The H1N1 Thread

[Chadd 916]

Since this no longer seems to be about the NHL and we have at least one other topic on the subject, this one doesn't need to stay open.

[RadioGaGa 162]

Questions being asked about why the Flames players and their families jumped the lines for H1N1 shots at a private clinic while the "regular people" had to wait in line or where turned away.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=297102

You don't often see thoughtful posts in the comments section at tsn.ca...but one guy makes a good point. No one gets up in arms when athletes get MRI's, CAT Scans and X-Rays within days of an injury while some wait months for tests. So, why should lthis enrage people...

I don't know that blaming the players make much sense though. The Team and the Government conspired to make them available...the players just took the opportunity offered by their employer for shots for them an their families.

[ponty 0]

Questions being asked about why the Flames players and their families jumped the lines for H1N1 shots at a private clinic while the "regular people" had to wait in line or where turned away.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=297102

You don't often see thoughtful posts in the comments section at tsn.ca...but one guy makes a good point. No one gets up in arms when athletes get MRI's, CAT Scans and X-Rays within days of an injury while some wait months for tests. So, why should lthis enrage people...

I don't know that blaming the players make much sense though. The Team and the Government conspired to make them available...the players just took the opportunity offered by their employer for shots for them an their families.

So pro athletes cut in line to get shots over kids. Stay classy "Flamers." :(

[ktang 34]

Questions being asked about why the Flames players and their families jumped the lines for H1N1 shots at a private clinic while the "regular people" had to wait in line or where turned away.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=297102

You don't often see thoughtful posts in the comments section at tsn.ca...but one guy makes a good point. No one gets up in arms when athletes get MRI's, CAT Scans and X-Rays within days of an injury while some wait months for tests. So, why should lthis enrage people...

I don't know that blaming the players make much sense though. The Team and the Government conspired to make them available...the players just took the opportunity offered by their employer for shots for them an their families.

So pro athletes cut in line to get shots over kids. Stay classy "Flamers." :(

My counterpoints to the comment about nobody's getting up in arms when athletes get MRI's, CAT Scans, and X-Rays, while people here in Calgary are enraged about the Flames' special privileges, are that:

(i) Unlike the MRI's, CAT Scans, and X-Rays, H1N1 vaccination was recommended for all by the government. Not everybody will need MRS's, CAT Scans, and X-Rays in their lifetime, but in this case the hype is that everybody needs a H1N1 vaccination; and

(ii) The Flames' players may be more likely to be infected, but others are more at risk of being seriously hurt or killed;

There is a provincial investigation about how the Flames were able to get preferential treatment, and the Flames are doing damage control PR.

[ponty 0]

Questions being asked about why the Flames players and their families jumped the lines for H1N1 shots at a private clinic while the "regular people" had to wait in line or where turned away.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=297102

You don't often see thoughtful posts in the comments section at tsn.ca...but one guy makes a good point. No one gets up in arms when athletes get MRI's, CAT Scans and X-Rays within days of an injury while some wait months for tests. So, why should lthis enrage people...

I don't know that blaming the players make much sense though. The Team and the Government conspired to make them available...the players just took the opportunity offered by their employer for shots for them an their families.

So pro athletes cut in line to get shots over kids. Stay classy "Flamers." :(

My counterpoints to the comment about nobody's getting up in arms when athletes get MRI's, CAT Scans, and X-Rays, while people here in Calgary are enraged about the Flames' special privileges, are that:

(i) Unlike the MRI's, CAT Scans, and X-Rays, H1N1 vaccination was recommended for all by the government. Not everybody will need MRS's, CAT Scans, and X-Rays in their lifetime, but in this case the hype is that everybody needs a H1N1 vaccination; and

(ii) The Flames' players may be more likely to be infected, but others are more at risk of being seriously hurt or killed;

There is a provincial investigation about how the Flames were able to get preferential treatment, and the Flames are doing damage control PR.

I agree with your statement but its the principle behind the whole thing that bothers me. About 8 years ago we had a major snow store here in Colorado where several people lost their lives as they were stranded on the highway with no way out. In the mean time, the city government sent Hummers to the Denver airport to help the Broncos players get home even though they were safe at DIA.

This stuff happens all the time. In short, I think this type of act is typically reserved for cowards. Hockey stuff my ass.

[RadioGaGa 162]

MLSE also allegedly guilty of jumping the line for it's players/employees:

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=297215

[hawks19 0]

Thought this was interesting....

Alberta Health Official fired for giving the Flames' the shot, while everybody else had to wait in line for hours... http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=ap-f...p&type=lgns

Does anyone else think this is going too far...?

[ktang 34]

Thought this was interesting....

Alberta Health Official fired for giving the Flames' the shot, while everybody else had to wait in line for hours... http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=ap-f...p&type=lgns

Does anyone else think this is going too far...?

I think it had to be done. You shouldn't have one set of (provincial) rules for the elite, and another set for everybody else.

[ponty 0]

I think the Flames, and any other team, should be heavily fined as well by the NHL.

Yea swine flu is a bit overblown but this is just disgusting. I can say that as my entire family has had it.

[jcp2 2]

Maybe it's a big deal in Alberta, but the H1N1 vaccine distribution here in the states is much more variable. If you're lucky, your doctor might have it at the time of your visit, but if you call, they won't. Some hospitals have gotten it sooner than others and given it to their own staff in a variable fashion, with those in the know within the institution getting it sooner than those actually taking care of high risk groups. Some clinics have it, others run short. If you know someone on the inside, you'll probably get it sooner. It was that way with Cipro and tetracycline during the anthrax scare, it was that way with Tamiflu during the avian flu scare, and it'll be that way with whatever the next big thing will be.

The Flames compete in a North American market. I don't think they should be fined, since I'm sure all the U.S. teams could have gotten the vaccine if they so desired. The bad press should be sufficient.

[RadioGaGa 162]

If the vaccine is coming from the Provincial/Canadian Government...is it wrong for me to think that only the Canadian Born (or players with Citizenship) should be allowed to get it, regardless of whether it is through a deal the club sets up or at any other clinic?

[Skoda10 14]

If the vaccine is coming from the Provincial/Canadian Government...is it wrong for me to think that only the Canadian Born (or players with Citizenship) should be allowed to get it, regardless of whether it is through a deal the club sets up or at any other clinic?

Interesting. Not being Canadian, or an expert on Canadian healthcare I can only guess, but I would think the non-Canadian citizens have some type of work visa/paper that qualifies them for the healthcare system up there, especially since they are required to pay taxes on that income earned while being employeed by a Canadian employer.

[RadioGaGa 162]

MLSE also allegedly guilty of jumping the line for it's players/employees:

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=297215

OR maybe not..

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=297273

[shotty 7]

Questions being asked about why the Flames players and their families jumped the lines for H1N1 shots at a private clinic while the "regular people" had to wait in line or where turned away.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=297102

You don't often see thoughtful posts in the comments section at tsn.ca...but one guy makes a good point. No one gets up in arms when athletes get MRI's, CAT Scans and X-Rays within days of an injury while some wait months for tests. So, why should lthis enrage people...

I don't know that blaming the players make much sense though. The Team and the Government conspired to make them available...the players just took the opportunity offered by their employer for shots for them an their families.

the thing is this: people CAN get MRI, CT Scans and X Rays done at their convenience, it's called money. there's private clinics everywhere that have fully operational machines with extremely capable technicians willing to diagnose you any time. the problem? canadians want it free AND now. well, if you want it free, wait in line. you want it now? pay for it, just like the millionaire athlete ('s team/insurance) did.

my girlfriend tore up her ACL last winter. we had an MRI,had been to two ortho surgeons and started physio before her gp even made the referral call. it's about being proactive. the services are available, and if you value your health, you'll pay the money to get it done privately to avoid the clogged system and begin the recovery process.

the point of the uproar in calgary is that the only one group had access to the immunizations, which means it's distribution was fully controlled by a single party, HOWEVER, what most people are failing to recognize is that there was zero guideline set up to control who got the shot first. essentially, for the first few days, it was a free for all in Alberta, where almost everywhere else, there were rules in place for priority (children under 5, pregnant women, over 65etc). so in essence, radiogaga, there was no line to jump. it was only after the endless line ups and back logs that they pulled the plug, stopped handing out the shots and began issuing the shots through a priority sequence... this was a few days after the flames and their families were treated.

[K9 Unit 1]

David Krejci with H1N1

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=504905

[n3ss 0]

I think the Flames, and any other team, should be heavily fined as well by the NHL.

Yea swine flu is a bit overblown but this is just disgusting. I can say that as my entire family has had it.

whats disgusting is how overblown swine flu is.

do they actually positively test for H1N1, or do they just assume that because it doesn't test positive for influenza A/B it must be the swine? (and not one of the other strains?)

[ponty 0]

I think the Flames, and any other team, should be heavily fined as well by the NHL.

Yea swine flu is a bit overblown but this is just disgusting. I can say that as my entire family has had it.

whats disgusting is how overblown swine flu is.

do they actually positively test for H1N1, or do they just assume that because it doesn't test positive for influenza A/B it must be the swine? (and not one of the other strains?)

Not to get off the NHL spin on this but my son tested postive for flu but was never tested specifically for H1N1 as they assume it is the only flu going around right now.

I also assume this is being done in most cases, including NHL players.

My point is not around how severe swine flu is but the level of ignorance displayed by some pro sports organizations. Should a child get sick just because a pro althlete and their organization has no common sense of doing the right thing? God I hope I bring Cam up better than that.

[dalebert 8]

Doug Weight had it a few weeks ago

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/33518895/ns/...ts-player_news/

Also not NHL but I know NCAA and ACHA have put out precautionary guidelines to protect the players.

-Handshake lines are now glove on

-Every player needs their own water bottle

I'm sure there are others I just don't remember off the top of my head.

[gxc999 7]

This effing thing sucks. It can drag on for 4-5 weeks. I'm currently in week 3, I've thought I was better several times only to get sick again. From now on, I'm going to viciously murder every pig I see...

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

Kyle Okposo out with the swine.

[DevilsFan38 0]

I think the Flames, and any other team, should be heavily fined as well by the NHL.

Yea swine flu is a bit overblown but this is just disgusting. I can say that as my entire family has had it.

whats disgusting is how overblown swine flu is.

do they actually positively test for H1N1, or do they just assume that because it doesn't test positive for influenza A/B it must be the swine? (and not one of the other strains?)

H1N1 is a strain of influenza A. So if you test positive for flu A you could have it. And if you test negative you could have it too, since the rapid flu test is not at all sensitive (ie, there are tons of false negatives).

Not to get off the NHL spin on this but my son tested postive for flu but was never tested specifically for H1N1 as they assume it is the only flu going around right now.

I also assume this is being done in most cases, including NHL players.

My point is not around how severe swine flu is but the level of ignorance displayed by some pro sports organizations. Should a child get sick just because a pro althlete and their organization has no common sense of doing the right thing? God I hope I bring Cam up better than that.

I don't know how it works everywhere, but in NJ only the state can do the specific test for H1N1, and they're only testing the really sick people (ie, in the ICU). So in most cases you really can't say if you have H1N1 flu or not.

[K9 Unit 1]

Not to get off the NHL spin on this but my son tested postive for flu but was never tested specifically for H1N1 as they assume it is the only flu going around right now.

I also assume this is being done in most cases, including NHL players.

My point is not around how severe swine flu is but the level of ignorance displayed by some pro sports organizations. Should a child get sick just because a pro althlete and their organization has no common sense of doing the right thing? God I hope I bring Cam up better than that.

I don't know how it works everywhere, but in NJ only the state can do the specific test for H1N1, and they're only testing the really sick people (ie, in the ICU). So in most cases you really can't say if you have H1N1 flu or not.

its coz they got House :P

[jcp2 2]

No need to test for H1N1 in the U.S., as probably all cases of flu are H1N1. There are sentinel testing centers around the world that follow the flu by subtype.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/updates/international/

As you can see, virtually all cases tested in North America are the H1N1 type now, and historically, the seasonally flue doesn't really pick up until a month or so from now.

[Chadd 916]

No need to test for H1N1 in the U.S., as probably all cases of flu are H1N1. There are sentinel testing centers around the world that follow the flu by subtype.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/updates/international/

As you can see, virtually all cases tested in North America are the H1N1 type now, and historically, the seasonally flue doesn't really pick up until a month or so from now.

The treatment is essentially the same so it doesn't really matter what variety people have. They are simply treating every case as though it were H1N1. The only way it would matter is if the treatment was different for the two types.