Swine Flu memories

Back during the 1976 Swine Flu scare I was stationed at Fort Campbell after being trained at Fort Dix. You have few rights as a member of the military. I certainly wasn't given the option of deciding for myself if I wanted to receive the Swine Flu vaccine. I don't recall anyone handing me a patient information pamphlet so that I could provide informed consent. As I recall we fell out for morning roll call and were marched over the the health clinic and each of us rolled up our sleeves and accepted yet another of the many shots we were given in our military career. While waiting in line it became obvious that few of us had even heard of the Swine Flu.

I also remember that it didn't take long for me to become very ill. So ill I was unable to perform my duties. So ill that I begged for medical attention and my sargent made sure I got to the clinic PDQ. I was so ill I was ordered to spend three days on bed rest--which was just never done. No one got bed rest. No one got three days of it.

It's been decades since that incident. I've birthed 4 children, dealt with a fussy gallbladder and experienced a number of bouts with various illnesses. THAT Swine Flu vaccine still stands out as one of the worst experiences of my life.

If this current situation warrants inoculations---I hope to God they've improved that vaccine.