Seniors Feeling Snubbed from the Government’s Swine Flu Vaccination List

Seniors Feeling Snubbed from the Government’s Swine Flu Vaccination List
Some senior citizens are complaining that they were left off the vaccination list during last year’s Swine Flu outbreak. Many who are opponents of Obama’s healthcare reform bill say that this is a direct result of the legislation. In July of 2009, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended these guidelines for those who should first receive the H1N1 flu vaccine:
-Women who are pregnant or nursing
-People who work in healthcare or emergency first response
-Residents in ventura county hospice
-Children and young adults from 6 months to 24 years
-People with pre-existing medical conditions that are 25 to 64 years of age
The concern generated from these guidelines is that nothing was mentioned about people over the age of 64. Many in the Republican Party used this oversight as a basis for their accusations about “Death Panels” being implemented by the Obama Administration. The Health and Human Services readily admitted that vaccination plans had changed after the unexpected spread of Swine Flu, but immediately asserted that any accusations of seniors being intentionally overlooked were completely unfounded. The HHS also took care to note that flu supply shortages were rampant and any demographic of people that may have been overlooked were simply victims of circumstance, not a coordinated campaign to exclude them.
It’s widely known within the medical community that the most vulnerable groups to Swine Flu and other types of influenza are younger people, pregnant women, healthcare workers, and people with underlying medical conditions. It’s not uncommon for health agencies to revise and rethink their approach to new and unexpected outbreaks of the flu virus. In these situations, those who are most at risk are given first priority. Seniors that resided in assisted facilities were given special attention, due to their close proximity to healthcare workers.
However, in light of these concerns, the government will be enabling “liability protection” for vaccine manufacturers and distributors. This means that no legal tort litigation can be pursued in federal court.

camarillo hospice marketing services are provided by what is hospice a leading referral system in the assisted living industry. For more information, call 1-800-768-8221. Sky Palma is a freelance staff writer.