CDC: 4000 Swine Flu Deaths, Vaccine Shortages

FACT: The Obama administration has failed miserably in handling the H1N1 outbreak.

The messages have been all over the map.

"It's an emergency. You must get vaccinated."

"Sorry, no vaccine is available."

"Be patient. The vaccine is coming."

"Don't hold your breath."

"Blame the eggs, not Obama."

The only consistent message: Sneeze into your sleeze.

ATLANTA -- Federal health officials now say that 4,000 or more Americans likely have died from swine flu — about four times the estimate they've been using.

The new, higher figure was first reported by The New York Times. It includes deaths caused by complications related to swine flu, including pneumonia and bacterial infections. Until now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had conservatively put the U.S. swine flu death count at more than 1,000. Officials said this week they're working on an even more accurate calculation.

The CDC says "many millions" of Americans have caught the pandemic flu virus since it first appeared in April.

What is going on?

Why put out this enormous jump in the number of deaths now?

Is the administration incompetent? Yes.

Does the administration lack transparency? Yes.

Here's a must-read letter by William Piercey Sr. to the Editor of the Southeast Missourian:

The new era of government control over our lives and freedoms has begun. This week, it got personal, and I felt helpless.

The doctor overseeing my health care advised me to get an H1N1 flu shot. I've been under a six-year treatment program for a chronic infection, plus I have heart and lung problems. Therefore, I am considered a high risk. Fortunately, my doctor had three shots available, but I would have to get approval from my county health department. Much to my surprise, the woman at the health department apologized and told me that even though I was a senior citizen at high risk, the health department had been instructed to approve shots only for children and pregnant mothers. I asked when a shot for my situation might be available. "We really don't know. Check back with us sometime in December."

What? The terrorist detainees in Gitmo are getting shots this month. Why not a high-risk senior citizen?

Mr. Obama, this is what we call health care rationing, which you claim won't happen under a government-run health care program.

If George W. Bush was considered the Barney Fife of executive power, then welcome to the Chicago-style politics of the new Vito Corleone family. The president himself, like a strong-armed enforcer, said in a nationally televised speech, "If you misrepresent anything in this plan, I will call you out." This administration has turned the once dignified and esteemed Oval Office into a war room for its liberal propaganda.

On his first day in office, the president signed the Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Personnel executive order. During the campaign he vowed to keep lobbyists out of the administration. But in Section 3 of this order is a waiver clause. The director of the Office of Management and Budget "may grant" a written waiver of any restrictions. Former lobbyists were given waivers and now hold key positions in government. Mr. Obama, you lied.

At the same time lobbyists were coming in the front door, dozens of new unvetted, hand-picked ideologues were being shuttled in the back door. Many of these people were placed in key policymaking positions. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine was worried about 18 of these unvetted czars, 10 of whom worked in the White House. An amendment to force these appointees to testify in oversight hearings was shot down by the Democratic leadership. Collins was especially concerned about Carol Browner, who negotiated fuel-economy standards with the auto industry. She even sent a letter to Obama, and one of his counsels replied that no one would be made available. This administration fears no one, especially a senator who dares to enforce something as minor as checks and balances. Obama promised transparency. He lied.

On the topic of transparency, the $787 billion stimulus bill was a progressive Trojan horse. It's loaded with political favors and programs that set up the infrastructure for education, health care and climate change. It was passed and signed in a matter of weeks. This was not a bill to put Americans back to work. Obama said it would produce 3.5 million jobs in two years. Over the past year the administration has changed its story daily but finally settled on the "create or save" propaganda. Obama also said the bill would keep unemployment under 8 percent. The rate has climbed to over 10 percent. Either his economic advisers are incompetent and need to be fired, or, once again, Mr. President, you lied.

Mr. President, you said you didn't want to run our car companies and banks, but you do. With the $350 billion in TARP funds left by President Bush, Obama's people continued the surge of bailouts. Americans might be shocked to know the recipients of bailout money now total 727 institutions. This government control in the private sector is unprecedented.

Government-run health care, card check, cap-and-trade, net neutrality, control of radio stations and possible newspaper bailouts are just part of this administration's agenda.

It's time for Americans to get in this government's face and call it out. This coup d'etat can be defeated. We have the numbers, the votes and the will power to turn back this assault on our individual freedoms.

With 15 million unemployed Americans, I'm sure we can find a few willing patriots to fill all those upcoming vacant seats in Washington, especially with an annual salary of $170,000, office, staff, insurance, expense account and, best of all, a three-day workweek. The only requirements for this job are honesty, integrity and a love of country.

I agree with Mr. Piercey. It's time for Americans to call Obama out.

He has mismanaged the Swine Flu emergency. He's responsible for the man-made disaster of the pandemic.

I want the H1N1 vaccine. I want my family vaccinated.

I wish I lived at Gitmo. Some doses of vaccine have arrived there.

I wish I worked for a big Wall Street firm. No shortages of vaccine there.

"No Luck Finding an H1N1 Flu Shot? You're Not Alone"

If you've been frustrated in trying to get your kids vaccinated against H1N1 flu, you're not alone: Two thirds of parents who have sought vaccine for their children have failed to find it, according to a Harvard School of Public Health survey out today. That's no small deal, because 41 percent of the parents polled said they have tried to get their children vaccinated against swine flu. Hearing that big Wall Street firms Goldman Sachs and Citigroup got H1N1 vaccine doesn't do much to reassure worried parents that the system is directing vaccine to the kids who need it the most. Although almost 36 million doses of H1N1 vaccine have been distributed, many parents are still anxiously waiting.

...Half of people trying to find out where and when they could get H1N1 vaccine weren't able to, according to the Harvard survey. Puh-leez, public health folks! You've been training for pandemic vaccine distribution for years. The least you can do is let us know, in real time, where the vaccine is and how we can get it.

Rush Limbaugh sums up the situation very well:

There's a lot of anger and there's a lot of fear in the hinterlands, the heartland of this country about this duping that we've had on this swine flu vaccine. The White House stopped feeding the Drive-Bys their hysteria e-mail of the day and so they stopped covering the story. You know, every TV and radio newscast for months, it led, and now they've been found out to be the incompetent jerks we knew they were so the spin is silent and the Drive-Bys are too stupid to figure out that they have a real good story here: Government screwing up royally in vaccinating people against a declared emergency, a government declared emergency. Health department to get approval for a vaccine?

It pisses me off that the lib media aren't holding Obama accountable for this debacle.

His daughters have received vaccine. I guess he has no worries.

I'd like to see Obama attend a funeral for an H1N1 victim.

That's a photo-op Obama will avoid like the plague, or the Swine Flu.