Washington state scare ends over fake flu shots

[Pepper32]

Fake flu shot scare ends in U.S.

CTV.ca News Staff


Sun. December. 5 2004 1:00 PM ET

A health scare in Washington state over fake flu shots appears to be over with news that the injections were, in fact, real after all.

The trouble began with reports a woman, a registered nurse had been administering the shots.

CTV News reported Saturday night police believe the woman may be from Canada.

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration lab in Cincinnati determined that a vaccine sample provided by the woman was valid flu vaccine, police in Lynden, Washington, reported Saturday.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also reported that the sample was unadulterated and contained no toxins, Police Chief Jack Foster said in a statement.

Police said once their investigation is complete, they will forward information to the local county prosecuting attorney's office for review.

The issue of flu shots has loomed large in health news in the United States because of a shortage this year. The shortage developed after British health authorities shut down one of the two makers of vaccine sold in the U.S., because of contamination

MORE...
http://cfcnplus.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/scfcn/CTVNews/20041205/Flu_scare_041205/Canada/story

[uppityperson]

1. I just don't get it.

We're short on flu shots. A Registered Nurse shows up with flu vaccine in a properly labeled container and gives clinics and it's scary? OK, she should have had backing by a MD/NP/PA to be legal, but give me a break. Who checks to make sure that the flu vaccine they just got at RiteAid pharmacy is safe and who reports them to the police? What is it with being scared is patriotic?

Oh, that's right, T.Thompson just said the food supply from the middle east could be messed with, and bushie said flu vaccine was contaminated and people are going to Canada which has unsafe medicine but safe vaccine and are people nuts? That's right, they are. W(hy do I hate America, they're just keeping us safe? hahaha)

[freeplessinseattle]

2. well, Lynden is backwards. "Footloose" was based on that town

I'm serious. no mixing of dancing and alcohol. no alcohol sold on Sunday. lawns must be trimmed to a certain height, or you will get a ticket (seriously). The Welcome to Lynden sign is right beside a cemetary.

They're very confused Dutch Reforms there.

[shanti]

5. ugh

thanks for the warning - i will avoid lynden :(

[merwin]

6. It's even worse than that...

No stores are allowed to be open on Sunday within the city limits. You will get fined if your lawn is not pristine, as well as being able to be fined if you mow your lawn on a sunday.

Oh, and the church almost literally on every corner. It's a tiny little town with about 10-15 churches, about 50% of them are christian reformed churches.

Wonderful town, huh?

[Benhurst]

3. This country is becoming soooooo Third World. nt

[allalone]

4. you are missing the point

this woman showed up with vials of something which she said was flu vaccine. She lied to the store about the program she was affiliated with, had no Drs. authorization, didn't tell the store people her name. It could have been anything in the vials. How many of you want to volunteer to get shot up with the stuff knowing this? They have said it is flu vaccine, but not yet found out how or where she got it and if it is this years version. In the meantime, many elderly received the shots. What was her motivation and where in hell did she get the stuff? This isn't a joke. We have already had a Dr. arrested for giving people outdated vaccine. And yes, I live in Washington.

[freeplessinseattle]

7. Dr. McCallum is my doc, even tho I'm in Seattle now, and I have complete

faith in him, he is the nicest most generous person, doesn't charge me for visits most of the time bc he knows I have no insurance. The deal with the vaccine, and I may be wrong here, but knowing his ethics I'm inclined to think that they vaccine was still usable, like the "best by" date on foods, maybe not 100% effective, but probably close to it, and I'll bet he couldn't bear that something that could help would go to waste, and I don't know how much he was charging, but I'm inclined to think that it was not much. Of course, I could be totally wrong, but I am biased. Just saw him around Thanksgiving and he was still in business in a big way, the waiting room was packed, so I'm not sure if he was actually arrested, god how awful in freaking Barkely Village, Bellinghams' mini-Lynden.

[uppityperson]

8. Store responsibility and mass hysteria

The problem is the store should have done complete checking before giving her the ok to do the clinic. What was their motivation for letting her go ahead without the proper safeguards in effect? Fear for their customer's health (did they get part of the fee charged, giving monetary motivation) outweighed fear for their customer's health. "You say you're a nurse and you have a bottle that looks like flu vaccine? Well, we've all been hearing about how horrible this years influenza season is so even if you will give us no name, and have no authorization, no problem, go ahead." This is what was stupid.

I got a flu shot at a grocery store last yr and didn't ask to see the vial, didn't know if there was any dr/np associated with it and didn't know the vaccinator's name. Who know what it was and why should I believe I'm ok? I trusted the store to have checked it out. The deal is that the place allowing the clinic to go on is responsible for making sure it is valid. Fine the store.


Her motivation was helping people get flu vaccine that otherwise couldn't.