We had dinner tonight with a friend who was visiting from the Netherlands.....

[marmar]

..... we walked into a CVS drugstore and he noticed a sign for flu shots, and he thought it was odd that a convenience store/pharmacy was offering flu shots.
He then asked if the government contracted with drugstores to give people the flu shots. We then told him that anyone could get the shot ..... for $25.
He then got a horrified, crestfallen look on his face. He understands that we don't have universal health coverage here, but he couldn't grasp that the government wouldn't offer free flu shots to everyone, given the potential impact on public health.

Then again, he hails from one of those places Michael Moore described in 'SiCKO': "They live in a world of 'we', not 'me'." ........ Sigh.

[Jamastiene]

1. God, we are such laughing stocks.

When will the rest of our citizenry evolve and quit being so backwards? Wake me up, then, will ya?

[virgogal]

2. There are free flu shots available through the health departments of

most cities and towns.

Mine was free.

[marmar]

3. No income pre-qualification?

I've never thought about the health department, but that makes sense.

[virgogal]

5. Not in my town and it's been that way for at least 10 years.

[MissMarple]

6. I've read that we can get them in El Paso County, Colorado. This is fundyland central.

It's a supply and demand thing, as well as public health. They have supply, we get the shots. Well, as best as our medical system allows.

And it seemed to be, earlier, on a need, vulnerability basis.

[jwirr]

8. So was mine although I gave them my insurance card if they wanted

to use it.

When we started this quest for HCR we had about 46 million without access to health care. I am wondering if it will be worse or better after this is done? How is this going to effect the people who had government health care (Medicaid/Medicare, etc) when this bill gets passed as it is?

[seabeyond]

4. three times they have offered free h1n1 shots here in amarillo, texas

they run out, but as soon as they get more, they give them free at the civic center. i thought that was pretty nifty. i dont get them, but community effort here, and giving free to anyone is a good thing

i clarified h1n1 cause i dont know anything about the reg flu shot. could be free too. i dont know though

[quiet.american]

7. I hear him -- but on another note, was heartened to see New York offered free flu shots to all. nt

[Journeyman]

9. My daughter received a shot for free from the County Health Department. . .

called Monday for an appointment, had the shot Tuesday -- no income qualifier (she would have been denied had that been part of the decision), no doctor's note required -- I called for her, told them she was pregnant, and they made the appointment. And this, in a very conservative County in California.

Seems the very embrace of "we" . . .

[Gregorian]

10. "We" not "me".

Many times on this forum I have talked about this. Not in this context, but in others.

When will we come to this mentality/context? Because the day we do that will be the day we become real. A real, compassionate, intelligent, sophisticated society.

We're living in a world of "we". When will America get it?

[Laelth]

11. k&r for the truth, however depressing.

The United States is still very backwards.

:dem:

-Laelth