#2162: vaccination : Barnes replies and Corbett adds

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: J Barnes <jbarnes@massed.net>

The threat of diseases is real.  I have visited some of my Haitian American
students at Children's Hospital with thyphoid fever after a visit to Haiti.
What is even more important is that these are serious diseases which can be
fatal if not diagnosed.  There is no reason to risks lives when prevention
is available.  When I take my family my health plan charges nothing for
vaccinations.  We pay for malaria pills.  Maybe you local public health
office can recommend a place to get free or low cost vaccines.

Corbett adds:  Wow, I wish things were so easy here.  First of all
my insurance doesn't pay one cent for such innoculations.  Secondly,
in the very early years when I took groups to Haiti the St. Louis
city and countyr health services did given them free.  Abotu 10
years ago they ceased.  They are now available at the city
health services, but for a very hefty fee of $80 for one and
$120 for the other.  I have tried every possibility in the
city of St. Louis and have found no luck.  I would caution you
that the world may not always offer such nice items as Barnes
gets in Cambridge.  

However, having also see people with the illnesses, and myself
having gotten malaria when I stupidly didn't take my tablets,
the money and hardship that goes with parting with it pale in
comparison to what happens when the illness come, and there is
a SIGNIFICANT increased chance of getting them without the
precautions.

Bob Corbett