GOP Leaders Criticize S.C. Organization

[Rose Siding]

COLUMBIA, S.C. - A federally funded group that promised flu shots on Election Day in six of South Carolina's poorest counties has drawn criticism from Republican leaders

Carolina Medical Review sent a bulk mailing earlier this month that said, "flu shots will be given in your county on Election Day. ... You don't have to vote to get a vaccine, and you don't have to get a vaccine to vote."

Four days later, news broke that British regulators had shut down a major supplier of the vaccine, cutting the U.S. supply of flu shots in half. Now, the Columbia-based group can't deliver on its Election-Day program.
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Carolina Medical Review said the mailing was not politically motivated and was sent to areas with low vaccination rates based on federal health data. Spokeswoman Diana Zona said the organization has no political leanings.

But Republicans note the Democratic leanings in some of the targeted counties. South Carolina voted for President Bush (news - web sites) in 2000 by 57 percent to 41 percent. Three of the counties — Allendale, Bamberg and Orangeburg — supported Gore by 60 percent or more and Bush carried nearby Calhoun County by just 153 votes. The other two counties were solidly in Bush's column

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&ncid=696&e=3&u=/ap/20041020/ap_on_el_pr/voting_flu_shot