3 countries - 3 flu vaccine situations

[Chemisse]

Ok, I have no links for this, but I was talking to my friends on line this morning about how available the H1N1 vaccine is.

My friend in DC said there is quite a shortage, and that poor, elderly people are being charged $75 each for the vaccine. She is so disturbed by this, she is thinking of starting a fundraiser.

In Canada the vaccine is free but is similarly hard to come by.

In Scotland, the vaccine is free (via the British healthcare system) and readily available to all who ask for it. Apparently they ordered and received an adequate supply.

[BrklynLiberal]

1. but...but...but... I thought the US had the BEST medical care in the world!!?????

[Louisiana1976]

2. It's the best that money can buy....

[hlthe2b]

3. NO ONE can charge for the H1N1 vaccine in US...

It is government purchased and there are criminal penalties. THey can charge a moderate administration fee (around $20) but public health departments have to wave that fee if they can not afford and providers are encouraged to do so as well.

Now, you may well be referring to seasonal flu vaccine, especially since you are referring to elderly... There are some shortages of seasonal in addition to those involving H1N1. And, yes, providers can charge for seasonal flu vaccine since it is not a tax payer provided supply in most, but not all cases.

Please do not post such rumor-filled and fact-free information. You do others a big disservice.

[TZ]

5. Thank you

Even the seasonal shot is no more than 25 dollars. I'm sick of this rumor mongering

[TZ]

4. Bullshit on the pricing At most the vaccine is $20

I should know as my employer manufacturers it. And it's short because it grows VERY slow in the eggs (much more than seasonal flu) and demand has been higher than expected. Oh and I live in the DC area and there are a lot of FREE clinics for people in high risk groups given by local govts. Your source is full of shit in other words

[jwirr]

6. Poor elderly - would have health care coverage under Medicare.

If this is true then it would mean that Medicare is refusing to pay for this vaccine. I do not think it is true.

[uppityperson]

7. Here in WA hini vx was free last week.

[kedrys]

8. I don't know about western Canada, but

in Montreal, things started a little bit scrappy, then the city came up with a ticket system so that people wouldn't have to stand in line for hours. People at risk are getting the shot first, with vaccines becoming available to healthy adults in the general population on December 7. The situation has tidied up quite a bit since the shots became available - and yes, they are free.

[barbtries]

9. i'm in NC

and got it for my son for $10 at kroger's. but i know our timing was lucky, we showed up and they had it. it wasn't going to last through the day. also, i couldn't get it because i'm not on any priority list.

[virgogal]

10. The DC story stinks to high heaven.

[Igel]

11. DC story sounds fishy.

Assuming there are differences in availability, it might just be because they did a better job of ordering and listening to the caveats that the manufacturers issued.

Part might also be due to the single-dose/multi-dose vial issue. It's easier and faster to produce multi-dose vials. Australia and the UK mostly obtained multi-dose vials, with instructions to use the contents after opening even if the people available for injection don't meet the guidelines. Better to use it than discard it. The US ordered a lot of single-use vials and that would reduce what we'd get. Why is a mystery. One bit of speculation is that it was woo-woo in origin--multi-use vials contain thimerosal, single-use vials do not.

Part also might be demand. If you have 100 doses and 80 people show up, everybody gets some. If you have 100 doses and 200 people show up, you have rationing. I have no knowledge, but also see no reason to assume equivalent demand in the US and Scotland (hell, demand isn't uniform across the US).

The vaccine is also free in the US; it's bought and paid for by the US government. It's distributed for free with the stipulation that the end user not be charged for the vaccine. Public health clinics may administer the vaccine for free. Others can charge a fee for the administration, not for the vaccine itself.

[Chemisse]

12. Sorry about the DC story

In light of what you-all have said, it does sound fishy.

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. FWIW, in Scotland, the vaccine is still just being given to priority groups

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/health/AvianInfluenza/mexicanswiuneflu/mexicanswinefluQandA/vaccination/who

though in later weeks it will be available to all.

And a couple of weeks ago, the programme was said to be rather chaotic: http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/topstories/Swine-flu-vaccine-jabs-hit.5764206.jp