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East Oregonian
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
CHRISTOPHER RUSH
Publisher
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
DANIEL WATTENBURGER
Managing Editor
WYATT HAUPT JR.
News Editor
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEWS
Simple advice —
get a flu vaccine
t’s time to get your flu shot — if
you haven’t already. You owe it to
yourself, and to protect the people
around you.
Influenza is a highly contagious
respiratory illness most commonly
spread through coughing and sneez-
ing. While most people who con-
tract it experience no more than fever,
chills, aches, cough and congestion, it
can be serious — and even fatal.
The federal Centers for Disease
Control say people should be getting
vaccinated by the end of October. But
its medical staff add that getting vac-
cinated later can still be beneficial
and vaccination should continue to be
offered throughout flu season, even
into January or later.
In fact, writing in The New York
Times, columnist Jane Brody recently
reported that late fall is still a great
time to get your shot.
“Although there are some cases
of flu in October and November in
the United States, flu season here
doesn’t usually get going full speed
until December, peaking in most years
in February and usually ending by
April,” she said in a Nov. 5 column.
Dr. Michael T. Osterholm, director
of the Center for Infectious Disease
Research and Policy at the University
I
of Minnesota, told Brody that “immu-
nity induced by the flu vaccine, which
is rarely greater than 60 percent to
begin with, tends to wane by 20 per-
cent a month, leaving those who got
their shot in August or September with
less than desirable protection by the
time they’re exposed to a variant of flu
virus their body doesn’t recognize.”
Osterholm said that “since 95 per-
cent of flu outbreaks start in mid-De-
cember, it’s best to get the flu shot in
early to mid-November.”
The CDC estimates that flu has
resulted in between 9.3 million and
49 million illnesses each year in the
United States since 2010. That’s
resulted in between 140,000 and
960,000 hospitalizations each year
since.
Information about fatalities, espe-
cially about deaths of children, make
for grim reading on the CDC website.
Time magazine reported that flu and
its complications killed almost 80,000
people in the U.S. last year, includ-
ing 180 children. That’s the highest flu
death toll in four decades.
So here are some tips:
• Everyone six months of age or
older needs a flu vaccine.
• It takes about two weeks after
vaccination for antibodies that protect
The Daily Astorian
The influenza virus has not hit too hard yet this season, but health officials urge
residents to get a flu shot.
against flu to develop in the body
• Children 6 months through 8 years
of age who need two doses of vaccine
to be protected should start the vacci-
nation process sooner; if it is their first
vaccination, the two doses must be
given at least four weeks apart.
In addition to getting vaccinated,
the CDC states something that should
be obvious, but is worth repeating:
You can take everyday preventive
actions like staying away from sick
people and washing your hands to
reduce the spread of germs.
And if you do contract flu-like
symptoms, get medical help. If you
are sick with flu, stay home from work
or school to prevent spreading flu to
others.
That latter point is a key.
The Umatilla County Health
Department is a good starting point
for anyone seeking more information.
The agency’s staff at 541-278-5432 is
eager to help.
Many pharmacies offer flu shots for
free and many insurances have only a
very small co-pay.
This kind of preventative medi-
cine is an investment in your own
health, and that of family, friends and
co-workers — in fact, everyone you
encounter in your daily life.
If there is a small cost, it is money
well spent.
For definitive details about all
aspects of flu shots, go to bit.ly/
flu-questions
OTHER VIEWS
Now it’s campaign finance, not Russia
P
YOUR VIEWS
Creative solutions
can have unintended
consequences
When faced with difficult problems, it
is important to consider both standard and
atypical solutions. However, when choos-
ing a creative, “outside the box” course,
you must beware of unexpected conse-
quences. It is your responsibility to see the
homework completed and you must not be
swayed by solutions that have a few appeal-
ing components, but are not implementable;
or those with short-term benefits but long-
term repercussions; or ones that cause more
harm than good.
In 1910, our country faced problems in
the southern states with invasive, imported
water weeds. They had taken over water-
ways, clogging boat motors and threatening
the economic and ecological viability of the
region. In addition, the country was suffer-
ing from a meat shortage. Thinking outside
of the box, our political leadership proposed
importing hippos from Africa and releasing
them into swamp lands to eat the water hya-
cinth and be farmed for their meat.
Little thought was given to the idea that
solving one invasive species problem by
importing another might be a bad idea. Few
Unsigned editorials are the opinion of
the East Oregonian editorial board. Other
columns, letters and cartoons on this page
express the opinions of the authors and not
necessarily that of the East Oregonian.
considered the aggressive nature of hip-
pos, or their inability to respond to domes-
tication, or the environmental changes that
would occur, or the impacts to local agricul-
ture when the hippos grazed adjacent crop-
land. The truth is that many of our political
leaders were convinced that importation of
hippos was an easy solution to these imme-
diate problems. In 1910, H.R. 23621, the
American Hippo Bill, was proposed. It
failed to pass by a single vote.
Now, let’s talk about a wall.
Lynn Robertson
Pendleton
Remember the pets this
holiday season
In this special time of giving, I’m asking
everyone to remember something to sup-
port the work of the Pendleton Animal Wel-
fare Shelter. As an all-year gift to the chil-
dren, nothing mirrors the love and care of
a community more than the humane treat-
ment of its pet population.
Join the compassionate circle and let
‘er sparkle. And be proud of what has been
accomplished!
Marjorie Iburg
Pendleton
rosecutors investigating President
impeachable offenses because, even though
Trump made big news recently, but
they were committed before the president
it wasn’t about Russia. Rather, in
became president, they were committed in
their sentencing recommendation for fixer
the service of fraudulently obtaining the
office.” Nadler said he has still not deter-
Michael Cohen, lawyers with the U.S.
mined whether the charges, even though
Attorney’s Office for the Southern District
they could be the basis for impeachment, are
of New York wrote that in the final weeks
important enough to actually go forward, at
of the 2016 campaign, candidate Trump
least yet.
directed Cohen to pay off Stormy Daniels
Nadler’s public caution is understand-
and Karen McDougal, who wanted money
to keep quiet about sexual dalliances. While able; his committee will have the responsi-
bility of starting the impeachment process, if
such arrangements are legal, prosecu-
tors argued that since the payoffs occurred
that is what Democratic leaders decide. But
during the campaign, they were violations
the fact is, a number of Democrats clearly
of campaign finance laws.
believe they already have enough
evidence to impeach.
Cohen, who is cooperating
One significant problem could
because prosecutors nailed him for
be that the campaign finance
tax evasion and bank fraud in his
charge against the president is a
private business, pleaded guilty to
pretty iffy case. Back in 2010,
two felony campaign finance viola-
tions. So no one has to talk about
the Justice Department accused
an “alleged” campaign finance
2008 presidential candidate John
scheme; there’s already a guilty
Edwards of a similar scheme —
B yron
an alleged campaign finance vio-
plea. But what was really signif-
y ork
icant about the sentencing memo
lation based on a payoff to a
COMMENT
was that prosecutors specifically
woman with whom Edwards had
had an affair (and a child).
said Trump told Cohen to do it.
President Trump would point out that
“With respect to both payments, Cohen
acted with the intent to influence the 2016 the accusation against him differs in at
presidential election,” prosecutors said. “He least one key respect from Edwards. Pros-
acted in coordination with and at the direc- ecutors accused Edwards of raising donor
tion of (Trump).”
money to pay off the woman. Trump used
Those words caused a sudden shift in his own money, which even the byzantine
the debate over investigating the presi- and restrictive campaign finance laws give
dent. What had been a two-year-long con- candidates a lot of freedom to use in unlim-
versation about Trump and Russia instantly ited amounts.
But the political reality is, it doesn’t
became a conversation about Trump and
really matter if it is a weak case. And it
campaign finance.
“Prosecutors are now implicating the doesn’t matter if Trump himself has not
president in at least two felonies,” said CNN. been indicted, or even that a sitting presi-
“Federal prosecutors in New York say dent cannot be indicted. Because now, Dem-
that President Trump directed Michael ocrats can say, “The Justice Department has
Cohen to commit two felonies,” said NBC’s implicated the president in two felonies.
Two felonies. TWO FELONIES!”
Chuck Todd.
The last few days have seen a big pivot
And so on.
“There’s a very real prospect that on the in the campaign against Donald Trump. For
day Donald Trump leaves office, the Justice two-plus years, it was Russia, Russia, Rus-
Department may indict him, that he may be sia. But despite various revelations in the
the first president in quite some time to face Russia probe, the case for collusion remains
the real prospect of jail time,” said Demo- as sketchy as ever. Now, though, prosecutors
cratic Rep. Adam Schiff, who will become in the Southern District of New York have
chairman of the House Intelligence Com- given Democrats a new weapon against the
mittee next month.
president. Look for them to use it.

Jerrold Nadler, the Democrat who will
Byron York is chief political correspon-
chair the House Judiciary Committee, said
the campaign finance charges “would be dent for The Washington Examiner.
The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words or less on public issues and public policies for
publication in the newspaper and on our website. The newspaper reserves the right to withhold letters
that address concerns about individual services and products or letters that infringe on the rights of
private citizens. Letters must be signed by the author and include the city of residence and a daytime
phone number. The phone number will not be published. Unsigned letters will not be published.
Send letters to managing
editor Daniel Wattenburger,
211 S.E. Byers Ave.
Pendleton, OR 9780, or email
editor@eastoregonian.com.