Officials Reconsider Flu Vaccine Restriction:sufficient supply in most sts

[DeepModem Mom]

NY Times:

Officials Reconsider Flu Vaccine Restrictions
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: December 17, 2004


ATLANTA, Dec. 16 (AP) - Two months after the government recommended that scarce flu shots be reserved for people most at risk, health officials are now worried that tens of thousands of doses of the vaccine could go to waste, and they are considering easing the restrictions.

The furor over the vaccine shortage and the government's response to it have had an unintended effect. More than half of all elderly or chronically ill adults have not even tried to obtain flu shots because they thought they would not be able to get one, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for the centers plans to hold an emergency conference call on Friday to discuss whether to recommend that more people be allowed to get shots....

***

More than four out of five states report having sufficient supplies of flu shots, and the C.D.C. is asking health providers with surplus vaccine to turn it over to their states' health departments so it can be redistributed to those states with shortages, (C.D.C. director Dr. Julie Gerberding) said....


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/17/health/17flu.html

[Newsjock]

1. Follow the money trail

Someone is getting very, very rich off this, and following that trail is likely to lead to some very interesting connections.

[WCGreen]

2. Media hype caused the concern....

The government played into it

And the people just gave up or stood on line for hours......

[oscar111]

3. Surplus a lie? Long lines, many get nothing, here. A lie to rechannel shts

to private doctors? So the bush supporters can all get them?

Your area have a surplus?
=======================
PS the most bizzare story i have seen in a while.

[DeepModem Mom]

4. I know a Park Ave. NYC doctor who had no flu shots --

which really surprised me. His staff would tell people when they called about flu shots, to call George Bush! And then they would direct them to a public health facility in downtown Manhattan, where they waited in long lines. Of course, this is in NYC, and not the "heartland."

As you say, the story is bizarre --

[DeepModem Mom]

5. Kicking for those eligible for flu shots who haven't gotten them --

or who have eligible family: seems they're available in most states now.