Tags
Alberta, Calgary, communication, confusion, Diana Schwenk, Flu shot, Government of Alberta, health, Hump Day Chronicles, integrity, key messages, Purpose, rant, world issues
Re: The Flu Season and what you’ve told us about it.
Photo credit: hellogiggles.com
Let me begin by saying that I appreciate your attempt to communicate with Albertans. Really.
Also, I would like to extend my prayers for comfort and sympathy to those who have lost loved ones to the Flu.
Now, on to reason that I am writing to you and the business of keeping the public informed.
Please find following, a list of the messages you have shared with Albertans during the 2014 Flu season:
- Everyone should get the Flu shot
- Unless 90% of people get the Flu shot the larger population is compromised
- The Province has enough Flu shots for 23% of the population
- The Province is disheartened that only 42% of medical staff have gotten the Flu Shot
- The Province says they’re not sure how effective the Flu shot is if under 85% of the population gets it.
- 12 people have died from the Flu
- 10 people have died from the Flu
- 8 people have died from the Flu
- Calgary has 2 centres offering the Flu shot. Some people wait 4 hours to get their shot.
- People don’t have to panic. Really, we’re OK. Sure the more who get the Flu shot the better. (We’re really not sure what the threshold percentage is.)
WHAT???
Now I’m not saying that there isn’t a logical explanation for the contradictions above. You say you typically secure a certain amount of the vaccine and end up throwing some out because you’ve over estimated how many people will get their shots. I’ve also heard speculation that you were just way better at getting the ‘you-should-get-your-shot’ message out this year.
But you’ve got to admit that your messaging has created confusion and panic, and it doesn’t really matter if you have it all straight in your own heads if the rest of us don’t understand. Some of us, throughout this Flu season have felt manipulated by your messaging, at the very least, trust was broken.
Not being one to just point out errors, I thought I might also provide you some suggestions for next time.
A list of strategies you may consider for the next time:
-
Plan out and have your communication strategy ready by August
- Get everybody who needs to be involved into the same room.
- Get your facts and key messages down on paper and agree on them
- Make sure your facts are accurate
- Make sure everybody is singing from the same song sheet
- Select your spokesperson(s) and make sure they’re well versed in your key messaging and can articulate the message clearly.
- If your spokesperson(s) can’t stick to the accurate, thoroughly researched, factual key messages you’ve bothered to put together, consider releasing the information on a fact sheet and leave it at that.
While you’re at it, you may ask yourselves what the common areas of concern are, i.e., what’s in the flu shot, what are the risks, is it true there are fish byproducts in the vaccine and what if I’m allergic to fish, or eggs for that matter questions and include that information in your messaging instead of directing people to a long dissertation that no one can find on your website.
And for pity’s sake, if you don’t know the answer to something, just say so and tell us you’re looking into it and will get back to us. And then ACTUALLY get back to us. We can respect that.
You’re welcome!
Diana Schwenk, just another Albertan
talktodiana 
You’re a better organizer than whoever is in charge of the flu shots. Plus, I really dislike it when it seems the medical establishment is more concerned with their self-promotion of industry and proving they know more than their concern with the real health of people.
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Ha! Not sure I’m a better organizer, but thank you. When something gets as big as the government and every area works in silos, it gets harder to stay on the same page I think. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts!
Diana
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Love this post Diana. It adds to my reasons for just shaking my head at the entire thing. My 50-something hubby and late forty-something me have never had a flu shot. And my adult sons neither. I’m into hand washing and other methods of staying safe but I’m not a fan of jumping on some bandwagon when no one can answer me when I ask but Why? In this household we apparently have strong immune systems and hubby has been flattened by a tough cold for a day maybe 4 years ago? And nearly as long for me. Anyways, thanks Diana, for venting so eloquently what I’ve merely grumbled about! Hugs (with no cold germs I promise!) xo Gina
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(smiling) Thanks Gina! And I’m not that afraid of germs. 😉
Diana xo
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No matter what your opinion on “flu shots”, the best offence is a good defence, so BUILD yourself a healthy Immune System and give your body what it needs to fight…
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In some ways the best way to develop a good immune system is to stop hiding from germs. Think about it, we have become so sanitized and sterile that if we happen to run into a germ, we are immediately sick! Look at all the allergies we have now days compared to when we were kids!
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Plus, in an anti-biotic saturated environment, the bugs that do survive are increasingly nasty and hard to kill. Hospitals are already bumming out over a growing number of treatment-resistant infections. (And once again the human race shoots itself in the foot. Good thing we’re so hardy, or weeda died out ages ago!)
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Our time will come, me thinks.
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Yeah. Antibacterial this and vaccinate for that… Better a little jolt of dirt every now and again to kick start the old immune response and let the body do what it’s developed over the millennia to do – take care of itself!
Re food allergies? Thinking that all of the little hidden features of pre pared/processed stuff that’s SO easy to ingest, like (high fructose) corn syrup (modified) corn starch, (hydrolysed) protein, (iodised) salt, (hydrogenated) vegetable oil, (whitened) flour/rice/sugar that has a lot to do with it: all for “mouth feel” and the magic trio of fat, sweet and salt that we all crave; not to even mention all of the preservatives to keep them… All altered AND, as a result, all things that the body does not recognise
(Sorry, you hit a bit of a nerve there; )
Probably the best thing(s) we could do for ourselves would be to think back to what our ancestors would have found normal – within reason, of course (“all things in moderation”… even moderation; ) plus, get outside and GET DIRTY! Grubbing around in the earth is good for us; for the food we gather, the relaxing Zen of connecting with the earth and goodness of real work/physical effort: )
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Some good thoughts there Deb!
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I haven’t gotten the flu shot yet for last few years.
I’m always amazed to read of others who work directly with patients in a health care job and who don’t get the flu shot. I have a sister who is an emergency services doctor. For certain, she gets colds in the winter almost annually. And often it is direct exposure to patients. She gets ticked off when patients cough in her direction and forget she is human also..
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Hi Jean,
Nobody likes anybody to cough in their face regardless of germs. I have never gotten a flu shot and I get sick less than a lot of people I know!
Wow to be a doctor in emergency services would be a busy and long day! What kind of hours does your sister put in?
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She works long shifts..3 days a wk. over each weekend.
She chose this way for now since she has 2 young children under 6 yrs. This is a 75 km. commute drive for her..1 way to the hospital. She sleeps at the hospital during these long weekends.
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wow that is commitment! I’ve often wondered at the stamina and dedication of interns as well – amazing!
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(Likewise: never had a flu shot; never had the flu.)
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Just keep Hanlon’s Razor in mind: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity (or incompetence). More and more in the last 30 years or so I’m seeing fumbling and bumbling in all levels of life, and it seems at least partially due to the “it’s all good” attitude so common today combined with a growing anti-intellectualism and high degree of social polarization. It’s a pity more don’t follow the old IBM advice, “THINK!”
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There’s also a struggle between planning and action. In today’s world, if others are getting the word out first, you lose. There exists a need to balance between research/planning and communication/action. Eventually you need to get to the business of action.
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Oh, I see what you mean! Yeah, one more “push-pull” thing in life to try to balance.
I need to track down and have a word with that guy who told us it was all going to be easy…. Oh, wait, that’s right, no one said it was going to be easy! [sigh] 😀
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haha maybe easy would be boring?
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Good point! I’m sure you’re right!
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Thinking? What a novel concept! Can you imagine?
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Oh, I can imagine it! But then, I can also imagine being married to Sharon Stone, so… [shrug]
I was looking at my notes this morning and was reminded of a good example of what I mean. Jon Stewart recently teased MSNBC for having prominently displayed on a graphic: “21th” And while it’s a trivial error in a fast-moving real-time environment, it is also a blatant English failure that should be difficult to make in the first place and definitely should have been caught by someone.
What’s scary to contemplate is the possibility the error was missed by author and editors due to not knowing the correct form. In a venue whose fundamental purpose is communication.
If this was a “one off” it wouldn’t be worth noticing, but it seems as if stuff like this is happening all the time now. We expect excellence from our athletes, our doctors, our airline pilots, but we often don’t seem to expect it in ourselves. (And when, oh when, will be begin to insist upon it from our politicians?)
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LOL! Thought that comment about Sharon Stone was from Diana at first; ).
Pretty sure Editors are an endangered species these days – after all, they cost money – and “Thinking” is actively DIS couraged by those who’d prefer to be unencumbered by the need to answer annoying questions about Politics, legality vs morality, Right & wrong/just because I can, doesn’t mean I should, Corporate Morality… Sorry, I seem to be repeating myself *sigh*
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Ah Diana. You have fixed the Canadian postal service and have now moved on to health services.
Those Albertan politicians should move over and give you some space. 🙂
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There’s nothing that remotely resembles fixed re: Canada Post. Let’s just say I ‘addressed’ the issued! 🙂
Not sure I’d want to be a politician, but they could hire me if they want for the next thing they would like to communicate!
Cheers,
Diana
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Here we get the flu shot at the doctors and some chemists, it costs money to get it unless you are on a pension or lucky enough to have your employer pay for it, Tim gets his via the bus company he works for I get mine at the GP’s but I don’t pay to see a doctor………….but all those contradictions are confusing but normal ask a dozen people the same question get a dozen different answers.
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It’s interesting to see how other countries handle the flu shot. Chemists are called pharmacists here. Same language different terms, that’s interesting too!
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Ugh, ugh, ugh! 😦
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I know right…
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Bureaucrats often frustrate me, too. I feel like they often are not motivated to try hard enough, because there’s not enough consequence related directly to effort (no loss of pay or status for mediocre, slow work; no personal profit or reward for excellent performance).
I know the flu shot can be controversial, but I do think a lot of that controversy comes from lack of reliable information. I feel like my doctor gives me reliable information, and I’m glad I can trust her.
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It’s nice to have a doctor you can trust, I’m glad you do!
I’m mostly frustrated with the communication of it. In another example we have a lot of ads that encourage people with mental health issues to seek support by going to the hospital, etc., but there is not enough capacity at hospitals and other related services to meet the demand for services. Often people are sent home, and sometimes there are dire consequences such as suicide.
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Sounds like you’re like me, Diana–a person who highly values reliability. I think people need to be prepared to stand by their promises, even when those promises are implied.
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🙂 !
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I hope you actually sent this— local newspapers, etc. and to the Gov. and they listen! Stay flu-free!
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No I hadn’t, but on your prompting, I just sent it to the local paper – thanks Lisa!
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Wow. It is far different here. You can get the flu shot at any doctor or pharmacy if you are willing to bypass the wait time and fork over $15. If you are a senior or have or are a small children under 5 or a compromised immune system (such as me as I am susceptible to pneumonia) it is free at your drs or if you have a note from the doc. Many work places offer the flu shot to their employees for free to save on sick days. Myself I don’t care if someone gets the flu shot, I am looking out for myself.
My son is not allowed to get the flu shot because his dad doesn’t want him injected with a virus ( every year he gets sick). It is mandatory for ALL medical professionals to get the flu shot. If you walk in a hospital with a cough, you MUST wear a mask.
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We were also able to get shots in many places at first and for free, although London Drugs bought their own supply and offered shots earlier for snow birds and such.
I don’t personally get a shot and hardly ever get sick. I think I had the flu 2 years ago. My issue has mainly been the communication about it. It’s been confusing and it’s caused panic in some cases and the messages are contradicting.
Just out of curiosity, how does your son’s father have more of a say regarding your son getting the flu shot? Was that a court decision?
Thanks for chiming in Stephanie!
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We respect each others choices. No court order. There are some things that I have more say on. Since he lives with him I respect that he doesn’t want him injected. It is him who has to deal with the illness when it happens. If he lived here I would get the flu shot for him just because he would be around me more because me getting sick is not fun due to breathing problems.
Every adult has the choice to make on what they put in their body, but in reality unless the powers that be “guessed” correctly on what flu strain will arrive the next year, the flu shot is not going to protect anybody.
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Oh Ok. That makes sense! Thanks!
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