NationStates Jolt Archive

The Issue
Flu Vaccine Shortage!

Description
The @@ANIMAL@@ flu has come back stronger than ever in @@NAME@@, but government officials hadn’t predicted such a thing, leaving a massive shortage of flu vaccines.

The Debate
[option]“There are thousands, if not millions of people out there who haven’t been given the opportunity of receiving a flu shot. Have you no mercy?” shouts Dr. @@RANDOMNAME@@. “I suggest that we look to other nations in getting help to keep the nation from a possible epidemic. The price would be expensive, but it will be worth saving many lives, right? I’m sure the military really isn’t as important as health care, so let’s just take some money from their pockets, I mean, who really needs all of these tanks?”

[stats] Increase in Health Funding; Decrease in Military Funding, Happiness Increases.
[effect] @@NAME@@ has hit a record low in the amount of people coming down with the @@ANIMAL@@ flu.

[option]“Survival of the Fittest is what they call it,” whispers @@RANDOMNAME@@. “The only people who actually get the flu are young children and old people. It’s only getting rid of the weakest people within our nation. Trust me, the @@ANIMAL@@ flu is doing us a favor. We don’t need to beg for vaccines from other nations. Just let nature run its course."

[stats] Decrease in Health Funding; Increase in Education Funding, Happiness Decreases.
[effect] scores of people have been coming down with a flu-like illness, mainly young children and the elderly, due to a vaccine shortage.

[option]"You know, we could really make a big profit off of this." mentions @@RANDOMNAME@@. "With the flu virus gone rampant, we could make some big bucks off of everyone by auctioning off the vaccines that we have. That way, the wealthy can throw away thousands of their precious @@CURRENCY@@ to us, and they can get the vaccine. The lower class scum....I mean, people...won't be able to afford it, but hey, that's what you get for being lazy. It's a win-win situation!"

[stats] Happiness Decreases, Decrease in Health Funding
[effect] a large amount of people driving stationwagons have made a trip to the nations bordering @@NATIONNAME@@ to get the flu vaccine.



The stats for the first option need to be edited to something more...ironic. I'm open for suggestions though, and critiques. I'm new to this, but I did read the Stickies. :p

Looks pretty good. I think you might have switched the [stats] and [effects] lines - check on this - I'm just starting, too.

You'll probably get suggestions to use a made-up disease (like the Spon Plague Issue), but I like that it reflects Real World issues. Unless you do something like call it Max Berry disease.

Would like to see a third option, perhaps letting people cross the borders to other nations in the region to get the vaccine. Could have temporary effects of slowing international trade due to the lines at border crossings.

Or you could go for an extreme option, like auctioning off the vaccine shots to raise money. Effects - pharmaceutical company execs are often seen lighting cigars with 100-@@CURRENCY@@ bills.

As far as effects go on the second option - whoah, depressing. How about - surgical masks are the latest fashion trend (ala SARS)? Just a suggestion.

Hope you take this as constructive criticism. Nice work.

Looks pretty good. I think you might have switched the [stats] and [effects] lines - check on this - I'm just starting, too.

You'll probably get suggestions to use a made-up disease (like the Spon Plague Issue), but I like that it reflects Real World issues. Unless you do something like call it Max Berry disease.

Good idea. I may have to change it to somethin else.

Or you could go for an extreme option, like auctioning off the vaccine shots to raise money. Effects - pharmaceutical company execs are often seen lighting cigars with 100-@@CURRENCY@@ bills.

I'll probably add something like that. I like your idea.

As far as effects go on the second option - whoah, depressing. How about - surgical masks are the latest fashion trend (ala SARS)? Just a suggestion.

It's all about the irony, heh.

Hope you take this as constructive criticism. Nice work.
Thanks for the suggestions, they are very much appreciated.

[effect] the number of people coming down with the flu has reached a record low, but at the same time, the reading level of the entire nation has fallen to an average understanding of a 3rd grader.

I think it's way too long in comparison to your other effects. Perhaps taking the budget out of something more, important (I know it's not the right word.), would be the irony you're looking for... maybe like out of the actual health budget which would open up the country to other preventable diseases.

Just a thought on the disease name. Different strains of the flu get different names like the Asian flu or the Spanish flu. What if the issue used @@NAME@@ flu? Or on a similar line to the RL bird flu so the issue would use @@ANIMAL@@ flu.

[edit] Of course, @@NAME@@ gives the noun, and there is no adj. form in the game, so it may sound a bit odd.

I like the @@ANIMAL@@ Flu idea. Opens the door for options like slaughtering all domesticated @@ANIMAL@@s, since they are the vector of the disease.

On second thought, this might make a different issue entirely, though related. If you don't eradicate the @@ANIMAL@@ flu, it crosses over to humans, and then you need the flu shots.

I like the idea of naming the flu strain after a national animal; it also does give creedance to another issue selection in dealing with whether or not the animal should be targeted for spreading the virus.

I like the @@ANIMAL@@ Flu idea. Opens the door for options like slaughtering all domesticated @@ANIMAL@@s, since they are the vector of the disease.

On second thought, this might make a different issue entirely, though related. If you don't eradicate the @@ANIMAL@@ flu, it crosses over to humans, and then you need the flu shots.

That's a great idea. Thank you for you input again, I'll get right on it. :p

Am I missing something? What does the national reading age have to do with military funding?

Am I missing something? What does the national reading age have to do with military funding?
The first option used to take money from education and put it toward health. Euroslavia, it appears, has forgotten to update the [effect] part.

The first option used to take money from education and put it toward health. Euroslavia, it appears, has forgotten to update the [effect] part.

Yep, had to rush to school. I'll change that right now. ^.^

Alrighty, made a few minor adjustments, however, i cant think of more stats for the 3rd option. I was thinking it could do something with extra money for the budget, but I don't know what it could go to.

I'll also come up with a follow up issue for the national animal.

It seems to me that Option One and Option Two are just forcing people to choose between two sides of basic liberalism; healthcare versus education. I think it would be better not to include education in Option Two, which allows the hard-core conservatives to effectively kill off more of their population. That way, you can appeal to the left, the right [read: fascists], and Option Three is for the capitalists, as opposed to left, left, and capitalism respectively. So if you care to change it, I was thinking that Option Two would read something similar to this.

[option]“Survival of the Fittest is what they call it,” whispers @@RANDOMNAME@@. “The only people who actually get the flu are young children and old people. It’s only getting rid of the weakest people within our nation. Trust me, the @@ANIMAL@@ flu is doing us a favor. We don’t need to beg for vaccines from other nations. Just let nature run its course."

[stats] Decrease in Health Funding; Happiness Decreases.
[effect] scores of people have been coming down with a flu-like illness, mainly young children and the elderly, due to a vaccine shortage.

And this is just a small typo.
"Survival of the Fittest is what they call it.” whispers...
Should actually read
"Survival of the Fittest is what they call it,” whispers...
Comma instead of a period.

Grenval: Thanks for the correction suggestions ^.^ I like your ideas.

Well, I'm a big fan of the Unintended Consequences, and your effects are pretty straightforward -- fund vaccines, everybody gets vaccines. Don't fund vaccines, everybody goes to get them elsewhere. Nothing wrong with your logic, but it's just not as fun.

For the first option, the reading level reduction was good. Or, if you're taking funding from the military, something about the army having a lack of guns, but not so much as a sniffle among them.

Guess I'm just more cynical than most.

Well, I'm a big fan of the Unintended Consequences, and your effects are pretty straightforward -- fund vaccines, everybody gets vaccines.

I always enjoy issues that surprise me with their unintended consequences, which is why I try and add my support to them when they come up in the Got Issues? forum.