CALGARY -- It's the way of the world where everyone can have their 15 minutes of stupidity.

It's easy. You get just enough nutbars who get just enough coverage to make just enough noise so just enough individuals have just enough doubt.

So it is with the vaccine for H1N1.

Google away on the supposed horrors of the vaccine and, even thinking about the shot, you'll start feeling pains and imagining aches where you didn't know you had body parts and it will all be chalked up to a sinister plan of know-it-all docs and government control freaks to make bad things happen to good people.

Dr. Andre Corriveau, this province's chief medical officer of health, says the pandemic fight is serious business. The more folks who get the vaccination the bigger and better the impact on all of us.

"If we get enough people vaccinated, we'll cut this wave of H1N1 short and the next wave will be a lot shorter," says the doctor.

Fewer people getting the needle, more illness, more clogging up of the clogged-up health-care system.

Dr. Andre says the vaccine is better than the one for the seasonal flu.

It is perfectly matched to the virus.

The clinical studies show a very good response and, elsewhere in the world where they've begun using the vaccine, people are not dropping like flies.

He urges all of us to protect ourselves and those around us, especially those who we won't even know may be at higher risk. Still, the calls and letters keep coming. Beware the vaccine.

The doctor has seen it all before.

"I'm not a sociologist but every time we've introduced a new vaccine it means a crescendo from the anti-vaccine people and they are targeting this as the ultimate battle," says Dr. Andre.

"They're using it as a point to rally, to convince people all immunization is bad. It's the age of the Internet. It amplifies some of these fringe views. All I can say is try and weigh the credibility of one side versus the other."

That would take thinking.

The doc gives one little warning. This H1N1 needle is going to hurt more than the usual poke.

Rockin' Ron Liepert, the province's main man on the medical file, is getting an H1N1 shot but no pictures, please. "I don't handle needles well," says Ron. Who would have thunk it?

As for pressing ahead against the pandemic, he isn't squeamish.

"I don't think we should let our guard down," says Rockin' Ron, who rarely lets his guard down.

Speaking of letting their guard down, and just going off-topic a minute, word creeps out very late yesterday about the Tory members of the legislature gathering today and, so one whisperer tells me, heading out to a firing range to shoot off live rounds, and not at each other.

Camo gear is optional since I can't see the likes of Rob Renner, Ed's guru of green and a well-respected Medicine Hat florist, packing a lot of army gear. The group bang-bang is seen as team building. Nice. Talk is the next meeting might be held at Bass Pro Shops in the mall at Balzac surrounded by the stuffed animals who would raise the current level of discussion a tad.

Well, I can't complain. I did say I wanted the Tories to start fighting back. Then again, the thought of some of Ed's people carrying guns can bring on flu-like symptoms in a hurry.

Let's not joke. With this H1N1, Rockin' Ron is thinking about doing the fist bump instead of the handshake.

"I take the advice of doctors because I'm not a clinician. It's everything from the fist bump to the elbow to bowing. I guess my own personal view is that it may be extreme, but again, these are clinicians. They're trying to give us the best possible advice," he says.

"Maybe we should suck it up and listen. It's easier said than done. From the beginning of time we shook hands with each other. However there are traditions in the world that bow, well, maybe, we should try it."

OK, Ron shooting a gun? No problem. Bowing to reporters? Not so much.

RICK.BELL@SUNMEDIA.CA