Bloodbones
by
Martin McKenna

In 1670: Admiral and Commander-in-chief of all the ships of war belonging to Port Rayal Harbor, Henry Morgan and sets sail with 11 ships and 600 men to sack Panama City. In 1688: Sir Henry Morgan sacker of Portobello, Panama and former lieutenant governor of Jamaica, dies at home on his estate.

The Month of August is...

National Immunization Awareness Month

National Immunization Program
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road NE, MS E-05Atlanta, GA 30333
(800) 232-2522 (800) CDC-INFO (232-4636) English/Spanish(888) 232-6348

Why Immunize?
Diseases are becoming rare due to vaccinations. It's true; some diseases (like polio and diphtheria) are becoming very rare in the U.S. Of course, they are becoming rare largely because we have been vaccinating against them. But it is still reasonable to ask whether it's really worthwhile to keep vaccinating.

It's much like bailing out a boat with a slow leak. When we started bailing, the boat was filled with water. But we have been bailing fast and hard, and now it is almost dry. We could say, "Good. The boat is dry now, so we can throw away the bucket and relax." But the leak hasn't stopped. Before long we'd notice a little water seeping in, and soon it might be back up to the same level as when we started.

Keep immunizing until disease is eliminated.
Unless we can "stop the leak" (eliminate the disease), it is important to keep immunizing. Even if there are only a few cases of disease today, if we take away the protection given by vaccination, more and more people will be infected and will spread disease to others. Soon we will undo the progress we have made over the years.

Japan reduced pertussis vaccinations and an epidemic occurred. In 1974, Japan had a successful pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination program, with nearly 80% of Japanese children vaccinated. That year only 393 cases of pertussis were reported in the entire country, and there were no deaths from pertussis. But then rumors began to spread that pertussis vaccination was no longer needed and that the vaccine was not safe, and by 1976 only 10% of infants were getting vaccinated. In 1979 Japan suffered a major pertussis epidemic, with more than 13,000 cases of whooping cough and 41 deaths. In 1981 the government began vaccinating with acellular pertussis vaccine, and the number of pertussis cases dropped again.

What if we stopped vaccinating?
So what would happen if we stopped vaccinating here? Diseases that are almost unknown would stage a comeback. Before long we would see epidemics of diseases that are nearly under control today. More children would get sick and more would die.

We vaccinate to protect our future.We don't vaccinate just to protect our children. We also vaccinate to protect our grandchildren and their grandchildren. With one disease, smallpox, we "stopped the leak" in the boat by eradicating the disease. Our children don't have to get smallpox shots any more because the disease no longer exists. If we keep vaccinating now, parents in the future may be able to trust that diseases like polio and meningitis won't infect, cripple, or kill children. Vaccinations are one of the best ways to put an end to the serious effects of certain diseases.

FYI....

Toy-maker Fisher-Price is recalling 83 types of toys — including the popular Big Bird, Elmo, Dora and Diego characters — because their paint contains excessive amounts of lead. Read more here:

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“This is a catastrophe of historic proportions for Minnesota,” Gov. Tim Pawlenty

Our hearts and prayers go out to the family’s of the victims and the survivors in yesterdays collapse of an interstate bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Sigh.

Take care everyone! Comments are always appreicated.

Labels: August, misc.

N Posted by Rain at 8/02/2007 12:03:00 AM

9 Comments

 Anonymous posted at 8:33 AM  
I thought smallpox did start popping up again in some countries . maybe I'm wrong.

 Rain posted at 10:03 AM  
hey rav'n,
I believe that you are right and if I am not mistaken it was right here in the US within the last two years.

Take care of you.

 Anonymous posted at 12:48 PM  
Babygirl~

Last night was like a blast from the past, thanks.

I have been reading your archives, you post some really important stuff here.

I am proud to be your friend.

Love you always and forever.

M.

 Simply Bananas posted at 5:30 PM  
Hi Rain, enjoy your weekend

 Anonymous posted at 8:53 PM  
great pirate!

 Politically Homeless posted at 11:19 PM  
Hey there! Have a great weekend dawling!

 Hale McKay posted at 8:22 PM  
Regarding your paragraph mentioning "smallpox;" - Actually there have been some cases of smallpoxes showing up in the U.S. in the last few years.
...Immigrants entering the country have been found to have the disease. The problem is that because it was "wiped" out so long along we no longer have any of the original vaccine left.
...Those in their mid-thirties and younger were not immunized because it had been "wiped" out.
...They have not collected enough of the new strain yet to begin trying to create another vaccine. THe scarier part, they are not certain that those of us who were immunized will be safe from this new strain which may have mutated.

IT's just another glaring reason that immigration should be kept in check. An outbreak of smallpox in this day and age could do far more harm and cause far more deaths that any terrorist attack.

 Simply Bananas posted at 1:07 PM  
I never worry about my daughter dating...I have a big backyard, a shovel, a gun and no conscience.

 Tracy V posted at 10:38 AM  
vaccines still have mercury, the FED wants kids to have problems ... the evidence is there find it!!

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