Oct. 10, 2004 - 21:50 MDT

THE WONDERING JEW

More Than Five

Heather and I had reached the point that a bit of recreation was of the greatest requirement. Unpacking and stowing and walking around in the consequent mess got to be a bit much.

Today, we slept in a bit, had breakfast, reassured ourselves that today would be a nice day. Then we took off in our VUE for a look at our beloved Colorado Gold -- the kind that grows. A bit late in the season, it is, but we found plenty of Aspen in the lower elevations that were still in their glory.

We took a road off I-70 for St. Mary's Glacier, a kind of twisty, narrow blacktop road. We followed it past the trail head where people with snowboards were taking off for the glacier until we ran out of blacktop and then turned around by the bed and breakfast up there and got a back view of the foliage coming back down.

Nothing outstanding in the way of photo-ops, yet it truly refreshed our souls. We eased back down to I-70 and had a meal at Beau-Jo's in Idaho Springs. Heather with her beloved pizza and me, odd ball that I am, had the stuffed mushrooms which I enjoyed to the max. Then in the slow lane we came back to the Denver area peacefully as the maniacs sped by in the fast lanes. It was a peaceful and restful time today, we are thankful for it and each other's company in our yearly trek to the Aspen groves.

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Then back in town after I had a nap I sat down to read the paper -- bad Doug. Urrrr - - - In The Denver Post of today an article by Marsha Austin - Denver Post staff writer - in part:

Flu-shot price tags skyrocket

Some distributors' acts are cited as "immoral"

TENFOLD SURGE IN COSTS

Colorado doctors and hospitals are left to consider "gray market" sources after Britain shut down a key manufacturer."

"With flu vaccine in extremely short supply the price has skyrocketed, with 10-dose vials selling for as much as $1,000, ten times the normal price."

"The high-priced vaccine is coming from "gray market" drug distributors that specialize in buying and selling drugs in short supply."

"Flu vaccine became nearly impossible to obtain after Chiron, one of two flu-shot suppliers to the U.S., announced last week that British officials had abruptly closed its Liverpool plant. Regulators said Chiron violated safe manufacturing practices."

"The plant shutdown wiped out nearly half the expected U.S. flu vaccine supply of about 100 million shots, leaving doctors and hospitals practically empty-handed as flu season nears."

"Before the shortage, hospitals were able to buy the vaccine for less than $100, pharmacists said."

"So far there have been no reports of Colorado health-care providers raising the price of flu shots for consumers. The average price ranges from about $10 to $20 per shot."

"Colorado hospitals and nursing homes have been hit hardest by the shortage because so many of them ordered the cheaper Chiron vaccine, said Rick Shivley, an Omnicare pharmacist in Lafayette." (Colorado)

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Thoughts and opinions: Leaves me in a state of wonderment (me The Wondering Jew) as to the realities here involved. These gray market companies buy stuff that will be in short supply so as to sell at inflated prices ? Of course I know that they buy based on what they think will happen. I guess seeing that vaccine from Chiron was cheaper the gray-marketeers bought the slightly higher priced vaccine just in case -- scads of it apparently.

I know, there oughta be a law. But how to word it to prevent other scamming of our people could be complicating. Seems to me though that any company who is going to sell to the medical profession as a whole should be compelled to make sure our population will have an adequate supply, in time. Which would include, to my line of thought, backing each other up until all orders from the medical professionals who take care of the public are completely filled.

Flu can kill, the 1918 epidemic did. There is no guarantee that the flu this year won't mutate and cause havoc again. At least having a flu shot should mitigate the effects on persons contracting the disease.

I can understand the gray-marketeers charging a premium for sticking their neck out and buying something that might not be needed. Fair is fair even so. But an outrageous overcharge is uncalled for I think.

Healthy people, ones not at risk health-wise are being urged to forego the flu shots this year so that those of us who are weaker can be protected. This should not occur - - - - - Somehow it appears that those who manufacture vaccines should definitely regulate themselves to avoid such problems. Yet Chiron didn't seem to cut the mustard.

Now that is out of my system, I shall go back to mountain memories of today when we took More Than Five . . . . . . . . . . .

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