No flu shot in Mass for my 90 year old mother with lung problems.

[Raven]

Nice, huh? She's on the priority list, obviously, and there are no flu shots for here anywhere...even at Mass General Hospital where her doctors are. We have looked everywhere and there is just no flu vaccine available.

I am pretty well convinced that she would not survuve a bout of the flu.

I hold Bush personally responsible for this.

[LisaM]

1. Can she get a pneumonia shot?

They were talking about this on the news last night - since older people with flu actually succumb to pneumonia rather than the flu itself, they were recommending that older patients be innoculated against pneumonia instead.

[Raven]

6. Good to hear that!!! She got that shot a few years ago.

It lasts 10 years I'm told. Thanks so much for that information, I will pass it on to the rest of my family.

[Bridget Burke]

12. She should get if, if she hasn't already.

It prevents pneumococcal pneumonia (& other nasty stuff caused by pneumococcus). And it's a one-time thing.

However, there are other organisms that cause pneumonia. It's still criminal that she can't get the flu vaccine.

[LeftyMom]

14. Be wary of that one

Prevnar (pneumococcal conjugate vaccine) is what my son had his bad reaction to. He was young and healthy.

[xultar]

2. Maybe Cheney can puke his up for her...can you believe it I'm sure

Bunker Cheney was first in line for his...pushing the elderly and children out of the way as he ran.

[MissB]

3. I'm so sorry Raven

Our most vulnerable citizens are the ones we're supposed to protect. Why does the Bush administration not get this?

[WI_DEM]

4. That is unbelievable!!

but in George W. Bush's America, actually it is very believeable.

[Raven]

9. I know. Should I tell her..."Mom, don't get sick...

the President said so." :eyes:

[kranich]

5. I feel bad for her

I had to get mine from Canada. Thankfully I know a Dr. from Toronto. I wouldn ot even get one but I work in facilities that require it.

[MuseRider]

7. That is just wrong

it should not be that way, she should have been one of the first. I agree with Lisa in one of the posts above. Get her a pneumonia shot. I believe they last for 2 years but check. If she got one last year check and see if it would hurt her to have another this year just to be certain. I am counting on my last years pneumonia shot to keep me out of trouble since I am also high risk but am not getting a flu shot. Only 50 years old here so I am taking my chances with it this year. Your mother should have one, this is just so wrong and I am sorry.

[Maple]

8. Can you make a quick trip to Canada?

We have busloads of Americans coming in for flu shots. Even a fast ferry so I understand.

[Raven]

11. I thought of that but she is too frail to make the trip from Boston.

We are just going to have to be very careful with her this winter.

[benburch]

10. Get her in the car and drive her to Canada.

That is probably your best bet.

[Shopaholic]

13. The Surgeon General toured the South this past weekend

(Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina) and promised that there was no problem and no need to panic. He said that beginning next month, that an additional 8 million doses of flu vaccine per month would be available for "everyone who needs it".

Okay, I'm one of those people who needs it. I'm on an immuno-suppression therapy for arthrits. I've been told that I'm high priority to get a shot but no one has any of the vaccine!

When I called our local health department and asked them when they'd be getting the flu vaccine in, as promised by the Surgeon General. I was told that not only are they NOT keeping a high priority list, that they do not expect to receive any additional vaccine AT ALL. I was then directed to the State Health Department. They also told me that despite what the Surgeon General had proclaimed that they absolutely do not expect to get any additional flu vaccine doses in my state.

Once again, the * government has lied to us. Big surprise there, right?

[annerevere]

15. That is reprehensible

Can you check neighboring towns? Might the internet be a solution (doing a google search and seeing what towns have vaccine that you could feasibly go to).

[SemiCharmedQuark]

16. My 74 y/o grandma turned away months ago for being "too early"

Now she can't get one at all.

[Minimus]

17. but haven't you heard? it is all John Edwards fault

I got this idiotic email at work today about the flu vaccine shortage, it was copied to several (I mean lots and lots) of email addresses so I hit Reply to All and forwarded the Snopes.com info debunking the stupidity.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/flushot.asp

I included a note to the sender (a RW coworker) that he should feel like an idiot for forwarding that email and he should check his facts next time.


I wish the best to your mother, I wish I could send her my dose. I'm a 40 year old with severe asthma and my doctor wants me to get the shot (I am supposed to every year) but I told her NO, there are too many that need it way more than I do.