By now we've all heard about the H1N1 flu (formally known as the Swine Flu), which was recently classified as a pandemic threat by the World Health Organization (WHO).  Although its effects have not been as dangerous as initially anticipated (whew), medical experts and epidemiologists across the globe have been very concerned that a mutated and more deadly version of the flu could come back to haunt us in the fall. (That's what happened with the 1918 Influenza Pandemic that killed anywhere between 20 to 40 million people worldwide.) This deadly influenza  strain, known as the Spanish Flu, also started inoffensively in the spring of 1918 with a few cases, but mutated and came back with a vengeance the following fall.

We'd all like to avoid that, so over the last few months, pharmaceutical companies have been working hard on producing a vaccine for the H1N1 virus (such as Sanofi Aventis SA, GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis).

Now here's where we get to Canada's overwhelming coolness (not that I'm biased, or anything). As this recent Toronto Star article said, the Canadian Government has already ordered more than 50 million doses of the flu vaccine. That amount would allow everyone in Canada to have access to a flu shot (for free, remember, because of Universal health care), while still having enough doses to cover about half the population for a second shot, if needed.

So for everyone who's been complaining about the inadequacy of the "socialized" health care system in Canada*: will the U.S. be ready when the H1N1 virus strikes again? Especially when everybody is currently too busy shouting at each other over the proposed health care bill in Congress? More importantly, will every American (that's around 350 million people) be able to get a flu shot for free when it becomes available?**

Good luck, guys. I'll be at the local medical supply, buying surgical masks.

*I recently discussed how having a few social programs, such as a public health insurance, will not, actually, turn the U.S. into a communist (or fascist) regime.

**The initial plan to combat the H1N1 flu proposed by the Obama Administration discusses the possibility of mass immunization, but there's no explicit information on whether or not every American will be able to have a vaccine immediately if the threat arises, as talked about here and here. In the past, mass immunization programs in the U.S. have been implemented in stages, where people most at risk were immunized first. This was attributed to the lack of available doses. My guess is that they'll do that again.