Find A Flu Shot

Phoenix...

I saw that in the news yesterday about the price gouging and it really made me sick. I've never understood those who want to prey on others when they're at they're most vulnerable.

In King County (Seattle area) they have now put up a policy that if you give or receive a flu shot and you do not fall into one of the high-risk categories, you can fined and/or receive a jail sentence. It's kind of following a law that was passed in Oregon about a week ago.

It's hard to believe that in America we're having to put up with crap like this, isn't it?

Kristie...

I'm sorry you're not feeling well. I hope you feel better real soon.

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Hi, husker...

There has to be some way that you can get a flu shot. Maybe the doctors who are treating your leg can help you out - you certainly fit the criteria of a high-risk individual.

I'm sorry about the set-back with your leg. Please do what they tell you to do and everything you can to get yourself well...

Last December, my dad who was a diabetic fell and broke his leg below the knee. He'd had his other leg amputated below the knee many years before, so I think the doctors kept putting off the idea of amputating his leg - always sending him home to see if the bones would take and fuse together themselves. (Because he'd been diabetic for so long, his bones were too fragile to even consider surgery to pin them together.) This went on for quite some time. Anyway, to make a long story shorter, one night my mom was awakened by his thrashing around in his sleep so she called 911. He'd been at the hospital earlier in the day so they could check his leg again. In the time between his appointment and when he woke my mom up, his leg had become infected around the area of the break, and within a few short hours, the infection had become systemic. They tried stopping it with massive doses of IV antibiotics and also by totally freezing the leg (an old technique used as a last resort, and it was frozen as hard as a rock). That only worked for about a day at which time they ended up amputating his leg about as far up as you can go...he live for less than 24 hours after that. I have never seen anything take over a person's body as quickly as that infection did. I thought of my dad when Christopher Reeves died. Everything sounded so familiar...

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Matrix500 wrote:

In King County (Seattle area) they have now put up a policy that if you give or receive a flu shot and you do not fall into one of the high-risk categories, you can fined and/or receive a jail sentence. It's kind of following a law that was passed in Oregon about a week ago.

And that's legal, I mean according to the constitution(s), federal and state laws? Shocked

And noone demonstrates against that? Shocked

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Walter Hinteler wrote:

Matrix500 wrote:
In King County (Seattle area) they have now put up a policy that if you give or receive a flu shot and you do not fall into one of the high-risk categories, you can fined and/or receive a jail sentence. It's kind of following a law that was passed in Oregon about a week ago.

And that's legal, I mean according to the constitution(s), federal and state laws?
And noone demonstrates against that?

You might be amazed what County, City, Town, Township, Village, etc governments get away with passing for ordinances. They can pretty much do ANYTHING they want until someone is convicted and then wins the appeal. Even after a State Supreme Court rules that a statute is unlawful, it is up to legislation to change it, and they might drag their feet forever. It's the most ridiculous example of organization you can imagine. One hand seldom knows what the other 25 hands are up to. Just in law enforcement, jurisdictions can overlap a half dozen times in one tiny burg with only 1,000 residents. Laws are seldom ever repealed... they just overwrite them instead. A couple years ago a prisoner getting out o prison demanded the "new suit, fresh horse, Winchester rifle and along with the money" that the local law said he was entitled to (the court agreed with him and ordered that he be given everything but the Winchester rifle. Laughing

This I doubt will even be challenged though. It seems like a reasonable measure to me. That's why I started this thread. :wink:

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Here's a recent story from the Seattle Times re the flu shot order:

Quote:

And, here's an article re the same thing from a Portland, OR T.V. station;

Quote:

State To Allow Only High-Risk People To Get Flu Shots
Violators Could Be Fined $500
http://www.koin.com/health/headlines.asp?RECORD_KEY[headlines]=ID&ID%5Bheadlines%5D=1205

Walter...

aparently it is a Washington state law, although a rarely used one, but in this instance it's probably the only thing that can be done to help insure that those who are at the highest risk of dying from the flu at least have a chance to get a shot.

There are people who are not at high risk who haven't been allowed to have the shot and who are understandably disappointed, but I think for the most part they have been gracious about it. The ones who I see in the news who are feeling a sense of panic about not being able to even find a flu shot clinic that's still open are the ones who are at highest risk of complications from the flu and my heart really goes out to them. I felt that sense of an almost panic last weekend when I tried to find a flu shot clinic to take my diabetic daughter to. I had to call numerous clinics before I finally found one that was still going to be open for business and it was quite a distance from where I live. She still had to wait in line for over 2 hours before getting her shot, but at least she got one.

Tonight during the presidential debate, Bush and Kerry were asked about the flu shot shortage and how it could have possibly been allowed to happen and what could have been done to prevent it...Bush only blamed the contamination at the Chiron lab, and only briefly talked about new ways to produce vaccines in the future and never once mentioned anything about maybe next time ordering flu vaccine from more than one or two distributers. He also said that his administration was working to see if they could get any extra flu vaccine from Canada if they have any...odd, since the administration doesn't believe that getting prescription drugs from Canada is a safe thing to do... Rolling Eyes

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Thanks for your infos.

Today, there's an advert in our local paper (as always, I proudly quote it's name: "Der Patriot" = "The Patriot" :wink: ), where a local pharmacy and a couple of doctors in the same building

http://www.vitanet.de/media/img/108618879686185740/sued.jpeg

(from dermatologist over general practiciser and gynaecologist to orthopaedist) offer a "free-flu-shut-without-waiting-service": you just have to show your health insurance card.

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Your welcome, Walter.
In years past, that's all we've had to do to get a flu shot from one of our G.P.'s or specialists, is show our health insurance card and they would give us the shot and bill the insurance company and we wouldn't even need to pay a co-pay. And, it would have been the same this year if not for the mess "somebody's" gotten us into. Of course, unlike where you live, that's a benefit that those of us who have pretty good health insurance coverage have. There are a lot of other people out there who aren't so lucky - but I think that's why it's become so popular to find the flu shots being given in grocery stores and pharmacies, etc., in the past few years. It's actually more convenient to do it that way - you know, without having to make an appointment.

This year my son is one of the uninsured for the first time. He just graduated from a University and hasn't started Graduate School, yet, so I'm just hoping he doesn't get sick. Doctors and medications are incredibly expensive if you don't have insurance. He did catch some kind of respiratory illness a couple of months ago and had to go to his doctor for it. The visit alone was pretty expensive, even though the doctor discounted it for him and luckily he gave my son enough samples of one of the top of the line antibiotics so that he/we didn't have to go buy them on our own. Something really needs to be done in this country to even out the medical system for everyone.

BTW...I like the building in the picture.

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Matrix500 wrote:

BTW...I like the building in the picture.

It's one of those modernised 1950's buildings, stretches round the corner as well. Nicely done, I agree.

And I keep my fingers crossed re your son!

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Thanks, Walter! Very Happy

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From CNN:

Quote:

HHS: More Flu Shots From Abroad Unlikely

Thursday, October 14, 2004 Posted: 3:46 PM EDT (1946 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Don't expect imports of flu shots from Canada or other countries to ease the crippling shortage, the nation's health secretary cautioned Thursday.
The only way," Thompson said, is if foreign supplies met certain conditions that might allow some to be offered as experimental vaccine. But even that determination could take too long to help.

"It doesn't look promising," he said.

Thompson's comments came after President Bush suggested during Wednesday's presidential debate that Canadian supplies might ease the vaccine shortage. "We're working with Canada to hopefully ... help us realize the vaccine necessary to make sure our citizens have got flu vaccinations during this upcoming season," Bush said.

The president made those comments even though his administration has fought municipalities' efforts to import cheaper medications from Canada, questioning the drugs' safety.

There's more here:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/10/14/flu.vaccine.ap/index.html

I just don't get it! There are retirement and nursing homes all over the U.S. that will probably not receive any flu vaccine this year and the administration won't use the vaccine that they use in Canada - why don't they ask these elderly people if they would be willing to use the vaccine from Canada? This is just so maddening, embarrassing, whatever, that the Bush administration would rather let a lot of these people just die instead of allowing them to take a vaccine from one of our closest neighbors and allies. This is just unreal!

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I was looking at the CNN website a short time ago, and there was a promo on their homepage for the show Wolf Blitzer Reports, and this is one of the things that will be discussed on his show today:

Quote:

The Bioterror Threat
Friday, October 15, 2004

The flu vaccine shortage prompts Wolf to examine U.S. preparedness for a possible bioterror attack. Tune in at 5 p.m. ET.

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/wolf.blitzer.reports

I guess it's just another way to look at this fine mess that we now find ourselves in the midst of.

Is this where I insert something like, "Have a nice day"? :wink:

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THANK YOU, CANADA !!!

Quote:

Need A Flu Shot? Head North

October 15, 2004

By Kim Riemland
http://www.komotv.com/stories/33537.htm

SEATTLE - The line at a Seattle Costco flu shot clinic stretched out the door Friday morning.

Elsewhere in the country, people lined up before sunrise, some in wheelchairs, and others with oxygen tanks in tow. They were all hoping to get a coveted flu shot, but many of them never got one.

"It's terrible," said Frances Cox who brought her mother to a flu shot clinic. "It's a bad state of thing that these old people, these older people who have done so much for us have to stand out here in the cold weather, then get sent home with nothing."

It gets worse.

One woman in California collapsed and died after waiting in line for five hours.

It's gotten downright ridiculous trying to get a flu shot in this country and that's why some are looking elsewhere.

There is no vaccine shortage in Canada. A health care clinic at Vancouver International Airport is beginning to see a brisk business.

"We had a flu shot clinic yesterday, we actually gave 80 flu shots yesterday," said Dr. Videsh Kapoor. "Since we sort of heard there is a shortage I anticipate we will see a lot of Americans coming in for flu shots."

Bill Brestal flew into Vancouver International from Missouri, not for a connecting flight, but for something he can't get at home.

"My son's going hunting so I came up with him to get a flu shot because they don't have it down in the states," he explained. "The only thing we've got is from England and we are out of supply."

Canadian health officials expect to see a lot of their American neighbors crossing the border for flu shots.

"If there are Americans that are visiting Canada that wish to avail themselves of a flu vaccine while they are here, then I'm sure our health care workers will accommodate them. But we will also try and make sure there is not a shortage for British Columbians," said British Columbia's health minister Colin Hansen.

At this point Hansen isn't worried they'll run out of vaccine.

In the last presidential debate, President George W. Bush suggested the U.S. might be able to get surplus flu vaccine from Canada. But Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson says that's unlikely because it's not licensed for sale in the U.S.

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Got the shot - was at Costco at 4:30am - for the 10:00am to 12:00am session. 200 shot available. At 4:30 in the morning I was #8 there were people there at 3:30am. I was the youngest person in the first 50 people I think. But right now I have 3 of the criteria for getting a shot, no one gave me ahard time - but rather he had a nice time talking and all - there was one guy (John) there 75yrs young was a real comedian - I think he missed his calling.

The nurse mentioned that the media caused to much panic, there was enough normal supply through about 11/15/04 before the media got involved. And caused the abnormal demand.

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Alright, husker...!

Glad you got the shot.

btw...How's your leg doing?

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husker- I am so glad!

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Me too, you don't need the flu.

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More - from NYT:

With Few Suppliers of Flu Shots, Shortage Was Long in Making
By DENISE GRADY

Published: October 17, 2004

his article was reported by Denise Grady, Lizette Alvarez, Gardiner Harris and Andrew Pollack and was written by Ms. Grady.

Scene by disheartening scene, the spectacle of a severe shortage of flu vaccine is unfolding around the country.

Last week, elderly and chronically ill people waited in line for hours to get flu shots; some were turned away. One died, after hitting her head when she passed out or fell while waiting. Price gougers demanded $800 for $60 vials of vaccine. States threatened to fine or jail doctors and nurses who gave shots to anyone not in the high-risk groups. Congress, the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission began investigations into how the nation has been left, on the brink of flu season, with half the flu vaccine it needs.

Advertisement

The shortage caught many Americans by surprise, but it followed decades of warnings from health experts who said the nation's system for vaccine supply and distribution was growing increasingly fragile.

"We're in the middle of a crisis that could have been averted,'' said Dr. Irwin Redlener, associate dean of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University and director of its national center for disaster preparedness.

In particular, public health experts have long cautioned against the country's dependence on a few vaccine makers, and yet this has become standard practice. There are now only two major manufacturers for the nation's supply of flu vaccine, and at least a half-dozen other vaccines are made by single suppliers. Britain, by contrast, has spread its order for flu vaccines among five suppliers, precisely to avoid the kind of predicament America now faces.

In recent years there have been many significant disruptions of vaccine supplies. Between November 2000 and May 2003, there were shortages of 8 of the 11 vaccines for childhood diseases in the United States, including those for tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, measles, mumps and chicken pox. There have been flu vaccine shortages or miscues for four consecutive years.

In recent decades, many drug companies in the United States abandoned the manufacture of vaccines, saying that they were expensive to make, underpriced and not profitable enough. Flu vaccine can be a particular gamble, because the demand for it varies from year to year and companies throw away what they do not sell because a new vaccine must be made each year to deal with changing strains of the virus. Some companies dropped out because of lawsuits, and others because they determined that it would not pay to retool aging vaccine plants to meet regulatory standards....

Full story: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/17/health/17flu2.html?oref=login&th

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In Germany, we get the flu vaccine from at least 8 (eight) different producers - registered are a couple more.

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Walter- The population of the US is over 4 times that of Germany. I think that difference makes for a much more complex problem over here.

Anyway, the powers-that-be need to develop a more efficient plan for a stable vaccine supply, or Americans are going to be in BIG trouble!

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You mean, those producers (like Solvay, SmithKline Beecham, Chiron Behring, Aventis Pasteur etc) don't sell in large numbers?

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