Nonchalant reaction to swine-flu threat risks lives

Nonchalant reaction to swine-flu threat risks lives

EDITOR:

The global H1N1 influenza pandemic has just started and it has, so far, killed over 1,000 Americans and has sent 20,000 to the hospital. It looks like it might be a rampant deadly outbreak. In the 1918 influenza pandemic, over 4,000,000 people died worldwide, and over 600,000 were Americans. Have we learned anything?

Recently, the director of the Centers for Disease Control, T. R. Frieden, when asked about CDC failures, admitted, “It’s frustrating to all of us. Our vaccine technology is antiquated. We are producing vaccines too slowly.” As Americans remain unvaccinated, many are becoming ill, and the mortality rate accelerates. Production is way behind schedule and the swine flu is widespread in 46 states. Ohio is supposed to have 121 sites for its people to obtain the vaccine, and a health department check reveals only four sites, statewide, are open.

Where is Youngstown’s supply? The Ohio Department of Health ordered 66,100 doses of nasal-spray vaccine and 94,000 shots of swine flu vaccine on October 23. What a disgraceful pittance. In Columbus, do they realize that Ohio has 11,353,000 citizens. Obama has declared the swine flu a national emergency. It would be nice to get some lifesaving help from Washington instead of excuses.

The CDC recommends priority vaccinations for certain groups of Americans: pregnant women, caregivers, medical personnel, children, and persons aged 25 to 64, with health conditions. Healthy seniors over age 64 are not on the list, they are never mentioned. In spite of the fact that there are 36.3 million seniors over age 65 in the U.S. today, they are at the bottom of the CDC’s vaccination priority list. What is next, vials of hemlock for a senior euthanasia program?

ANTHONY DeGIDIO

Youngstown

Biros isn’t the only murderer who shouldn’t get a reprieve

EDITOR:

Your Oct. 30 criticism of the Kenneth Biros delay of execution did not go far enough. Yes, U.S. District Court Judge Frost did overstep his constitutional boundary by issuing the Biros stay. But Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland was also wrong to issue postponements of execution for stranglers Lawrence Reynolds and Daryl Durr.

Why should these two thugs receive stays and thus a benefit of doubt when 32 of 33 executions in Ohio have occurred without a hitch? Strickland overreacted and erred on the side of two horrendously evil men at the expense of the victims and their families who once again have to witness the justice system bend backwards and go extremely overboard on behalf of murderers.

Strickland and Frost both totally lack proportionality and perspective when it comes to justice. Where is the balance? It doesn’t exist.

AARON J. VESELENAK

Rogers City, Mich.