So far have had a single digit count of H1N1 fatalities in Finland. Reporting these is normal, albeit yearly influenza strains make much fever headlines than H1N1. Actually, any scary speculation regarding the Swine Flu makes a headline.
The most recent headline from YLE on the topic is "Some H1N1 Vaccinations End Up in the Trash" more or less directly translated. They proceed to write how the vaccinations are packaged with several shots in one container, so that once a container is opened it will stay good for 24 hours or so.
Yeah, and the more you read the less scary the article becomes. They quote Merja Saarinen, an advisor for the health ministry, who explains that the vaccinations are good for a day and if properly stored a container can be used the next morning if it's opened in the afternoon, and that usually an opened pack is used that day. She even goes as far to say as that there shouldn't be many lost units of vaccination since the 24 hours is enough for next morning.
This normal for vaccinations. Sure, some stay longer, but nobody expects individually packaged shots when you are inoculating the whole population of a country.
It's just another example of writing about a popular topic with a headline that gets the most readers. This would be fine for the tabloids like Iltalehti but YLE should hold itself to a higher standard. The thing to do is keep reading these articles and try to figure out if they are they meant to scare people or is that just a by-product of a reader grabbing headline.
The linked article is just one example - its not the first, but lets see how many more pop up.
http://yle.fi/uutiset/kotimaa/2009/11/osa_h1n1-rokotteista_paatyy_roskakoriin_1142945.html?origin=rss
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