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CBC News Health H1N1 overplayed by media public health MDsskip to main content (press enter)Current WeatherCharlottetownChange weather location1C Clear CBC Global Header NavigationCBCca News news drop down menu Sports sports drop down menu Radio radio drop down menu TV tv drop down menu My Region drop down menu More drop down menu Watch drop down menu Listen drop down menu Search CBCca Submit Search Sign Up Log In HealthHome World Canada BC Calgary Edmonton Saskatchewan Manitoba Thunder Bay Sudbury Windsor Toronto Ottawa Montreal NB PEI NS NL North Politics Health Arts & Entertainment Music Film Television Books Media Art & Design Theatre Technology & Science Money Consumer Life Diversions Weather Your Voice REPUBLISH EMAIL PRINT Text Size S M L XL REPORT TYPO SEND YOUR FEEDBACK H1N1 overplayed by media public health MDsLast Updated Friday November 6 2009 517 PM ET Comments847Recommend702CBC News It amazes me that Evans death has captured a nation trying to find answers to a disease that is currently wearing the face of our beautiful son his father Paul Frustaglio said in his eulogy for the 13yearold Toronto boy (Facebook)Public health officials and journalists have overstated the importance of the swine flu a former Ontario chief medical officer of health saysDr Richard Schabas chief medical officer of health for Hastings and Prince Edward Counties in eastern Ontario said the H1N1 influenza outbreak needs to be put into proper perspectiveAbout 200000 people die in Canada every year from all causes combined including about 4000 from seasonal fluBy the time all the dust has settled on H1N1 somewhere between 200 and 300 people will have died in this country Schabas said Thursday during a panel on media coverage of H1N1 on CBC News The NationalSchabas criticized the media for not trying to put the story into perspective and for being a little too easy to spin sometimes by public health officialsIm not letting the media off the hook totally but I think the real villains of the piece here have been those public health officials who have consistently overplayed and overstated the importance of what is happening he saidBy the time all is said and done this is not a major public health event but youd never know that from what some people are saying13yearolds deathThe panel also looked at the frontpage coverage given to the death of Evan Frustaglio a 13yearold hockey player from Toronto Evan died on the eve of the H1N1 vaccine becoming available and demand for the vaccine jumped overnight catching health officials by surpriseIt was very clear when we were reporting the lines that most of the people in there did say We came because we saw the story about that little boy CBC reporter Ioanna Roumeliotis saidEvans death and his grieving fathers plea to parents to consider vaccinating their children was a tremendous human i...