cuiusvis hominis est errare, nullius nisi insipientis in errore perseverare

Late in October, the NY Daily News reported this article about the dangerous side effects of the flu vaccine: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2009/10/30/2009-10-30_sorry_bout_the_shot_public_school_nurses_give_swine_flu_vaccine_to_kids_without_.html. The point I want to make is the almost maniacal quest of public officials to vaccinate everyone. In this particular case the mistake seems innocent enough, as innocent as a medical accident can get. This is an example of too many people not paying attention while doing something that is arguably more dangerous than they would like to admit.

And explain to me what was going through the nurse's mind when he attempted to get Nikiyah Torres' mother to sign a consent form after the fact? He was just trying to cover his mistake and she was rightfully insulted.

Speaking of mistakes, as a side point, as pointed out in the article "To Err is Human: Building A Safer Health System," some doctors estimate there are between 44,000 and 98,000 iatrogenic deaths annually. For those unfamiliar with the concept, iatrogenesis is adverse effects of medical treatment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iatrogenesis). Even the low estimate is more than the 36,000 deaths the CDC attributes to influenza every year. To me it seems like our energies would be better spent fixing the medical system rather than attempting to attack diseases that are minor by comparison.

For those parents who are interested in better protecting their children a pharmaceutical stabbing, here is a letter drafted by Mike Adams to assist with dealing with school officials on the vaccine issue: http://www.naturalnews.com/027395_swine_flu_hospital_vaccine.html. However, even that will not stop every accident that could happen. Who would have thought that after watching their children leave for school in the morning, parents could wind up seeing their child in a hospital? Take the precautions you can, be sure to kiss and hug your babies every morning, and pray for their safe return.