Lawmaker slams flu vaccine program

PFP Legislator Yang Fu-mei (楊富美) has charged that a failure by the Department of Health (DOH) to monitor the vaccines purchased by individual hospitals or clinics has infringed on the public's welfare.

"Without proper monitoring of the quantity, the prices and the quality of the vaccines purchased by hospitals and clinics, the rights of those who need to pay for the vaccinations at their own expense will not be protected," Yang said yesterday.

Even as the DOH kicked off its program of free flu vaccinations for citizens over 65 years of age yesterday, Yang held a press conference to criticize the department's policy.

According to Yang, since only those over 65 of age are entitled to receive free vaccinations, the media campaign launched by the DOH telling about the effectiveness of the vaccinations "could help promote the sale of the vaccine to those under 65."

"It is unfair for those willing to get the flu vaccination on their own to pay up to NT$1,000 considering that the DOH purchased the vaccine at the cost of NT$125 per dose," she added.

While the department claims to have purchased more than 1.45 million doses of vaccine for the elderly this year, hospitals and clinics have purchased 850,000 additional doses to sell to people under 65.

Citizens under 65 have to pay between NT$450 and NT$1,000 -- depending on where they go -- if they want to receive flu vaccination at local hospitals and clinics.

In response to the charges, the DOH's Center for Disease Control issued a press release which said that the department had already purchased nearly 500,000 more doses of vaccine than they did last year.

The DOH confirmed that hospitals and clinics have the right to decide what price they will charge for the flu vaccine. However, according to CDC official Yen Jer-chieh (顏哲傑), "With more free vaccinations provided this year, the demand for self-purchased vaccines has decreased."