David Corn: A Simple Plan to Deal with COVID-19: Free Flu Shots for All

[babylonsister]

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/09/a-simple-plan-to-deal-with-covid-19-free-flu-shots-for-all/


9 hours ago
A Simple Plan to Deal with COVID-19: Free Flu Shots for All
But so far Trump has not called for a comprehensive vaccination campaign.
David Corn


There is an amazingly simple and clever step that the US federal government could take to counter a possible COVID-19 surge this fall and winter: a national crash program for flu shots. So far, the Trump administration has not embarked on such a program.

snip//

“Offering a free flu shot to everyone is a no-brainer,” Bhadelia says. Yet she notes that “a lot of national health care is not national,” so there are plenty of cracks in the system. Low-income people without insurance, she adds, are often not aware of immunization programs that will provide a flu vaccination with no charge. And there are people in all income brackets who don’t see the need to get a shot.

As the nation heads into flu season with the deadly coronavirus pandemic still untamed, a comprehensive flu shot campaign that makes the vaccination available to all and that mounts wide-ranging and creative efforts to promote and distribute flu shots (door-to-door flu shot teams?) would be a straightforward way to address this double-threat and bolster a health care system still coping with COVID-19. It also could be something of a test run for what happens should a coronavirus vaccination be developed.

“We are all anticipating a stressful winter coming up,” Shaffner says. An extensive flu shot blitz could mitigate that: “It couldn’t be simpler. Just roll up your sleeves.” Funding for such a program would certainly be crucial. But this is largely a question of national leadership, Schaffner contends. Imagine if Trump said everyone should get a flu shot. “That would be very important,” Schaffner remarks. “That could have a huge effect. It’s the best thing that we can do.”

But as Trump has refused to embraced the basic steps necessary to contain the pandemic, he has also not yet demonstrated an interest in such an elementary and effective public health project. Could that be because of his antivax past? Whatever the cause, he is letting an opportunity slip by. As the COVID-19 death count approaches 200,000, Trump—and the nation—is running out of time to implement a damn easy way to assist an embattled health care system and to reduce suffering and death.

[doc03]

1. Correct me if I am wrong but I think everyone on Medicare and probably Medicaid can get a free

flu shot. I think that was part of the ACA (Obamacare).

[babylonsister]

2. Possibly, but there are a whole lot of people not involved in those programs. nt

[doc03]

3. True but people over 65 are more vulnerable. nt

[ananda]

4. I got my flu shot a week ago.

It was part of my free medicare wellness checkup.

The doctor said they want people to get it asap
because of Covid, so there won't be a problem
distinguishing between the two.

[Nay]

5. My doc said that, too -- get the shot right away. I wasn't to wait until October, when I

usually get it.