LONDON — In Britain, there are no long lines of people seeking swine-flu vaccine. Doctor’s offices aren’t swamped with desperate calls. And there are no cries of injustice that the vaccine is going to wealthy corporations or healthy people who don’t really need it.
Here and across most of Europe, vaccine to protect against the pandemic flu is mostly given by invitation only to those at highest risk for flu complications.
“That is one of the great advantages of the British health system,” said Dr. Steve Field, president of the Royal College of General Physicians. “We have a list of all the names of patients who qualify to be vaccinated.”
When Britain unrolled its pandemic vaccination program last month, it designed its campaign to ensure that priority groups — including pregnant women, health workers and those with chronic health problems like diabetes, cancer and AIDS — get the shots first.
Instead of advertising that vaccine had arrived and waiting for the lines to form, Britain’s National Health Service sent letters inviting those who qualify to make an appointment.
Field said Britain’s socialized health care system allows the country to target people who need to be vaccinated quickly: “It’s not like the U.S., where it’s the survival of the fittest and the richest.”
Just this week, Americans learned that Wall Street giants Goldman Sachs and Citi group got swine-flu vaccine, even as many doctor’s offices and community clinics still had none.
And in Canada, which has a form of socialized medicine, health officials began an investigation this week after professional hockey and basketball players got the vaccine ahead of thousands of children.
In the United Kingdom, the general population will be offered the shot after priority groups have been taken care of, probably in about two months. For now, children with health problems are a priority.
