Swine flu - listen to the experts

THIS week saw the start of the swine flu vaccination programme in the Borders.
It came just two days ahead of the funeral of the young local teenage mum-to-be who died in the Borders General Hospital as a result of the virus.
While experts say that the majority of those unfortunate enough to contract swine flu will experience only mild symptoms and make a quick recovery, the illness can cause serious problems for those with underlying existing health issues.
Although there have been some concerns raised over the new vaccine, experts insist it is safe and NHS Borders is right to urge all those in the health priority groups, including pregnant women, to take up the offer of the jab when it comes.
So far just over 100 people with swine flu have died in the UK (two in the Borders) out of about 500,000 who have been infected. But we are now coming into traditional peak flu season and it is vital that people not only observe strict hygiene procedures but take up the vaccination offer promptly.
It is also important that nurses and other medical staff set an example by getting vaccinated. In the fight against the pandemic, they are the frontline of our defence and over the next few months they have to try to remain fit and healthy to help care for and protect the rest of us.
As well as taking up the vaccination offers, we need to do what we can to try to avoid adding to the workload of medical staff who will be even more hard-pressed if the pandemic takes off.
So please exercise common sense when it comes to basic hygiene measures and listen to advice issued by NHS Borders.

Mirror, mascara, manoeuvre

ALMOST one fifth of women admit they have put on make up whilst driving, putting themselves and other road users at risk, a new poll has revealed.
Women’s car insurance specialist, Diamond quizzed more than 4,000 women on their driving habits and discovered surprisingly high numbers of them take unnecessary risks by applying their make up behind the wheel.
18% of the women questioned said they had have applied make up while driving, while more than 3% said they had also crashed their car as a result of it.
Diamond managing director, Sian Lewis said, “It’s worrying that quite so many women admit to this. With more than 15 million women drivers in the UK*, this could be as many as 2.7 million women regularly applying their make up whilst driving on UK roads.
“We all have busy lives but applying your make up when you’re driving means your full attention is not on the road ahead. Is your mascara more important than yours and other road users’ safety? Even if you’re lucky enough to arrive at your destination safely, you could be charged with careless driving if spotted by the police.”

Credit where credit is due

ALL too often we are prepared to criticise our NHS but rarely to we praise them.
I just thought I would take this opportunity to say what a good service we get here in Berwickshire from NHS Borders. They are indeed impressive in terms of their waiting lists performance - they are well within Government guidelines and were described as "extremely impressive" in their recent annual review.
On a personal note, any dealings I have had with NHS Borders of late have left me full of praise for them so well done and keep up the good work.

Extreme lengths

WANNABE home-owners are going to extreme lengths to raise money to buy their first home according to new research.
The survey found that 24 per cent of all Scots admitted to gambling in an attempt to fund a house deposit, compared to just 16 per cent across the whole of England and Wales.
One in four people who are considering purchasing their first property say they would undergo clinical trials to save money – equivalent to over a million people across the UK. Meanwhile an astonishing seven per cent of people in the UK who are looking to buy their first home say they would consider selling a major organ – equivalent to the population of Iceland (300,000)!

Should Burley stay or go?

DEFEAT by the Netherlands at Hampden on Wednesday night was the final blow to Scotland's World Cup 2010 campaign.
George Burley's team finished third in Group Nine behind the Netherlands and Norway and so failed to stay in the running for a play-off place.
In modern football, the manager is generally where the buck stops and Burley is due to meet with his Scottish Football Association bosses next week to discuss the way forward for the national team.
Since taking over in January 2008, Burley has won three games from a possible 12, although there have been shoots of recovery in the final group matches against Macedonia and the Netherlands.
I pose the question - should Burley stay or go? Let us know you views.

Wuff justice!

LOVE thy neighbour – unless they own a pet.
New research shows that a fifth of people have fallen out with their neighbours following an argument about their cat or dog.
This means that 4.3million UK households find their neighbour’s pets a constant source of annoyance.
The poll of 3,000 homeowners, conducted by Esure, reveals 37 per cent of Brits have been kept awake at night due to the loud barking of the neighbour’s dog.
Sixteen per cent have complained to the neighbours about the noise of the dog, and seven per cent have been so aggravated they phoned the RSPCA or police.
The nation’s pooches are also responsible for scaring 12 per cent of children, who are terrified to walk out of their front door in case they come face to face with next door’s dog.
As a result, six per cent of homeowners claim to have reported the offending pet to the police after fearing for their family’s safety.
And 11 per cent of dogs have been blamed for chewing up plants, toys and garden possessions.
But dogs aren’t the only offending pets, as neighbouring cats also cause problems for homeowners.
A third of people have returned home to find next-door’s cat sleeping happily in their house, after getting in through their cat flap or open window.
Cats are also guilty of digging up nine per cent of the nation’s gardens, simply to go to the toilet.
TOP 10 PET ANNOYANCES
1. Barking dogs
2. Cats or dogs fowling in the garden
3. Cats or dogs howling in the night
4. Aggressive dogs
5. Cats fighting
6. Bad smell of dirty pets
7. Whining cats
8. Cats bringing dead animals into the house or garden
9. Trespassing cats and dogs
10. Damage to property

Sports pitches for Duns

AT long last it seems that Duns is to have rugby and football pitches in the town.
The latest amendments to the Local Plan reveal that both Duns Rugby Club and Duns Amateur Football Club are to get pitches at the old Berwickshire High School. Currenly Duns RFC have to play outwith the town at The Hardens while the football club play two miles away at Gavinton.
This can only be good news for both clubs and hopefully they will go from strength to strength an attract more supporters to their weekend matches.