State health officials said yesterday Arizona is set to receive at least 70,000 doses of a nasal-spray version of the H1N1 vaccine ahead of the arrival of the injections.
With a population more than 6 million, 70,000 vaccines might not do the trick.
Health officials claim the nasal vaccine is just as effective as the injections but are encouraging parents to have younger children, ages 6 to 36 months, vaccinated with two doses of the vaccine because studies have found their immune systems are less responsive.
The nasal vaccine is essentially the first wave of measures being taken to fight the epidemic, and health officials say that they hope a round of the injection will be available after the first wave of the flu.
Health officials will only be giving the nasal vaccines to healthy people ages 2 to 49 and will be starting with health-care workers and people who take care of children under six.
In that case, if you believe the hype generated by the pig flu, the rest of us are doomed.
Last week, state officials created a priority list for who is eligible to receive the vaccine, and seniors found themselves at the bottom of the list.
Eskimos had a similar policy of shoving their elderly off to sea on an iceberg when they could no longer contribute to society.
