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Who needs the avian flu vaccine anyway?

Posted on November 15, 2005November 22, 2005 by Chris McQuillan

Doing my usual browse of the internet today, I stumbled across an interesting letter sent to the editor in the San Luis Obispo (CA) paper.

It reads as follows:

    SOME DON’T NEED VACCINE

    Recent news about the avian flu virus has raised concerns from main street to the White House. There is the possibility, even likelihood, that the virus will mutate into a form that can more easily infect humans.

    As the president pointed out, a vaccine cannot be made until this evolution occurs.

    This raises the concern that it may be impossible to create enough vaccine fast enough to protect all our citizens. But there is hope.

    Gallup polls tell us that up to 45 percent of Americans don’t believe in evolution. Since random mutation is the engine of evolution, these same people must believe that the virus cannot mutate.

    Therefore, there is no need to waste vaccine on folks who believe there is no possible threat to themselves — thus leaving a sufficient supply for the rest of us. Perhaps the president, given his doubts about evolution, may wish to demonstrate his leadership by foregoing vaccination.

    This approach has added benefits. Polls also tell us that disbelief in evolution is more pronounced among the less educated, the poor and conservatives. If the anti-evolutionists among these groups were to opt out of vaccination then, through immediate deaths and natural selection, we would reduce poverty, raise educational attainment and become a more progressive society.

    Now believed to be from:
    Steve Anderson
    Arroyo Grande
    (Original was: George R Zug
    Divis. Amphibians & Reptiles/mrc162
    Smithsonian Institution)

8 thoughts on “Who needs the avian flu vaccine anyway?”

  1. Roberdin says:
    November 15, 2005 at 4:31 pm

    Very true.

    Reply
  2. Temp says:
    November 15, 2005 at 5:43 pm

    Very clever!

    Reply
  3. Chris says:
    November 15, 2005 at 6:04 pm

    Very succinct.

    Reply
  4. Eluria says:
    November 16, 2005 at 11:56 pm

    45% of the US does not accept evolution ???

    …

    They should become extinct :)

    Reply
  5. Shaun says:
    November 20, 2005 at 9:52 pm

    It makes me wonder what they do believe in!

    Reply
  6. Jeremy says:
    November 22, 2005 at 9:11 am

    That’s funny. Trying to stand up your story, I too searched the San Luis Obispo Tribune. There I found the original letter that you attribute to George Zug, signed by someone called Steve Anderson, of Arroyo Grande. So, who’s plagiarising whom here?

    Reply
  7. Chris says:
    November 22, 2005 at 5:05 pm

    Thanks for that.

    Yes you’ve raised an interesting point, but the source at which we found this letter (actually not the San Luis Obispo) gave us that name.

    But you do appear to be correct, and we will post a retraction immediately.

    Thank you.

    Out of interest, our copy of the letter can also be found on a number of sites, for example: http://www.orbdesigns.com/bpages/2005/z20051107.php#Friday

    Reply

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