly throughout the American population.

But the interesting thing, that there's a big debate going on in the...
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