It’s the nightmare scenario: The upcoming flu season colliding with a second wave of COVID-19 as children return to school and adults experience stay-at-home fatigue and start socializing again.
So Gov. Doug Ducey and public health experts are asking you to roll up your sleeve and get a flu shot to help keep hospital capacity low and available for those with COVID.
The governor said the Arizona Department of Health Services will be implementing an aggressive plan of action during this flu season by distributing the vaccination for free to all Arizonans through doctor’s offices, pharmacies, local health departments and community healthcare centers statewide.
“We don’t want cost to be something that gets in the way of this,” Gov. Ducey said during Monday’s press conference. “If you are uninsured or underinsured we want you to get a flu shot and it’s the best thing you can do to add more help to our situation in Arizona.”
Gov. Ducey said the overlap with COVID produces greater challenges than a typical flu season and preventing the flu is more important than ever. More than 4,000 people were hospitalized with flu symptoms in Arizona last year and roughly 700 people die from the illness each year, according to the governor.
The state will reimburse Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System providers offering free flu shots to AHCCCS members, while giving AHCCCS members a $10 gift card for their troubles after they’ve been vaccinated, said Gov. Ducey. The governor announced he is also allowing certified pharmacists the ability to administer the vaccine to AHCCCS-enrolled children.
“These actions have led to a 50 percent increase of flu shot administration rates in other states,” Gov. Ducey said. “We’re confident they’ll make a big difference in Arizona as well.”
Certain COVID-19 testing sites will also offer flu shots to those getting tested for coronavirus in starting in September, said Gov. Ducey. The Arizona Department of Health Services will expand online resources to help the public find free vaccine distribution locations as well as help businesses set up their own flu shot clinics for employees, according to the governor.
“I want to emphasize Arizona’s most important partner in this fight is you, the people of Arizona” Gov. Ducey said. “You’ve made a big difference in where we are today and you could make a huge difference in where we’ll be tomorrow going forward.”
This article appears in Aug 27 – Sep 2, 2020.
Since I already get my shots free and since I believe in getting flu shots, I like this decision. However, I can hear the outrage that will come from those who believe vaccines are poisonous and those who believe that socialism is the devil coming to haunt us down the road. Both those groups are, of course, found among the GOP right and are strong supporters of the Trump presidency, which makes this public health decision on Ducey’s part a real act of courage. As COVID has worn on in Arizona, it has almost been a call to the governor to function as a true administrator and leader. Kudos for waking up.
“The state will reimburse” … in other words, Arizona taxpayers are paying for the flu shots & probably those $10 gift cards. Isn’t Ducey worth $200,000,000? He really could afford to buy flu shots for every citizen of the state, but shouldn’t pretend it’s not being forced on the taxpayers.