By RUSSELL J. MOORE

In the state’s first year of purchasing influenza

vaccinations, officials in state government say the process is working well to

provide flu shots at a lower cost.

Last year, the state legislature passed a bill that

requires health insurers to pool their money that normally would have been used

for flu vaccines into a state government fund. That fund uses the combined

purchasing power of the state’s health insurance companies to buy vaccines for

health care providers such as doctor’s offices, clinics and community centers

where the shots are offered.

The bill was sponsored by then State Senator Elizabeth

Roberts, now the state’s lieutenant governor. Roberts said, from what she’s

seen and heard, the new law and the process it’s created is serving the state

well.

“We’re using the purchasing power of the state to buy

vaccines and health insurers are a partner in the process,” said Roberts.

“In the end, this will end up serving our population much

more effectively.”

Roberts called the program a win-win for both the

insurers and the consumers. Although the state purchases the vaccines, no tax

dollars are used, Roberts pointed out. Instead, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode

Island and United HealthCare are paying for the vaccine. 

Roberts said the program shouldn’t result in higher

insurance premiums, because the companies were already purchasing the

vaccinations, but at a higher rate.

“We’re basically taking the same dollars that flowed

through the system before, but using them much more efficiently,” she said.

Roberts added that Rhode

Island’s influenza vaccination program has become a

“pilot program” that other states throughout the country closely monitor.

“It seems to me, from the outside, things have been going

really well, and hopefully we’ll have a very mild flu season due to this

initiative,” said Roberts.

“This is a real success story.”

Patricia Raymond, who serves as the Department of

Health’s (DOH) immunization manager, agrees with the lieutenant governor.

“There’s absolutely enough influenza vaccine going around

this year,” said Raymond.

The state, she said, has ordered 250,000 doses of flu

vaccine for the adult program and 140,000 for children. Those numbers represent

more than enough for those who want the vaccine.

“That’s how much has been distributed, but we’ll see how

much is actually used. We won’t know until the flu season is over,” said

Raymond.

Flu season generally runs from late November until early

March.

Raymond said that flu shots will be accessible to

everyone regardless of whether the person is insured or not. Those without

insurance, depending on their financial status, can obtain flu shots for free

at clinics, or for a marginal fee, she said.

While everyone should obtain the vaccination, Raymond

said it’s especially important for certain groups of people.

“There are certain portions of the population that could

get very sick—young children, senior citizens, health care workers and people

who work with the chronically ill because they could pass the flu on to them—so

it’s very important that they get vaccinated for the flu,” said Raymond.

A common misconception about the flu shot is that it can

actually cause flu-like symptoms. According to Raymond, that’s a sentiment that

comes from people who have confused the symptoms from another illness shortly

after being vaccinated.

Although the flu season is still young, it’s been mild

thus far, say experts.

Brian Wallin, spokesman for Kent County

Hospital, said so far,

there haven’t been any cases of flu at the hospital.

Kent

will hold a flu clinic on Dec. 2, sponsored by the VNA of Care New England,

from 8 a.m. until noon. The VNA will hold close to 230 flu clinics this year.

The full schedule of clinics can be found on the Rhode Island Department of

Health’s Web site at www.health.state.ri.us.

Like Raymond and Roberts, Elaine Peterson, a spokeswoman

for the VNA of Care New England, said the new process for obtaining vaccines

has gone smoothly.

“It’s been working really well,” said Peterson.  

“At first, being the first year, we wondered whether it

would go smoothly. We’re used to buying the vaccines ourselves, but this has

worked out well. The state’s got a good supply, and they’ve distributed it to

us in a timely manner and everyone’s pleased.”