H1N1 Vaccination!

I remember mid June, 2009 when I first heard about the H1N1 flu breakout.  It was on every news channel, radio station, and poster around the city.  Not to mention the outbreak of purell dispensers.  “The spread of H1N1 flu globally represents the first major communicable disease threat of the millennium.” (Hodge Jr).  This topic seemed to be at the forefront of every conversation.  What do you think about the vaccine?  Are you getting it?  This pandemic virus can be viewed through the process what is know as Grimsci’s theme of hegemony.  Throughout this reflection I will be applying the idea of hegemony, spontaneous consent, using the example of the pandemic H1N1 flu.

            In order to make my decision as to be vaccinated or not, I started polling almost everyone I came into contact with.  I must work in a very conspiracy driven environment, because everyone I asked replied with a very quick and confident “no”.  Which was followed by “it’s a hoax!”  Or “The North American government has just found another way to make money.”  However, the other side of my polling (my clients who are predominantly white collar/”elite”), stated that it would be a good idea to get the vaccine.  With a couple of months passing I was curious if any of my colleagues had a change in heart?  I was shocked to find out that some of the most skeptical ones decided to go ahead with the vaccine.  Was it from the influence from their clients, the mile long line ups outside the vaccination clinics, or simply the power of hegemony?

The government of Canada strongly urged every Canadian to receive the vaccine.  One of the ways they demonstrated this was by unrolling a plan to show its people how easy it can be to avoid this possible deathly flu. “In early May 2009 we launched the first of a multi-phased marketing campaign that saw print advertisements placed in daily and weekly newspapers across the country.”  “These ads reminded Canadians of appropriate infection prevention behaviors.” (Aglukkak, L.) 

Part of the hegemony process is to ensure that masses consent with state based political and cultural dominance what he (Gramsci) calls “spontaneous consent”. (Leroux, D, Hegemony).  Headlines in the Ottawa Citizen started reading “Ontario May Run Short in Vaccines”, “Pre-teen Girl Dies in Ottawa Hospital” (Ottawa Citizen).  The examples I have chosen where ones that really stood out, and displayed spontaneous consent from the public.  It only seems natural (or at least to me) to be able to disconnect the possibility of being infected by such a virus, unless it is close to home. When I started hearing about people being hospitalized and quarantined, and sometimes loosing their lives within my own city; it was these messages that had me at clinic the following day.  In conjunction to this, I started noticing people wearing masks in public places.  I feel confident that this message has also hit home for these fellow citizens.  They may not have got the vaccination, but the message sent is responsible for there actions.  The spontaneous consent was made evident through the demand for more vaccination clinics within our home town.  Locals where waiting hours on end, and sometimes only to be turned away. (CBC News. Oct 27, 2009).  The city reacted quickly, and started opening up numerous more clinics to meet the demand.  Initially this demand was not their, but with more and more exposure the demand came rapidly.              

             Another aspect of hegemony is to use the “common sense” rule to ensure that the masses consent with state based political and cultural dominance. (Leroux, D. Hegemony).  Schools, news channels and public buildings where flooded with ways to prevent and notice possible symptoms of the h1n1 flu.  The government and dominant class saturated the media with facts and reasons as to why we should get the vaccine.  We are a society that follows the masses (which stems form the elites) to go along with the values as long as they seem to be “common sense”.  We were provided with daily reaffirmation that getting the vaccine would be in our best interest.   When we were faced with the something that could possibly take our lives it only seem’s natural to way the opinion of the educated more heavily.  As a result, we seemed to make it through the h1n1 flu, however there is always this year to test the waters again.