I’ve always been a slightly absent minded person. Perhaps that’s the wrong way to describe myself. The truth is I can’t ever stop thinking. When I’m bored my mind drifts off and explores situation after situation and idea after idea.
So one day as my mind started to drift I began to play the “what if” game. What if I were born a monkey? What if I had the ability to read minds? Then a more troubling thought entered my mind and I haven’t able to shake the question since.
What it there was an epidemic? What it a new disease breaks loose and begins to ravish the population? And suppose there’s only limited number of vaccines. What do we do? It was this train of thought that I am musing over still.
See an epidemic is a natural occurrence to this world, just like tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes. However in so many ways an epidemic can be worse. While natural disasters only affect one small area, diseases aren’t limited my any geographical barrier. They can go anywhere, infect anyone. They don’t stop; they spread leaving desolation in their wake.
So if one of these were to break out here in modern day America my question is: There is only a limited number of vaccines and medial supplies, so who gets treated? How would we be able to justify who gets saved, and who isn’t worth saving?
It’s a hard choice to make when one is forced to play god. Who would be the ones to not be treated? The old, the sick, the mentally unstable? Or do the rich get treated and leave the poor to die? Who could be allowed to make this decision? It’s all so complicated. Morals and family ties make the choice almost impossible. How would you justify it? Kill the few to save the many? Put in such a situation, it scary to think of what I would have to do. What would you do?
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The sad truth I believe would be that they would treat the children and women first. It seems to always go that way. Elderly people and mentally ill people would probably be last, the main reason is because elderly people have lived their life. They would be more concerned about saving a baby because it still has growing up to do.
I think alot like you do about all kinds of things and get stuck on them. But I generalized anxiety disorder.
I really don't know what I would do in a situtation like this. It would be very scary.
http://www.progressiveu.org/032913-lupus-uncureable-wait-what
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There is only a limited number of vaccines and medial supplies, so who gets treated?
Elderly people, children, people with compromised immune systems, and health care workers get immunized first--just because they are either more likely to die from any diseases, or they are more likely to pass it on to those who can easily die. And I don't remember exactly, but I'm pretty sure in my NCLEX practice exam, this question (or one incredibly similar) came up and the first priority for the immunization was the healthcare worker.
It's a scary thought, but other's have had the thought as well. Disaster management and planning isn't just for tornadoes and earthquakes. A lot of health care professionals are involved with planning for possible outbreaks and how they'd be handled.
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That is a scary thought, and I'm thinking we wouldn't be prepared for it.
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Yes, its a scary idea. I actually just read an article that hospitals are looking into the idea. Perhaps because a pandemic or epedemic is a highly possible threat their treating it seriously. The elderly, anyone with severe injuries, mentally disapbled, and people with terminal illness would not be treated. I read that some hospitals are making a group that would be responcible, should this disaster ever occur, to deside who gets treated and who doesnt. Hopefully they'll never be neccisary.
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"How would we be able to justify who gets saved, and who isn’t worth saving?"
When shit hits the fan, this can be of help to understand the way things work.
The more money you have, the more chance you will have to acquire a shot, if you are poor, you will be (treated) last in line.
No need to look or think any further, it has always been like that. It could change but then again, change will only be possible if criminals are eradicated out of the political scenery!
That' not lickely going to happen soon!
God luck,
Although I would never worry about myself in this situation...Actually I do my best to never worry about things esspecially worry is like fear...it breeds itself.
Anyway, I would guess that along with the healthcare workers and women and children, they would probably do military. Actually they would do military first because if there is something wrong with the vaccine military cannot really complain too much.
Good thoughts Thanks
~Tanya
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Watch the movie "Right At Your Door." It came out in 2007, I think, but it gives you a good example on what people will do in an epidemic.
sadly i think that the government would be first to take a dip in the vaccination pool (along with family and close friends) and the rest would be left to the children and those who could afford some type of special treatment.
at this point i would gladly go into isolation for a few years and hope for the best, because i am not a child or in any position of power.
:]
We all have to die sometime - we all have 100% chance of death. If the state of the world would be plagued by complete chaos, maybe I would prefer death to vaccination. I wouldn't know how I react unless the situation actually became reality, though.