The information I mentioned was recently passed along to us in a report on the vaccine (which has its own problems, may I add.) The priority was pregnant women first, and then persons with compromised immune systems, followed by various other categories such as children and healthy adults. But the part that hit me was the specific restrictions on seniors. It was stated that *after* all these others were taken care of, seniors under 64 would be given the vaccine, and then seniors over 65. This was emphasized. I am not mistaken about it. I can't give you the reference because the spokesman was on television, for our area, and I don't remember who he was. However, it was very specific.
I personally don't want the vaccine. It was developed in a rush, without much testing, and apparently a fairly high percentage of the vaccine's test subjects developed Reyes Syndrome, which is a nerve disorder that can kill. Hopefully they'll do something about that, but I choose not to take the risk. However, the point was very clear about seniors. I don't know what their criteria for getting the vaccine are in Canada, Wendy, but I do know what they are here in San Diego.
And my previous statement still applies as well. Medicare is on the chopping block to fund socialized health care. Obama claims that he can cut five hundred billion from the program (while adding millions of persons not currently insured to it) and not harm services. I don't believe it. Especially since 40% of American doctors are threatening to retire if the health care bill passes. For some reason they don't want to treat, and can't afford to treat, more Medicare patients when the government will cut the already reduced and delayed payments for their current Medicare patients. It's very difficult to give the same level of service with more patients, less money and fewer doctors. Obama says he can do this, by cutting waste, fraud and abuse, but if he can do all that, why doesn't he do it now, instead of waiting for a bill?
Unless the man has magic powers, I don't see how it can be done, and I don't want to discover when I need the treatment that the waiting list is six months to two years -- if I can get a doctor at all.
I'm scared to death of this so-called health care reform, and I'm not the only senior who is scared, either.
But no one in Washington is listening, and I resent that more than ever.
Nan
P.S. Oh, and by the way, I'm glad that in those countries the government doesn't get between the doctor and patient, Wendy. Unfortunately, in the health care bill currently being debated in the Senate, and in the one in the House, that is not the case. There will be a board that decides which treatments are considered appropriate for you, by bureaucrats who are looking at the statistics and their bottom line, who make the decision of what care you receive, or if. That is already a fact. It was slipped into the Stimulus bill and passed months ago.
