Menace to society or conspiracy theorist?

Those are just two of the characterizations given to those who may still be waffling over whether they should get a jab in the arm to ward off the spread of H1N1.

A menace to society refers to the supposition those not getting vaccinated will assist the dreaded swine flu in hanging around longer than it should, allowing it to wreak havoc and disrupt even more lives.

This week, B.C.’s medical health officer Dr. Perry Kendall said the outbreak should be nearing its second wave peak in the coming weeks as the fatal cases mount.

And those said to be conspiracy theorists speaks to the supposed rush involved with bringing the vaccine to a doctor’s office and clinic near you. In that haste, was every check made to ensure the dosage is safe? Or are most of us going to turn into H1N1-immune, shade-seeking zombies six months from now.

Whatever the case may be, the furor erupting over the stumbling distribution of the vaccine points to a failure by health authorities to adequately roll out the injections in a manner that didn’t create heightened anxiety in the general public.

With just about everyone’s immune systems under attack with seasonal ills, and now H1N1, added stress is not what we all needed.

What should have been done was have a more uniformed release of the vaccinations to keep people from being confused over where and when they could line up for a poke.

One health region decided it would offer public clinics as well as doctors offices as distribution points. Another attempted to keep people at risk near the front of the lines by restricting access to the vaccine through their GP.

Yet despite all the information about who qualified for the first and second rounds of injections, we are hearing rumours of queue jumpers feigning risk category conditions, even preferential treatment for those who are fit and healthy, but seem to be afflicted with an unhealthy dose of impatience.

Yes, we are right to be worried about our health and that of our loved ones.

Perhaps the health authorities and suppliers of the vaccine should have been more dialed in to the public’s need to feel safer with an inoculation and ensured a healthy vaccine supply and delivery system.