University of Michigan Places Restrictions on Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer Due to Flammability

If other colleges and universities across the country choose to follow the University of Michigan’s lead, a recent decision by officials at the Ann Arbor school could put a huge dent in the bottom lines of several companies in the $100-million hand sanitizer industry. It could also make centers of higher education across the country more safe. Read all about it here.

CDC Says One Thing, Does Another

After reading in a news report that Tom Gottlieb, the head of Australia’s top infectious disease organization, has serious reservations about the way H1N1 vaccine will be administered to people in his country, I became curious as to how officials in the United States plan to administer the vaccine. Not surprisingly, I learned that officials in both countries plan to use multi-dose vials.

For all of the details and an explanation of why this matters, click here.

Swine Flu Scare Makes a Comeback 33 Years Later

In 1976, the U.S. government implored all Americans to be vaccinated as “protection” against Swine Flu — and 46 million Americans took the shot, according to a report by Mike Wallace of CBS’s “60 Minutes“. Afterward, some 4,000 of those who took the shot filed claims for damages — up to and including paralysis and death — caused by the vaccine. And only one died from Swine Flu in 1976.

Wallace’s report, which aired on CBS, appears in two parts. Watch them here.

Nightly Newsers Full of Nightly Surprises

I think I might have Swine Flu or something similar. That's why I'm a little behind on posting today. That said, I'll just offer links to posts I've published during the past 24 hours. Here they are:

• Nightly Newsers Full of Nightly Surprises;
  

• Ronald Reagan Statue Dedicated in Statuary Hall;
  

• Uncle Jay Explains the News: June 1, 2009;
  

• Store Owner Fends Off, Feeds Would-Be Robber;
  

• Automobile ‘News’ Gets Personal;
  

• D-Day Memorial Foundation Needs Your Help; and

• LaHood Overhauling Mexican Truck Program.
  

Enjoy!

Letter Reveals Much About 1918 Flu Pandemic

Rather than look at today’s version of a flu pandemic, which involves hundreds of cases at most, I wanted to find out what it was like to live during the influenza outbreak of 1918 when 50 million people around the world died. A visit to the National Archives produced a letter written by a volunteer nurse to her friend at the Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas, Oct. 17, 1918.

Along with several photos from the era, I’ve reprinted the text of that letter here. [Note: The content of this letter will surprise you -- guaranteed!]

FLU PANIC: SCHOOL CLOSED BECAUSE OF ONE PROBABLE CASE

ONE PROBABLE CASE?

Perhaps my memory is faulty, but I don't recall anything quite like this level of panic before except in the days of polio outbreaks:

Rockville High School [one of the largest high schools in the D.C. area] is closed "until further notice," officials said last night, because authorities have reported a probable case of swine flu involving a student.

[...]

"A decision was made to close the school Thursday on the advice of the Centers for Disease Control and the Maryland state health department," Tillman said. "We are taking immediate steps to close the school."...

As most know, I am a teacher. I have to say that over the past few days I have noted that my students are stressed out over the "pandemic." In fact, some of my students are downright scared. One is even stuttering nervously every time he tries to participate in class discussions.

I haven't seen this level of fear since the days of the D.C. Snipers.

Is this flu outbreak a case of the perfect storm, a "crisis" to promote BHO's upcoming "health care reform" and the globalization of health care?

Flu Fears Demand We Cancel Cinco de Mayo

With the number of Swine Flu cases growing fast and fears of a pandemic dominating the news, many Americans are calling for the nation’s southern border to be sealed to stem the flow of individuals — legal and illegal immigrants — from Mexico and beyond who might be infected with the new flu “cocktail.” I suggest we take matters one step further and cancel all Cinco de Mayo activities next week.

Click here to learn more about this bold suggestion.