Flu Vaccine

[reeb]

Just how in the heck can a Country as big as ours, and plentiful resouces run low or out of the Flu Vaccine ?

Dont make any darn sense to me....

enough.........

[1CAVCCO15MED]

Money. The drug companies want to make a profit so they only made how much was used last year. Unsold vaccine cuts into the profits. And a shortage this year will probably increase demand next year so they will sell more.

[reeb]

But KIDS are dying pretty fast from lack of the shot, especially Colorado.

enough.......

[David]

I read earlier today that about 1/8 of the supply went unsold last year so they adjusted for supply and demand. The strain killing people is not even spliced into this years vaccine so the quantity would not have mattered anyway.

[1CAVCCO15MED]

Even if it is not the same strain, getting a flu shot decreases the severity. There is no more being made but there is still quite a bit out there in the pipeline. I did hear something about the US buying more flu vaccine from France. Now there's a good motto: "Take a flu shot, allow a Frenchman to get the flu". LOL

[SEATJERKER]

....do not believe in vacinations after the earlier ones I recieved,...

...haven't had a "shot" since leaving the military for the flu, etc,...

...I believe in strenghing the body by just plain "eating right", work hard, sweat it out, refuel, work hard, sweat it out,...

...wash the kids hands when they come home, everyone out there is a germ carrier, and I don't mean going to excess, just simple cleaning, and "disinfecting" wards off the "FLU",...

..."guard your air",...

...

[revwardoc]

Corporate America couldn't care less about anyone in this country, never mind the welfare of children. All they care about is the bottom line and if it's written black, then everything is fine. If it's not, then they put people out of work.

[Keith_Hixson]

I had the flu about 3 weeks ago. Sick in bed three days.
The Doc told me that vaccination prepared for this year by the flu companies doesn't cover the strain that hit. He said there are thousands of strains of the flu. Some mild and some very serious. Through computer programming they try to guess which strain will hit and prepare for that paticular strain or strains. They didn't sell about an eighth of the vaccine last year. And they also guessed wrong so the shot this year won't do anyone much good.

Back in 1918 my Father had the flu that was killing whole families like flies. He survived because of an unusual treatment by a country doctor. The Doc took and ice pick and shoved it into his lungs to drain off the fluid on the lungs. He said they took over quart of fluid off his lungs. His younger brother died who didn't get the treatment because the doctor hadn't thought of it yet.

My Doctor said it is the same strain of flu that hit back in 1917 - 20. These viruses just hang around and then pop up. One of the most dangerous strains ever of flu.

He told me that folks over 25 and younger than 55 aren't in much danger because they have lots of flu antibodies in their system from past cases of the flu. But older folks over 60 and kids younger than 20 are really vunerable to the flu.

Don't be to harsh on cooperate america. This is really a guessing game. According to my Doc.

He said I don't need a flu shot. You already had it. We had over 20 percent of our county down with the flu. Even closed the schools for a couple of days. We were fortunate, no deaths!

Keith

[SuperScout]

... and do a little of history review: who was it that wanted to socialize the medical-related part of our economy, and partially succeeded, by mandating (that's "made into law", for those of you in Rio Linda or in dimly lit rooms) that the feds be the supplier of vaccines. Twenty years ago, there were 20+ manufacturers of vaccines, but due to governmental control, over-regulation, and political meddling, there are only 5 providers today. By law, their profit margin is so low that they have opted out of the business. It's not the "greedy corporations" to blame, much as some might like to make them the perpetual whipping boy of all that's wrong with America. Check the voting record of the gracious and lovely junior senator from New York, better known as the Poster Child for Coyote Ugly, and see the role she played in the current shortage.

On a personal note, last flu "shot" I got was at Ft. Knox, in 1976, and it worked! Got the worst case of flu! Sir Seat's advice is well worth the time to read and heed!!

[MORTARDUDE]

Something sure smells about this "flu shot shortage". I read somewhere where there were 84 million doses available. No way have they given all of those. My wife and I and my two sons all had the flu at the same time in 1989 when we moved in our new house. How do I know it was the flu ? Well we were sick off and on for 2 weeks. Fever and vomiting. The whole nine yards. Most of us have been taking the flu shot since then, and I haven't had anything like that again. Just my experience.....

Larry