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IN SEARCH OF THE ELUSIVE FLU SHOT By Robert Mauro For a severely disabled person like me, who uses a respirator, like the late Christopher Reeve, to breath twenty-four hours a day, not being able to get a flu shot is very scary, to say the least. I get one every year from my pulmonary doctor. But after seeing the news on TV about a vaccine shortage, I immediately called my doctor. He will not be getting the vaccine this year. Of all people, a doctor who treats cases of COPD, emphysema, ALS and post polio syndrome, he should not be without a supply of flu vaccine. For us disabled people, a flu shot could be a matter of life and death. My doctor's assistant told me to call my home care service. Perhaps they could administer the flu shot. No. They can't and never have. I tried a national in-home nursing service. They would not and could not administer the flu shot. But they advised me to call the Nassau County Department of Public Health. I did. They told me to check the following week. They had no information as of yet. Then I tried the Nassau County Department of Senior Services. Nope. They had no vaccine yet and didn't know when or if they would get any. I then tried Pathmark. Missed their flu shots by one day! CVS is not going to administer the flu shots this year due to the National shortage of flu vaccine. My local community center, which will give out the flu shot, was not taking anyone else -- not even the severely disabled. They had filled their entire quota. I tried my county hospital. I could not get through. Then my fiancee E-mailed me a link where I could search by zip code and find a place in my area that would be administering the flu shot. Eckerd Pharmacy would be giving it the following day! Now I needed a ride there. Being in a motorized wheelchair and using a vent, I couldn't take a cab. So the Long Island Center for Independent Living was able to graciously squeeze me in as well as my 88-year-old dad and my 84-year-old mother, who recently had open-heart surgery. LICIL transported us all to Eckerd to get our flu shots. It is an absolute outrage that we disabled Americans must be put through such stress to find a possibly life saving flu shot. In a country that can spend 200 billion on a foreign war, our government should be able to produce enough flu vaccine for all its citizens. Each year an average of 36,000 people die of the flu. If 4000 more than that 36,000 die this year as a result of this vaccine shortage, that will be 1000 more than died in 9/11 -- and that is truly an outrage! After waiting nearly three hours, and the police telling the over 400 people in line to leave, since there were only 150 shots available and nearly that many already in the store, the store manager saw me using my vent and took me and my parents in. We finally got our flu shots, thanks to Eckerd's manager. But, sadly, hundreds were turned away. One woman was crying as the police told her to leave. This should not happen in America! AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have post polio syndrome and use a vent like the late Chris Reeve to breath 24/7. Bob Mauro,
KZ2G
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