NON_POLITICAL China Coronavirus THREAD

[Muse]

Just wear a good mask and go get it. Got my flu shot last week when I had to go in for lab work.

Actually, that's a good idea. I'm seeing my doctor for first time since before the pandemic on Oct. 12. I should ask him to set me up for labs and get my flu shot at same time!

Edit: Dang, he emailed me today saying he's on vacation until Oct. 11. Maybe I can get it set up anyway...

 

[Captante]

Actually, that's a good idea. I'm seeing my doctor for first time since before the pandemic on Oct. 12. I should ask him to set me up for labs and get my flu shot at same time!

Edit: Dang, he emailed me today saying he's on vacation until Oct. 11. Maybe I can get it set up anyway...

I suggest your local CVS as an alternative.... took 2 minutes for me to make an appointment online and 10 minutes to get it done. Was pretty much effortless. (this is also where I got my Covid vaccine)

 

[K1052]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1443988451896946703

 

[Muse]

I suggest your local CVS as an alternative.... took 2 minutes for me to make an appointment online and 10 minutes to get it done. Was pretty much effortless. (this is also where I got my Covid vaccine)

I get flu shot free at my HMO (Kaiser Permanente). I have to go there for my pre-actual-in-person appt with my PCP on the 12th, so I figure 2 birds one stone. I called and asked to be set up for the blood draw this morning, they'll let me know in a day or two or three. If I don't get that blood draw set up I will simply cancel the appt and reschedule until this all works out. Advice nurse was a human pretending to be a machine... really irritating. To be human, you need to be human.

 

[Captante]

I get flu shot free at my HMO (Kaiser Permanente). I have to go there for my pre-actual-in-person appt with my PCP on the 12th, so I figure 2 birds one stone. I called and asked to be set up for the blood draw this morning, they'll let me know in a day or two or three. If I don't get that blood draw set up I will simply cancel the appt and reschedule until this all works out. Advice nurse was a human pretending to be a machine... really irritating. To be human, you need to be human.

Provided you have insurance the shot is "free" at CVS as well ... only bummer is that you have to go into CVS and interact with PEOPLE !!!

 

[Brainonska511]

Provided you have insurance the shot is "free" at CVS as well ... only bummer is that you have to go into CVS and interact with PEOPLE !!!

I would normally go to a drug store for a flu shot, but my insurance is split between prescription coverage and other healthcare coverage. Prescription benefit is all that can be used by most pharmacies and doesn't cover flu shot. The other coverage does cover vaccines - so I either need to go through my doctor/local system or to a CVS minute clinic, since they can charge against the health insurance.

 

[Captante]

I would normally go to a drug store for a flu shot, but my insurance is split between prescription coverage and other healthcare coverage. Prescription benefit is all that can be used by most pharmacies and doesn't cover flu shot. The other coverage does cover vaccines - so I either need to go through my doctor/local system or to a CVS minute clinic, since they can charge against the health insurance.

Pretty sure flu vaccines do not fall under the same terms as regular prescription-meds.... and even if you have to pony up for one they only cost about $35 full-retail for the under-65 version.

Also there's a "Minute-Clinic" 1/2 mile from me.... IN my local CVS!

 

[Red Squirrel]

Wait, do Americans normally have to pay for vaccines? What's this insurance stuff? Here you just go to any clinic, get it, and done.

 

[Captante]

Wait, do Americans normally have to pay for vaccines? What's this insurance stuff? Here you just go to any clinic, get it, and done.

In some ways America is literally a 3rd world country.

 

[Artorias]

Wait, do Americans normally have to pay for vaccines? What's this insurance stuff? Here you just go to any clinic, get it, and done.

We have universal health care and the richest country on the planet does not. That's your reason.

 

[MrSquished]

I was listening to NPR and they were talking about the new pill that shown good promise to reduce hospitalizations from people that already contracted covid. And they left off with one comment but did not elaborate which was weird, they said that in the lab it did show that it might lead to genetic mutations. And they just left it at that, so I'm really curious if there's any more information on that part of it

 

[MrSquished]

We have universal health care and the richest country on the planet does not. That's your reason.

Half this country is so insanely stupid that even if you offer them the option, just the option, to buy in, to a publicly run health insurance like medicare, they call you a communist

 

[Brainonska511]

Pretty sure flu vaccines do not fall under the same terms as regular prescription-meds.... and even if you have to pony up for one they only cost about $35 full-retail for the under-65 version.

Also there's a "Minute-Clinic" 1/2 mile from me.... IN my local CVS!

I could pay $35, or I could pay $0 and make my insurance cover it completely...

It's just a weird quirk of how my employer-sponsored plan works. Allegedly, as it was explained to me one at a Walgreens, they can only charge the provider of pharmacy benefits (which for some people, is encompassed by their other health insurance, so no issues for them). But because my pharmacy benefits are through a separate company, they can't actually charge my regular insurance. It's really stupid and somewhat aggravating, but at the end of the day, it's just mildly inconvenient. Enough places exist to get a flu vaccine, that this quirk isn't an impediment to getting a free vaccination.

 

[H T C]

Here in Portugal, we used sports arenas and other such venues to mass vaccinate people: the highest number of people in a single day was just over 156K (if you scale that to USA's population, that's around 5M vaccine doses in a single day).

My 1st dose:

- arrived about 10 minutes before the appointed time: was notified via SMS about the time, date and place of the vaccination about 10 days prior
- waited about 10 minutes for my turn
- filled the form about previous medical issues, allergies and such
- entered the waiting area inside the arena but isolated from the area the vaccines were being administered: there were about 100 people there waiting to be called
- was called to get my shot about 50 minutes later
- was asked about any allergies and their severity, and they gave me Pfizer's dose
- was given a card with the vaccine's data (brand, lot number, etc) with the date and time for my 2nd dose (same venue)
- was told to wait 30 minutes @ a specific chair for any possible adverse reactions: they had someone specifically to clean the chairs (there were about 60 chairs there), as they got vacant
- done

My 2nd dose:

- arrived about 15 minutes before the appointed time
- waited around 5 minutes before being called
- showed the card with the information about my 1st dose
- entered the waiting area inside the arena: there were about 30 people there waiting to be called
- was called to get my shot about 15 minutes later: they were calling TWO people instead of just one, like with my 1st dose: they gave the shot to one person while the other sat in a chair just outside "the vaccine booth" (there were 14 "vaccine booths")
- was given a 2nd Pfizer's dose and given my card with both my vaccine dose's information
- was told to wait 30 minutes @ a specific chair for any possible adverse reactions: same as with 1st dose
- done

28 days between doses, in my case: both were free of charge.

 

[K1052]

Going to get a look at a lot of deeply desired data this month:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1444006310530453505

 

[Torn Mind]

Wait, do Americans normally have to pay for vaccines? What's this insurance stuff? Here you just go to any clinic, get it, and done.

It's an irrelevant distinction because locales with good money offer them for free at the county level through their country department of health.
Flu shot is a hustle for most healthy people anyway, and the need to hustle that vaccine is part of the reason COVID was not taken seriously in the beginning. Because...the CDC had big estimates for flu cases every year. Some stores give you one and get 10% off of their products, although the products might be priced high to begin with. .

 

[Captante]

It's an irrelevant distinction because locales with good money offer them for free at the county level through their country department of health.
Flu shot is a hustle for most healthy people anyway, and the need to hustle that vaccine is part of the reason COVID was not taken seriously in the beginning. Because...the CDC had big estimates for flu cases every year. Some stores give you one and get 10% off of their products, although the products might be priced high to begin with. .

I doubt the price-tag for poor folks in America who can't normally afford health-insurance is "irrelevant" to them!





Covid shots were actually free for folks in the US but not everyone here has access to free flu-shots... not sure where you got that from.

In the US most people ABSOLUTELY DO pay for the flu vaccine either indirectly through insurance or directly out of pocket. As for those "free" promotions at stores etc... if you have to buy something to get it, its NOT FREE lol.

Additionally in the US the VAST MAJORITY of vaccines will absolutely cost money out of pocket in terms of either direct payments or co-pay/insurance.


EDIT: I used to not get the flu shot myself THEN a few years back my entire office caught the flu in late spring. One of my co-workers died, another was hospitalized and I came close to calling 911 a couple times myself during the week I was KO'ed.... worse it was a good 3-4 MONTHS before I fully recovered.

SO NO.... Flu-shots are in NO WAY a "scam" any more than Covid or Measles vaccines are!

 

[Fanatical Meat]

What if they have a documented positive test, and have natural immunity?

Far more simple and easy to understand thing to say is all must be vaccinated.
While someone with a positive test diagnosis and favorable antibodies are probably fine that will simply cause fights among people like:
I got diagnosed by my Doctor Neighbor but I don’t have a trst result why isn’t that good enough
I know I had it I couldn’t taste anything
My antibody test is nearly as good as the guy who you said was good enough
And so on......

Or worse someone shares a COVID diagnosis and attached to that diagnosis there is other test issues that now put the employer in jeapody for requesting and need to be stored properly or worse they get scanned then hacked now employer is on the hook for a huge fine.

Far safer and more simple to just say all need to be vaccinated.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Wait, do Americans normally have to pay for vaccines? What's this insurance stuff? Here you just go to any clinic, get it, and done.

Yes and no
There are free flu clinics but they tend to be limited or really busy.
Then there is the doctor or pharmacy and that tends to have a small cost attached to it like $10 or $20.

 

[Zorba]

Wait, do Americans normally have to pay for vaccines? What's this insurance stuff? Here you just go to any clinic, get it, and done.

Until ACA most people had to pay for all vaccines, especially adult vaccines.

 

[Muse]

Yes and no
There are free flu clinics but they tend to be limited or really busy.
Then there is the doctor or pharmacy and that tends to have a small cost attached to it like $10 or $20.

To some people 10-20 bucks isn't a small cost.

Until ACA most people had to pay for all vaccines, especially adult vaccines.

Which is sick and criminal in the 21st century.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Wow pretty crazy had no idea they charged. At least they don't charge the same as for what they charge for a glass of water at the hospital... but still lol.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Have to admit this is kind of sad.

There's probably going to be psychological effects of this long term. Kids not really getting to see each other's or their teacher's faces etc.

 

[Zorba]

Yes and no
There are free flu clinics but they tend to be limited or really busy.
Then there is the doctor or pharmacy and that tends to have a small cost attached to it like $10 or $20.

Technically it's free for anyone with insurance in the US, but a lot of offices charge for a nurse visit or other BS.

 

[Brainonska511]

Technically it's free for anyone with insurance in the US, but a lot of offices charge for a nurse visit or other BS.

I've seen that in my EOB for flu shots - my insurance company knocks that stuff down significantly, and then covers it completely as part of vaccine coverage.