"The pandemic is over." The privatization of Covid testing and vaccinations is imminent.
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I had made an appointment at a local CVS for last Monday to receive both my annual flu shot and the latest Covid booster.
I walked in and took a seat. A few minutes later the pharmacist came over and without even asking which arm, shot me up. No forms. No questions. No charge.
Imagine if all our healthcare worked like this.
My arm was stiff for a couple of days. I had very little reaction from the Covid booster which was different than the earlier shots. I was a bit tired the next day. That was it.
Sunday, on 60 Minutes, President Biden announced that the pandemic was over.
Nobody among medical professionals agrees with the President.
What may really be over soon is free testing and vaxxing.
With Congress refusing to provide funding, the privatization of the country's Covid response is imminent.
It is estimated that between 400 and 500 Americans still die from Covid each day.
Biden’s comments will only complicate the administration’s efforts to secure $22.4 billion in Covid funding on the Hill, Hotez said. The administration has warned that free rapid tests and free vaccines will end without more money, while public health experts have sounded the alarm that racial and economic disparities around infections and deaths from the virus will worsen as a result.
“This is not a statement you make when you’re trying to persuade the Congress to allocate funds,” Hotez said. “For public health, scientific, policy reasons — not the way to go. He hit the trifecta.” (Politico)
Biden has been notorious for off-the-cuff comments that the White House later has to walk back. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t reflecting actual policy considerations.
Both Moderna and Pfizer stock prices fell in the wake of his comments about the pandemic being over.
But don’t shed any tears. Moderna and Pfizer profits from Covid have been in the billions.
They will quickly recover as Covid testing and vaxxing no longer receive government subsidies and become totally privatized and exclusive to those with insurance coverage.
Reports are that even to receive testing or a vaccination will require a doctor’s referral. Those without access to a doctor are out of luck.
The Kaiser Family Foundation reports:
The federal government’s inability to purchase additional supplies of COVID-19 tests, treatment medications, and vaccines could exacerbate existing disparities in health and financial security.
People of color are more likely to be uninsured than their White counterparts and face more potential barriers to accessing care, including more limited transportation options and less flexibility in work and caregiving schedules. Even when COVID-19 vaccines have been available for free, survey data show that concerns about costs have been a bigger barrier to vaccination for people of color. While overall disparities in COVID-19 cases and deaths have narrowed over time, data continue to show that people of color are disproportionately impacted by surges caused by new variants, and, as such, may have increased needs for testing and treatment. Moreover, data show a continued gap in vaccinations among Black people and point to racial disparities in uptake of booster shots so far. Any changes that result in more limited access to COVID-19 testing, treatment services, or vaccines, or that require people to pay out-of-pocket for these services, will likely exacerbate these disparities and may also result in more financial burden. Such changes would also disproportionately affect low-income people and those who are uninsured.