A Shopping Accessory?

Local writer and mom, Joyce Heid, reports on her family’s bout with H1N1, or swine flu, in this final edition of her six-part blog.

H1N1 411: Part 6
By Joyce Heid

They say no news is good news. I watched some of the Monday morning news, and the Ravens’ win Sunday was the top story, followed by other local events. There was no mention of the H1N1 virus before I took the kids to school. Could it be that things are looking better on the flu front?

While initially the supply of the swine flu vaccine was limited, the CDC reports it should be able to meet the demand in the coming weeks as the government has procured 250 million doses.

I am sure H1N1 will keep popping up in the headlines here and there. When you hear about seasonal influenza deaths, most of the time it is someone who is elderly or has a compromised immune system. H1N1 seems to be less discriminating, as young adults have been among the recent fatalities. Couple that with the seemingly endless debate over vaccine safety and, unfortunately, I am sure we will still be talking about it through the holiday season.

Speaking of the holidays, while the epidemic does not seem to have stopped people from going about their daily lives, it remains to be seen if shoppers will avoid the crowds at the mall on Black Friday, opting to shop online instead. I’m sure that, for those who do brave the crowds, a new accessory may be the H1N1 and Swine Influenza (Flu) Protection Kit with N95 Masks, available now on Amazon.com.

And, if the outbreak does get worse, the kit could be the perfect stocking stuffer for loved ones. I wouldn’t be surprised if masks will soon be available in your favorite NFL team colors.

Do you wish to share your thoughts about the dealing with swine flu? Send your comments to Dianne@BaltimoresChild.com.