October stirs up more questions than answers for immigrants who suspect that their legal status and lack of health insurance could play a big role when it comes to see if they are eligible for the A H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine, which will become available at the beginning of this month.
Mexican immigrants say they do not know if they are eligible for this new immunization. In fact, they say that because they don't have health insurance they will not be eligible at all.
"I honestly don't know what will happen; I don't even want to think about it. It has been said that the vaccine will only be given to some, not to all," said Gumersindo Eleuterio, an immigrant who earns a living by loading and unloading packages and boxes.
Eleuterio, 36, said he would be willing to pay for the vaccine but he doesn't know if it will be given to him because he might not be eligible. "I work for myself, I'm young and I don't take care of any children or elderly family members. It could be that they won't help me out or they might give it to me easily, we'll see what happens," he said, admitting that he has gotten sick from the flu twice this year.
The authorities don't know either how the public will react when the vaccine becomes available; in its first stages, the vaccine will only be administered to those at highest risk, namely children, the elderly, healthcare professionals, and individuals with pre-existing medical conditions.
Health alert
In regards to the distribution of this new vaccine that will combat the spread of influenza, the state of New York has mandated that all employees at hospitals, public and private clinics, nursing homes, and those who work directly with infants receive the vaccine.
Amidst all the reactions to the A H1N1 vaccine, there are opinions in favor of and against it. The scientific community expects that there will be some allergic reactions, deaths, or miscarriages in the case of pregnant women. This might relate directly to the application of the vaccine, something that scientists have experienced at other times like in the 1970s when the first doses of a vaccine against influenza were implemented.
