Sickening

22 October 2004


US Flu Shots for Congress; Elderly Go to Canada

Some are more equal than others. That is the big lesson this year from the mess the government and private industry have made of the influenza vaccine for this flu season. Old people have been standing in line for hours, day after day, hoping for a shot. And in many cases, they have been sent away without a dose of the vaccine. Some have even gone to Canada to get their shot. Meanwhile, there was enough for everyone, regardless of risk category, who works on Capitol Hill. In the military, the abbreviation is “RHIP,” rank has its privileges.

On average, some 10-20% of the population will get the flu every autumn and winter. And 36,000 in the US will die of it, mostly the elderly and the very young. In normal times, private manufacturers start to produce vaccine that they believe will be effective against the strains of the influenza virus that will be prevalent the following autumn and winter. The lead time is about 8 months.

Ten years ago, the government relied on 5 manufacturers. Now, Uncle Sam relies on just two. The reasons are economic. While there is some truth to the GOP argument that fears of lawsuits have kept some manufacturers’ interest low, the real problem is the waste involved in the process. A dose that isn’t sold is a loss to the manufacturer. And sometimes, manufacturers guess wrong about the strain of the virus, and sales drop farther as the vaccine is less effective. So, when Chiron’s plant in Liverpool, UK, produced unusable vaccine due to contamination, there was a genuine shortage -- not enough to go around for everyone who needs one regardless of price.

So in Montgomery County, Maryland, there was a lottery for the 800 doses it had on hand. Old folks in North Dakota are planning week-end trips to Winnipeg, Manitoba, for their shots (odd how the socialist medical system of the Great White North comes in so handy when Yankee capitalism fails to deliver). And the Moorestown Visiting Nurse Service in Pennsylvania is demanding proof that the person asking for the shot is actually in a high-risk group.

Meanwhile, Dr. John F. Eisold, the attending physician of the Capitol, urged everyone on the Hill to get their shot. There was no line outside his office – there was enough to go around there. Maybe they should be denied the vaccine until they vote on Evan Bayh’s (D-IN) Flu Protection Act, which would have the government buy all unused vaccine as a guarantee to producers. No one complains when the Army has left over bullets; why should they complain when there’s extra vaccine? And by the way, some military personnel may not get their flu vaccine either.

© Copyright 2004 by The Kensington Review, J. Myhre, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent.

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