Letter to the Editor
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
PUBLIX Health System
On Tuesday, November 1st while President Bush spoke at the National Institutes of Health on the "Pandemic" of Avian Flu (H5N1 virus) and encouraged the citizenry to get a Flu shot, http://www.nytimes.com/... my 86 year old Mother was in a desperate search for a Flu vaccine. Becky, who was a WAVE in WWII, took seriously the health threats of last years Flu vaccine shortages and thought she could get an early start on this year's season. But after a day of trying to locate a Health Care Practitioner that either had or would give the vaccine, she was forced to wait in long lines at a local super market to receive an inoculation.
What has become of Health Care and the Public Health system? Has it been replaced and fortified by discount retailers, grocery stores and corporate America to drive potential customers through their doors? And is our Government negligent in protecting her citizen's and Veteran's from pandemics while hyping a looming crisis of Avian Flu and Terrorist chemical attacks?
Since the rise of modern Nursing, credited to Florence Nightingale, Community Health became a leader in stemming the spread of disease, pestilence and suffering. Armies of Public Health officials worked tirelessly to stop Bubonic Plague, Cholera and the Spanish Flu of 1918. Immunization programs in the 1950's and 1960's eliminated permanently Small pox & Polio from the United States and much of the World. Today's Senior Citizens' have seen a World transformed from a time before Antibiotics to immunizations being given at retailers! But is this what they deserve? Is this Public Health system going to manage the causalities of the 40-70 million people who perished from the last Pandemic of 1918? The Spanish Flu killed only 3-5% of the one third of the population that contracted it. The Avian flu, to date has killed 54% of those who have become infected.
On Tuesday Becky called her Physician. She was notified that the Doctor will not be providing Flu vaccines this year. After an appointment to make future funeral arrangements, she stopped by the East Pasco VA clinic. There the receptionist stated that they also did not have any vaccine and if they did, she wouldn't be "eligible to receive any because she is not a current patient". Even though she was seen at this VA clinic before, because it has not been within the past 16 months, "We don't want to be responsible if a reaction should occur". The receptionist suggested that Becky, 86 years old and handicapped drive to the "James B. Hailey VA hospital in Tampa to get her vaccination". So we can only assume that that way, if she had an "untoward reaction", she would be somewhere on the road between Zephyrhills and Tampa with no medical supervision! So she returned home and called the local Pasco County Health Department.
The Health Department, typically and historically at the forefront of Public Health issues, said "they had no vaccine and call latter in a week or next". So, that left this elderly, widowed and mobility impaired octogenarian only one option; Publix. With images in my mind of last years Flu vaccine shortages and long waiting lines, I became truly concerned for my Mother's health and safety! She drove to Publix at 2 P.M. to take a number, already there was a line, she got number 77. By 4P.M. I drove by the grocery store, turned clinic, after picking up my children from school to find a line stretched out of the store, down the side walk and around towards K-Mart.
I find a line of elderly, white haired people sitting in the afternoon sun, and my mother among. Pasco County EMS had been called a few moments earlier for a patron who fell unconscious and collapsed.
Eventually, Publix employees brought out bottled water and cookies to the people, who now have been waiting over 4 hours to receive a flu shot. My mother sat on her walker that dubbed as a seat for over four hours in the sun, among a group of elderly possibly immuno-surpressed patrons of a grocery store! Is this what has become of our Health care system? Is this how we treat "the Greatest Generation"? Is it a wise and safe practice to place our elderly at risk in long lines, without adequate shade, medical attention and in mass close proximity during FLU SEASON? And where is our Government to provide for these people? We're not talking about FEMA and Hurricane Katrina; we are talking about the VA and our Veterans! And when was it that large retailers and grocery stores became surrogates to medical clinics and Doctors offices?
This is an appalling abuse and neglect of our seniors access to reasonable health care in the US. When retailers offer vaccines to drive business into their stores and encourage elderly citizens into close contact to get immunized to prevent disease, is it creating more harm? We who are involved in health care take an oath, "first do no harm", it is irresponsible to allow this practice to continue with little supervision, dwindling options and the potential mass exposure to communicable diseases such as the influenza just to get a Flu shot! It is my hope and prayer that as a Registered Nurse for twenty years, I can call some attention to this practice and create some kind of thought to prevent harm to our elderly citizens while having a debate on the future of our PUBLIX Health system.
Sincerely,
Gail E. Clemson R.N, B.S.N
Zephyrhills