As Boston grapples with a flu emergency that is crowding clinics and emergency rooms, the illness appears to be exacting an especially heavy toll on three neighborhoods — Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan.
“This follows a pattern we see all too often across Boston and across the country where poor people and people of color are disproportionately affected by disease and illness,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of the Boston Public Health Commission, which on Wednesday declared a public health emergency as the city confronts 10 times as many confirmed flu cases compared with the same time last year.
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The Globe, which is in Dorchester, should know that there is only one Dorchester - not two of North Dorchester and South Dorchester. It is an arbitrary breakup of the neighborhood, which is sometimes coded for black and white Dorchester.
You knew there would be a class and race component to this. I would also point this at the mayor and city council. They know their wards better than anyone else.
The globe continues to write crap that divides the races to continue the "us against them" mentality... EVERYONE was hit by this flu. Even those who received flu shots came down with a it. You guys just love to increase the racial divide...
"Myriad factors contribute to the problem" This is an untruth - we all know there is one factor and that is intelligence. The flu shot is free at their community health centers - how much more are taxpayers faced with when we paid for their flu shots. Prime example of lack of personal responsibilty in these populations even when its free and will save their life. These people not victims but grossly negligent. Do not blame the rest of us. No one stopped them from getting a flu shot. IF they can get to their community centers to get food stamps then they can get to their centers for a flu shot. any other rationalization makes no sense.
Seriously, if they were smart enough to work for an employer that had a free, onsite flu clinic in September of each year then they could sleep easy in their overcrowded, poorly furnished, relatively high-crime neighbordhood, relatively low-income neighborhood homes at night.
If they weren't working the night shift....
People should be discouraged from visiting emergancy rooms when they have flu symptoms.
They just spread the disease to other patients and there is no effective treatment.
The World to End Tomorrow! Women and Minorities Most Effected.