National Public Radio came out today with a segment about the intriguing flu vaccine situation, which has physicians being caught short, while big retailers like Wal-Mart and Walgreens have all they need. NPR even quotes Dr. Leonard Finn, the family physician who was the source for my original column on BusinessWeek.com. It’s a good story–a bit different in written and radio formats–with more about the policy and health implications, and less about the business implications of the big chains having full supplies of vaccine, than my column.
Just to follow up a little further, I was with a physician yesterday who specializes in vaccinations of travelers, Dr. Leonard Marcus of Newton, MA, and he said he’s been unable to obtain any flu vaccine. He recalled that his wife, who is a pediatrician, tried phoning one of the flu vaccine manufacturers months ago on the date specified for initial orders, and she couldn’t get through.
Dr. Marcus is worried he’ll have to meet with patients without having flu protection for himself. I suggested he get his shot at Walgreens or Wal-Mart, since they have already begun giving shots. He didn’t think that was very funny.
He says the retailers are thrilled to have vaccine–that their real goal is as much to get people in the stores as to provide a new line of medical services. "Maybe I need to set up a produce section to get the vaccine manufacturers to sell to me," he said. Not a bad idea, except he’ll need to expand his small office a good deal.
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