Swine Flu Virus

*** 11/12/09 Update, Swine flu has sickened about 22 million Americans since April and killed nearly 4,000, including 540 children, say startling federal estimates released Thursday. Get a shot if you can!

*** 10-25-09 Update. All of the mild flu like symptons from the shot are gone after 1 day. This shot is no big deal. I hope it works!

My fiancé and I woke up early this morning, October 24, 2009 to go to Granada Hills, California to get our Swine Flu shots. After waiting for about an hour and a half, we were vaccinated. So far the vaccine feels just like the normal flu shot vaccine, it makes you feel a little bit like crap. It sure is better than getting the full blown Swine Flu I will tell you that.

This morning as we were leaving to go get the Swine Flu shot, I heard the announcement that President Obama had declared a nation wide emergency with respect to the Swine Flu. In my 46 years on this earth, I have never heard a President of the United States of America declare a national emergency for any illness. This declaration made my resolve to get the Swine Flue shot more firm. If the President is declaring a national emergency, he must know something we don’t. I would highly suggest that all you of reading this go out and get your Swine Flu shot!

With respect to how my fiancé and I were able to get some of the first doses that have become available in the nation; it is real simple; The County of Los Angeles in the State of California really came through for us and many thousands of people so far.

I first heard yesterday that The County of Los Angeles had received about a million of the rare Swine Flu vaccines, and were making them available for free at many different locations in Los Angeles County. Here is a link to where you can go in Los Angeles County to get your Swine Flu Shots, Click Here.

When we got to the Granada Hills Park where County employees were dolling out the Swine Flu Shots, and the Swine Flu Nasal Vaccines, there was a big line, but probably not as long as a Disneyland ride. There were old people, young people, pregnant women, children, you name it.

I cannot say enough great things about the employees of the County of Los Angeles. They were courteous, empathetic, helpful, polite, professional, and saving angels during this flu pandemic. They could have been rude, cold, and uncaring. Instead, they seemed to know that what they were doing would save lives. They took pregnant ladies, old people, and people unable to stand in line to the front to get their shots, and they served all of us Angelinos with a smile.

Therefore to you employees of Los Angeles County, you all get my Biker Law Blog top Medal for your service today.

Now with respect to the actual shot itself, as of the writing of the article, it has been about 10 or so hours since I got the shot. I do feel a little like crap, but I feel the same way after a normal flu shot.

We all know that there will not be enough shots to go around this year so I strongly suggest that you go out and get a Swine Flu shot as soon as possible. The only way to kill out a virus such as this is to deny it hosts. The H1N1 Swine Flu virus is a new virus that has never been seen on earth before. This means that none of us have ever had to fight off this bug before. It means we have no immunity to it.

You may have heard that the virus affects the young, pregnant women, and people with chronic illnesses more than others, but guess what; no one told the virus that. I don’t think the virus will be checking ID’s to see if you are in the high risk group; everyone is at risk.

Do the right thing; get the shot for you and your loved ones. If I end up getting sick I will let you all know; hopefully!

By California Biker Attorney and California Motorcycle accident Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez, © 2009