vaccine shortage foreshadows future where healthcare is rationed?

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Would someone please tell me why it is necessary for TV news to fly helecopters over the people standing in line to get flu shots and take pictures. The only reason I can think of is to feed the hysteria and create more interest in the news.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

It's necessary--- for them to get ratings---but as a side-effect, it causes a real sense of hysteria. If you ask me, its' wrong and dangerous to do this. Imagine what will happen when a true threat like biologic or chemical weaponry is unleashed on us one day. And I did say "when" cause I think it will happen. How large a scale is anyone's guess but you can bet hysteria will be stirred up by our ever-present media at that point too.

I hope we learn some lessons from this flu vaccine dilemma, but I somehow doubt it.

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It's necessary--- for them to get ratings---but as a side-effect, it causes a real sense of hysteria. If you ask me, its' wrong and dangerous to do this. Imagine what will happen when a true threat like biologic or chemical weaponry is unleashed on us one day.
This irresponsible sensationalization of this minor health story is the moral and legal equivalent of shouting fire in a theater.
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Some thoughts I posted on my flu blog about this situation:

"Another twist on vaccine rationing As I've mentioned several times, when a scarce commodity is in demand, there's always going to be some means of determining who will get the commodity. Usually, prices are allowed to go up, and that helps sort out who should get the item in question.

Sometimes -- as is happening in this crisis -- bureaucrats will be called in to determine who will get it. In such situations, there is almost always corruption at hand, with the scarce item going to friends, family, political donors, etc. I have not yet seen any evidence of such corruption, but you can almost certainly count on it happening even as I write.

In this situation, a county's officials are using another method -- a lottery -- to determine who will get the vaccine. In other words, forbidding healthy adults from getting the vaccine has not reduced the number demand enough. Now we are seeing that even all those in the risk groups will not be getting the vaccine they are otherwise entitled to." (from 10/17)

"As supplies become tighter, count on this sort of thing happening more frequently. As I pointed out in an earlier post, in a situation such as we have right now, there will always be rationing, whether we call it that or not. And the rationing will become more intense.

What's the remedy for you personally? In such situations, personal contacts are the key. If you are well-connected with your physician, you are far more likely -- if you are in what are deemed the "high risk" groups -- to get a vaccine. North Carolina has now imposed misdemeanor charges against anyone giving the vaccine to someone not in the high risk group, so it's unlikely you can get it, even if you want to. But if you are elderly, chronically ill, or have a child who needs the shot, patient, persistent speaking to your physician and your physician's office staff will probably help you. Don't be a pest, but persist, and you may get what you need." (from 10/16)

"I'm getting questions from people (the most recent this morning) about how to get the vaccine. In the case this morning, a mother was seeking the vaccine for her baby, not quite a year old, and in the "at-risk" group which is -- by current rules -- "entitled" to a shot. The baby's doctor's office didn't have any of the vaccine left, and our county's health department has -- according to the mother -- 100 doses. (From a county with a population of close to 100,000).

I encouraged the mother to camp out at the health department when they have their open clinic for the shots. Still, she's unlikely to get a dose. Others will no doubt think the same thing.

The Mass. Public Health Director quoted in this article is being disingenuous when she says "it's not rationing." Of course it is. It's the very definition of rationing. And when there's a desired commodity in short supply, there will always be "rationing": either by price, or by bureaucratic fiat. As gasoline has become more expensive in the last few months, the rising price has encouraged drivers to cut back on driving, take public transportation, etc. In other words, they have reacted rationally to a rise in price.

In the current vaccine crisis, however, bureaucrats are threatening companies (suppliers, etc.) who attempt to respond to the crisis by raising their prices." (from 10/15)

"Is it wrong for suppliers to increase the cost of the vaccine when it's a limited supply good, with a high demand? Suppliers are being made to be the bad guys in this situation, when they are doing what any other goods supplier would do under the circumstances: increase the price. Increasing the price also serves as a stop to keep those with less need for the vaccine (e.g., healthy, young adults) from wanting the vaccine, when they might not need it so badly. In other words, would a price increase serve to alleviate the shortage? I don't think regulators are thinking this through from an economic standpoint." (from 10/14)

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Brilliant post, James. You are really thoughtful and thought-provoking! Thank you for your contribution here.

yes, oramar, I know the hype is wrong, the equivalent to shouting "fire" and all....but just TRY and silence the press huh.

Meantime, I just stocked up on zinc, multi-vitamins, vit c, alcohol wipes and hand sanitizer, (for home, for dh at work and for my purse)--- as well as cold/ flu meds for the dh, me and the kids. Also stocked up on tons of fruits and veggies and soups. And, thankfully, my kids are homeschooled, so the problem of being overcrowded in school is not a problem for us. I stay away from Walmart and the grocery stores during peak times when tons of people coughing/sneezing and NOT covering their mouths are likely to be present.

What more can we do? The flu is out there, but all we can do is boost our own immunities to fight it.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Some thoughts I posted on my flu blog about this situation:

"Another twist on vaccine rationing As I've mentioned several times, when a scarce commodity is in demand, there's always going to be some means of determining who will get the commodity. Usually, prices are allowed to go up, and that helps sort out who should get the item in question.

Sometimes -- as is happening in this crisis -- bureaucrats will be called in to determine who will get it. In such situations, there is almost always corruption at hand, with the scarce item going to friends, family, political donors, etc. I have not yet seen any evidence of such corruption, but you can almost certainly count on it happening even as I write.

In this situation, a county's officials are using another method -- a lottery -- to determine who will get the vaccine. In other words, forbidding healthy adults from getting the vaccine has not reduced the number demand enough. Now we are seeing that even all those in the risk groups will not be getting the vaccine they are otherwise entitled to." (from 10/17)

"As supplies become tighter, count on this sort of thing happening more frequently. As I pointed out in an earlier post, in a situation such as we have right now, there will always be rationing, whether we call it that or not. And the rationing will become more intense.

What's the remedy for you personally? In such situations, personal contacts are the key. If you are well-connected with your physician, you are far more likely -- if you are in what are deemed the "high risk" groups -- to get a vaccine. North Carolina has now imposed misdemeanor charges against anyone giving the vaccine to someone not in the high risk group, so it's unlikely you can get it, even if you want to. But if you are elderly, chronically ill, or have a child who needs the shot, patient, persistent speaking to your physician and your physician's office staff will probably help you. Don't be a pest, but persist, and you may get what you need." (from 10/16)

"I'm getting questions from people (the most recent this morning) about how to get the vaccine. In the case this morning, a mother was seeking the vaccine for her baby, not quite a year old, and in the "at-risk" group which is -- by current rules -- "entitled" to a shot. The baby's doctor's office didn't have any of the vaccine left, and our county's health department has -- according to the mother -- 100 doses. (From a county with a population of close to 100,000).

I encouraged the mother to camp out at the health department when they have their open clinic for the shots. Still, she's unlikely to get a dose. Others will no doubt think the same thing.

The Mass. Public Health Director quoted in this article is being disingenuous when she says "it's not rationing." Of course it is. It's the very definition of rationing. And when there's a desired commodity in short supply, there will always be "rationing": either by price, or by bureaucratic fiat. As gasoline has become more expensive in the last few months, the rising price has encouraged drivers to cut back on driving, take public transportation, etc. In other words, they have reacted rationally to a rise in price.

In the current vaccine crisis, however, bureaucrats are threatening companies (suppliers, etc.) who attempt to respond to the crisis by raising their prices." (from 10/15)

"Is it wrong for suppliers to increase the cost of the vaccine when it's a limited supply good, with a high demand? Suppliers are being made to be the bad guys in this situation, when they are doing what any other goods supplier would do under the circumstances: increase the price. Increasing the price also serves as a stop to keep those with less need for the vaccine (e.g., healthy, young adults) from wanting the vaccine, when they might not need it so badly. In other words, would a price increase serve to alleviate the shortage? I don't think regulators are thinking this through from an economic standpoint." (from 10/14)

NOW apply these thoughts to biological/chemical warfare breakout. So scary, huh? :uhoh21:

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Specializes in Geriatric Psych, Physicians office, OB,.

Hmm....there's apparently no shortage here in Arkansas. We've all had our flu vaccines already.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

It must be a regional thing. None to be found around here, except for elderly. Not even for health care workers most places.

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