Topic: Swine Flu Shots

Safeway pharmacies are offering 10% off groceries to customers who receive a flu shot. The hosts link this promotion to the movie "Contagion," which they argue is "prepping" the public for a hybrid swine and bird flu outbreak similar to the 2009 pandemic.

Reports from Britain indicate the return of the H1N1 swine flu, leading to a discussion about the consistency of medical advice regarding flu shots. The hosts question why this specific strain persists while others disappear seasonally. Finally, they announce an upcoming "talking points memo" on high-speed rail to help listeners argue against the modernization of transportation through trains before signing off.

Reports from the UK suggest that flu shots may lower the risk of heart attacks, a claim met with skepticism. In the United States, the Virginia Department of Health is actively promoting the availability of 160 million vaccine doses, which arrived earlier than usual. There is speculation that these doses include leftover swine flu vaccine components that need to be distributed before their shelf life expires.

The hosts examine the early and aggressive marketing of the 2010 flu vaccine, which combines the seasonal flu and H1N1 (swine flu) strains into a single shot. They question why the vaccine is being released in early September, a month earlier than usual. Dvorak suggests the rollout is a coordinated effort by the pharmaceutical industry to maximize profits following the "hoax" of the previous year's pandemic.

An episode of the television drama "Numbers" features a plot point where a scientist is tracked via a microchip implanted without her knowledge during a swine flu vaccination. The hosts discuss this as a form of "media assassination" or predictive programming, conditioning the public to accept the idea of government-mandated tracking devices.