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Issue Home July 8, 2009 Site Home

Letters to the Editor Policy

I'm All Flued Out

When I was a boy it was turtle fever. At that time, somewhere in the '40s, the culprits were baby terrapins sold in novelty stores in New York City. But the turtles with their painted shells were endangering the entire metropolitan area. The city fathers acted decisively. The decorated turtles were banned and the city saved.

Saved from turtles but not from birds.

In the '50s parakeets were the rage. Every pet store had cages filled with the sparrow-sized parrots. But their appeal was beguiling. Parakeets was the typhoid Mary of the bird world. They were spreading the dreaded parrot fever. As fearful as this potential plague was, like its reptilian predecessor, it proved relatively harmless.

In the mid '70s, the birds handed the disease baton to the pigs; it was the swine flu. (Fever had been upgraded to a more ominously sounding flu.) The government panicked. President Ford took control.

A nationwide vaccination program was initiated. Forty-six million lined up to take the shot. But this time the effect was deadly. No, not from the swine flu but from the vaccine. More than 30 died as a result of the “protective” vaccine and hundreds were temporarily paralyzed, a few permanently. Even so, it was a success for the drug companies. In today's dollars they garnered about $500 million.

Enter the bats.

In 2002 the nation was in a thither. SARS, a pulmonary disease originating in bats, was a strong candidate for a pandemic. (Epidemics had been jumped up to world-wide status.) But it was a pandemic in search of a disease. No one died in the United States.

Anthrax, hoof-and-mouth, and mad cow diseases made brief guest appearances with much sound and fury but bowed out quietly.

Now we're back to the piggy flu. Thus far Big Pharma has received $1.3 billion from government largess. Is it worth it? Well, for the drug companies, absolutely. But for those on the sharp end of the needle, it's a maybe. One man, however, won't be in the porcine queue. You see, he's all flued out.

Sincerely,

Bob Scroggins

New Milford, PA

Susquehanna Depot Area Residents,

The SCEDAC (The Susquehanna County Economic Development Advisory Council) has recently been formed in Susquehanna County. Because they want to include all of Susquehanna County, they will be meeting at various locations through out the County.

The Susquehanna Community Development Association has invited the SCEDAC to our area and will host a meeting in Susquehanna Depot so that area residents can be informed of their plans. This will be an opportunity to ask questions or voice suggestions or concerns. The meeting will be held at the Starrucca House July 8 at 5:30 p.m.

The SCEDAC is a non profit group of volunteers that will focus on economic and social issues throughout Susquehanna County. Some of the issues the SCEDAC has been involved with include gas drilling, health care, regional marketing, foundation opportunities, job fair, planning for future county expansion.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Sincerely,

Susquehanna Community Development Association


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY
Letters To The Editor MUST BE SIGNED. They MUST INCLUDE a phone number for "daytime" contact. Letters MUST BE CONFIRMED VERBALLY with the author, before printing. Letters should be as concise as possible, to keep both Readers' and Editors' interest alike. Your opinions are important to us, but you must follow these guidelines to help assure their publishing.

Thank you, Susquehanna County Transcript


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