In times of stress and turmoil, who do you trust?
Canada is starting to feel the effects of the H1N1 pandemic. And frankly, people are confused about what to do. In the last few days, I've heard from a number of associates who are sitting on the fence about getting the vaccine.
The media is up to their usual games of buckshot news reporting. Headlines report the death of healthy young adults. Medical and government spokespeople urge people to visit a clinic. But folks search out answers on the net and see something else.
A typical conversation with a 25 year old friend went like this today:
"So, Kathy, are you going to get a flu shot?"
"I dont know, I have heard so many conflicting things about it"
"What kind of things?"
"Well, there's 2 sides to every story. I know it's supposed to help you not get the flu but I saw something on the internet about a lady who said her running career was ruined because she took the flu vaccine."*
In the "good old days" we had a few trusted advisors (your doctor, the government health worker, Walter Cronkite) who we trusted to give us the information we needed. That was a good and bad thing. A few of those folks were arrogant, patronizing and mis-informed. I like living in a world where we now have a greater voice. But the internet's fatal flaw can be summed up with "who do we trust?" The person first in Google rankings? The Tweeter with the most followers? The talking head on Fox who attracts the greatest audience? If Mitch Joel (author of "Six Pixels of Separation") is correct, then we are more likely to trust another consumer's feedback on a website than in the company's material itself. And that includes peer-reviewed clinical data.
So what happens if you're a mom in Toronto with two kids and you are confused about whether to get your kids immunized? People tell you vaccines are untested and they purport to be worse than the virus. They steer you to websites that reinforce this theory. They talk about "big pharma" and "big government" wanting to make money from your fear. Others want you to top up on vitamins and "natural remedies." You know you need to take responsibility for your own life, you need to eat, exercise and sleep well and not put your faith in pills or products. But what happens when a pandemic comes knocking?
Who do you trust?
My advice is to trust the "good guy" or "amazing woman" in your life. They have a) knowledge (in this case of the science behind vaccines) b) experience (they have witnessed sufferers of both flu and vaccines (so can compare) c) empathy (they can put themselves in your shoes) and reliability (they keep their promises). Find the person who has your, not their, best interests at heart. In this particular case, I called my friends who are scientists, doctors and as well, they are parents.
Todd Howlett is my brother and an ER doctor as well as chief of staff of a large hospital. Todd's wife and 4 kids have come down with H1N1. All are doing OK (he administered Tamilflu right away as a precautionary measure) He is still monitoring the eldest who has asthma. His advice?
"Don't panic but try to get the shot. You get lazy about things you've never experienced. I have a friend who can't use her left arm as she had polio. If you met her, you'd get the polio vaccine. Why take the risk? Get the shot."
Sooner or later you need to trust someone. And then you need to make a decision.
For me, I try to live my life in 3rd gear. So I'm getting the shot. I'm doing it as much for others as I am for myself. Vaccinations depend on people trying to think in 3rd gear.
Dave
* Kathy later called me and let me know she had only read the headlines and skimmed a news article. The entire article reveals how rare it is to get this type of reaction.
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Over the last few years, I've used a phrase called sincere/specific/searchable. It works for thank you cards, it works for networking and it works for sales.
Here's a recent shot of Bill and his sons Troy and Nick.
This week marks the 20th anniversary of the collapse of the Berlin wall. As a military brat attending high school in West Germany, I once had the opportunity to visit West Berlin's Checkpoint Charlie. I never took the trip (I believe the reason involved a cute girl signed up on another trip), but I do remember viewing battlefield sites across Europe (our highschool's version of the fieldtrip to the big city.) I walked by thousands of gravestones as a 16 year old (the same age as many of the fallen) and I got to reflect early, on this curious juxtaposition of glory and misery. 
I think I've figured out the H1N1 thing. 
