I was stunned this morning to read an article from BlackburnNews.com, titled, Big Drop In Reported Flu Cases. I wasn’t particularly stunned to read that flu cases in the region were down, I was more stunned to read a writer’s blasphemous inability to achieve logic. I haven’t seen a swing and miss this bad since Pedro Cerrano swung and missed for the first hour of the movie, Major League. So I’m here to help the cause.
Less than half of the residents in Windsor-Essex have received their flu shot this season, but the local health unit is reporting a drop in the number of influenza cases.
During a Board of Health meeting on Thursday, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit reported that there are only three confirmed cases of influenza in the region. There were 55 confirmed cases at this time last year — a 94% decrease.
“One of the contributing factors is that the vaccine this year is a good match for the current influenza that’s out there,” says Mike Janisse, communications director with the health unit. “Also, the milder temperatures are helping.”
However, the health unit is estimating that only around 40% of local residents have received their flu vaccine, with 141,000 doses distributed so far this season.
“I think it speaks to the need to continue to promote people getting the flu shot,” says Janisse. “Especially to protect those who are really at a high risk.”
The opening sentence really tells us a lot (not all, but a lot) of what we need to know. Lots of residents aren’t getting a flu shot, lots or residents aren’t getting the flu. Valid? Not totally, but that’s a decent start. We now find out that there is a 94% decrease in confirmed flu cases from the prior year. What do we also know? I remind you, less than half of residents got a flu shot. So what conclusion is drawn by health officials? That flu shots are helping stave off the flu.
My head hurts. I need to take a breath. That’s a fallacy. This writer is employed and paid to write things. My head is exploding.
The sentence which follows this ridiculous conclusion is none other than verifiable stats backing up the low number of flu shots, citing 40%. Let’s abort the premise that this article is a ridiculous fallacy and move on to more grand concepts. First, if flu cases are down to minuscule occurrences, wouldn’t it be best to simply stay the path? Why try to fix something which isn’t broken? Clearly, that’s rhetorical on my part because I know the answer to be for pharmaceutical companies to create revenue. That answer hides in plain site. How could you even deny it? There are hardly any flu cases. People aren’t getting flu shots. So your suggestion is to give people more flu shots. What else besides egregious profiteering exist here?
The above article is a perfect example of agenda-ridden garbage. I can’t say that the media outlet itself intentionally conspires in nefarious ways, I think it actually might be utter stupidity on behalf of an editorial staff which is exposed by national health agencies. The article is embarrassing but consistent with worldwide journalistic ineptness. But the worst part is that people will read this and interpret logic. And this is far from logic.
http://truthkings.com/2016/01/22/ontario-flu-cases-show-huge-drop-thanks-to-less-flu-shots/#
