Getting the HINI Flu Shot & Healthcare

It’s pretty frightening if you start thinking about what might happen if we had a bioterrorist attack and the entire population needed to be innoculated quickly.
It wouldn’t happen in a planned and orderly manner.
Those with power and connections would receive the immunization, and those without…well, it would depend on the county they live in.
We’re pretty lucky to live in Anne Arundel County with a Health Department that uses reasonable common sense.
Rather than making people stand in line, they advertise when innoculations are available and invite citizens to make appointments or limit the clinic to a specific target group. This week on Tuesday November 17th, the Health Department will be giving the shots to babies free of charge between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
In this instance it will be a walk-in clinic, a H1N1 flu shot clinic for babies and toddlers (6 months to 35 months old) in the Lower Level Conference Room of the Health Services Building, 3 Harry S. Truman Parkway in Annapolis. Appointments are not required for the Baby and Toddler H1N1 Flu Shot Clinic
No other age group will be vaccinated at the clinic. As the Department of Health receives more H1N1 flu vaccine, more clinics will be scheduled for targeted priority groups.
Last month I scheduled an appointment for my 16 year-old to receive the flu-mist innoculation which was available. I repeated dialed into the Health Department appointment phone line until I got through, while doing other work at my desk. I feel sad for all those people who stand in line for hours in other parts of the country, trying to get a a flu innoculation. It does, however, provide all of us who see those long lines waiting for shots as well as those waiting for free health check-ups that are being offered around the country with a sense of the turmoil our health provider system is currently experiencing. While many vocal individuals seem strongly opposed to some kind of national healthcare safety net for those of us under the age of 65, it is evident that our system is not working for many Americans.
What do you think? Comments….
Re: The H1N1 Flu Shot—
The priority groups, currently recommended by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for the H1N1 flu vaccine are: pregnant women; people who live with or provide care for infants less than 6 months old; health care and emergency medical services personnel; people 6 months through 24 years old; and people aged 25-64 who have chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.
Currently the H1N1 flu virus is considered to be widespread in Maryland, as well as in Anne Arundel County. More than 30 cases of H1N1 flu have been confirmed positive in Anne Arundel County. The actual number of reported cases does not reflect the extent of spread in the County because many people recover without needing medical care.