Is anyone else craving a great big happy news story?
Something that unites people, rather than divides them. I am tempted to suggest possibilities: a miracle baby, a research breakthrough, or a tale of recovery against the odds.
I know this oversimplifies life to glib headlines and might even suggest I want a family to go through trauma for the sake of a tale with a happy ending, which I certainly do not. I also know life tends to move gradually between light and shade with moments of breakdown and breakthrough that are precious but not necessarily meaningful to a wider audience. One can't just demand an inspiring news story this instant because there's so much hot air in Scotland that we need reminded about what really matters.
But the media is often criticised for focusing on the negative. The truth is I only find out about the outstanding things that happen with the help of science and the NHS if people tell me about them. I would like to encourage staff, patients and researchers to do that.
One press release that did cheer me up last week was the announcement that all children aged two to 11 will be vaccinated against flu in Scotland this autumn. The rationale behind this is not only that children are more likely to develop complications if they catch flu, but also that the germs they bring home from schools and nurseries can spread flu through entire families.
I thought I had one of the best immune systems in the world until I had kids. The six weeks in 2012 when flu-like illness afflicted my toddler, my 18-month-old twins, myself and my husband were so miserable that I am delighted we stand a better chance of avoiding a repeat this winter - and we are fortunate not to suffer any of the conditions that heighten the risks of infection.
The vaccination of small children has not been without its controversies and it is understandable if some parents feel anxious about their child having a live virus squirted up their nostrils. This latest immunisation programme works by giving youngsters a weak dose of the influenza virus via a nasal spray - enough to kick the immune system into action and fend off flu germs but not enough to make them ill.
The logistics of protecting the primary school population were piloted in Scotland last winter, with 25 per cent safely vaccinated. Eventually everyone aged two to 17 will be covered and it is estimated this will prevent 200 deaths a year and up to 1,100 hospital admissions. It is a slow and quiet revolution, happening almost unnoticed with the co-operation of public health experts, NHS staff and schools.
Some time in the future, I may report on a health journal paper assessing the impact of this programme, but as long as everything goes to plan its success will largely be reflected by headlines that never appear. I write stories when flu levels are low in the winter, but I write a lot more during epidemics and bad flu seasons because there is a lot more information to convey.
Nevertheless, whatever is happening in the political arena, I, along with loads of other parents, will be very relieved if 2014-15 is a low-flu year.
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