Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog

" the delays in vaccine shipment are intentional.. That system, the company said, is designed to assure that the initial lots of vaccine are directed to high-risk patients."

Who are they kidding?
The initial lots are directed to making a profit for CVS and Walgreens.
 

Just for the sake of argument, let's say that we are rolling out mass seasonal vaccination for the first time. How would we reach the greatest number of people in the relatively short period of time available?

Would we achieve this by sending 100,000,000 americans to their doctor's office for a trip many might not otherwise require? This would increase the burden for office time, prolonging waiting room times, increasing waits for scheduling appointments. A busy physician with a high risk population might vaccinate as many as 20 patients a day. A poor throughput for an office staff of 4+ people, and a waste of highly skilled medical resources for a low tech intervention.

Supermarkets, libraries, fire and police stations and other areas where the public either often congregate (most buy food weekly) or are publically accessible and in the case of police and fire, have individuals already trained in basic rescue skills (for the rare patient who collapses) can provide ideal locations for mass immunization. Bringing the vaccination to the public is potentially a better distribution system. Vaccination is a simple and safe public health measure that does not require distribution through an inefficient and uncoordinated system such as physicians offices.
 

"A busy physician with a high risk population might vaccinate as many as 20 patients a day."

A doctor's office can vaccinate 1200 patients a day. The doctor takes off work or doesn't see patients on that day and hire's extra manpower for that particular day.Some doctors schedule it on a Saturday.
 

correction: " and hires..."
 

I know one doc who ordered a large supply, and he hasn't received it yet. The order, he's told, will be in next week. Meanwhile, the local grocery stores and drugstores have vaccinated lots of his patients.
His unused vaccines can't be returned; he stands to take a huge loss.
 

Gas:
I understand your point, except that flu vaccines have been regarded as part of a comprehensive health care plan that includes screening for other illnesses, which is not done at the Stop 'N Shop.
 

not being a troll, but I've seen mass vaccination at a major medical center in the area and I've talked to the people trained to work on mass vaccinationdays and I've never heard of this 'screening for other stuff' value added that anon speaks of.

What else are doctors/hospitals supposed to be screening for during flu vaccine drives? TB? Pneumonia? the common cold?