H1N1, artfully experienced?

One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. — Plato

I remain frustratingly undecided about being inoculated against H1N1 — but I have some time to decide. Weeks, in my case, not just the four+ hours many are spending to get tickets or be told to come back tomorrow — as sources are reporting is the case in Ottawa. (The Gatineau clinics stopped taking any more names as of early this morning.)

Friend L., mother of one-year-old G., has ventured into the fray today. Their plan is for L. to go stand in line while baby waits at home with dad, to be brought only when required.

They're using me as update link, particularly with reference to the alleged wristband process (a process which may or may not be implemented today; not, according to staff at the Tom Brown arena via L. who, as a lawyer and nervous mother, can question almost as well as a journalist).

We're told there will be a presser about this before the clinics open at 2:30 p.m. When it happens, I will call to inform L of the details, so she ca then inform those running the clinic what they should be doing. ... as they have told her they have no way of knowing what the City is planning after the presser occurs. sigh.

A breakthrough has been made, though. The choice of arena as clinic location no longer eludes L. She informs the choice was not for added parking, as those coming for the vaccine are not allowed to use the parking lot — even though it is rather empty. Nor was it picked for the space to keep those hundreds in queue warm, as the inoculatees — those who are most vulnerable, including the very young, elderly, ill and pregnant — must wait outside ... to then take off their jackets, roll up their sleeves and be inoculated outside.

Wise of the city, really. Arenas are such awful places to sit and sip hot cocoa. And hold so few people.

"They picked this arena so we could be soothed by the brown and orange view. The ambience is just perfect," she said.

Am beginning to wonder if the entire process is not some grand installation art piece commenting on the effect of fear-mongering on people's tolerance levels. Or make us begin to love the 70s architecture of our community centre/arenas as a source of glorious, yet elusive warmth (and bathrooms). Or, it is a way to decimate population numbers. Who needs voters, anyway.

After this debacle of distribution, I remain convinced stockpiling in case of real emergency should be a choice for Ottawa's citizens. In this relatively mild emergency, where are their trained and experienced emergency preparedness staff? And, if there are none - forbid - why not make use of those who can manage and distribute required vaccinations/goods? The Red Cross office is a few blocks over, oh Mayor and council. The army is a baseball's throw away.


Hell, I'd do a better job.