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GoogleLittle did he know talk show host Rush Limbaugh would read excerpts from the column on his national radio program.
"I've always had people respond here locally to items I've written in the newspaper. said Piercey, whose column appeared in the Nov. 11 edition of the Southeast Missourian. "But to write a hometown editorial and have it go national is surreal."
In his column, Piercey talked about an experience at his physician's office, where he wanted to receive an H1N1 vaccine. While the office had three available, Piercey was told he would have to first receive approval from the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center.
When he talked to health center officials, Piercey said he was denied approval because only pregnant women and children could receive the vaccine.
"Even though I'm a senior citizen at high risk because of numerous medical problems, I was denied," Piercey said. "Is this what health care is going to be like under our government in the future? I'm glad I was able to get that point across and have it noticed by Rush Limbaugh and other media outlets."
While Limbaugh was reading the editorial, Piercey received a call from Mark Reardon of KMOX radio station in St. Louis, requesting an interview later that afternoon.
"He asked if I knew the editorial was being read and I said no," Piercey said. "Mark told me that it was being read aloud now to a national audience. That was pretty amazing."
During the interview on the radio station Reardon asked Piercey for his reaction and what he believes about the current state of health care.
"You got some national publicity on this," Reardon said during the interview of the Mark Reardon Show. "That's got to be impressive."
In the next few days following Limbaugh's show, Piercey's name appeared on numerous Internet searches.
"It was strange typing in my name and seeing it there on national websites," Piercey said. "I don't know if I'll ever have an experience like this again, but hopefully others will have heard what I said and think more about this issue."
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Good form Piercey!
I am just guessing, but if you were on the Titanic, you would be pushing to get in the lifeboat first, ahead of women and children. Just a guess. Perhaps you would even save Rush a couple seats. What a man.
Who Cares!?!?!
I am still curious.
What does vaccanations have to do with government run health care?
Also, no where does Piercy really talk about wanting to pay $500 a vaccanation for H1N1.
People have no problem with the government doing the reasearch, purchasing the vaccine and making it available for only $25 a shot. Yet they complain that a virus which wasn't identified until April is not availble for the entire population by the first of November.
I question the veracity of Mr. Piercey's story or maybe I am just not understanding this situation. If Mr. Piercy's private physician had three H1N1 vaccine shots, why did he have to get approval from the County Health Dept to administer one to Mr. Piercy? What gives the County Health Dept the authority to order Mr. Piercy's physician to deny the vaccine to Mr. Piercy? Did the County Health Dept provide the vaccines to Mr. Piercy's physician? If Mr. Piercy requested a shot from his physician and the shot was the "property" of the physician, why couldn't Mr. Piercy simply pay his physician for the shot? Seems that there are some unanswered questions here.
I cant believe a man would expect to get a H1N1 shot knowing there are 3 left in that office and the highest at risk are pregnant women and children! I am pregnant and I dont believe I would want to try and get one of those shots knowing I could possibly be taking away from a child. I dont believe this article should have been read on a national radio station unless to show America how some men truly believe they should be ahead of women and children.
According to CDC, senior citizens (even with "numerous health problems") are likely to have more immunity to H1N1. Therefore, Piercy probably has little risk of catching H1N1, while pregnant women and children are at extremely high risk. I agree with Townie1.
Mr. Piercey, Good job and congratulations! Very impressive.
The question remains. If Mr. Piercy's doc had the shot, what gives the Health Dept. the authority to tell Mr. Piercy's private physician what to do? Dig deeper Brian Blackwell. I bet there's more to this.
Again, according to Mr. Piercy, his own physician was in possession of three H1N1 vaccine shots.
The doctor said he couldn't give him one without the authorization of the county health dept.
WHY?????
I wouldn't go to a doc who couldn't make decisions about his own patients without the approval of some nurse or some glorified social worker at the county health dept.
Was Mr. Piercy told "no" directly by the health dept or did Mr. Piercy's doc tell him the health dept said "No."
Come on Missourian. If the Cape County Health Dept can give our docs direct orders like this, we deserve to know how and why.
Agree or not with flu shot guidelines, Mr Piercey
has touched on the question of government deciding
who deserves certain services more or less than others.
Children should come first regarding the H1N1 Flu shots, they should receive priority first because that seems to be what the virus is attacking is our young ones more then it is the older population between the age groups of 50-80.
This is the part I like:
Piercey said, "Is this what health care is going to be like under our government in the future?"
No, dumbaz, that's what it's like now!
I SECOND THAT MOTION GRANNY,I SAID .......SERIOUS TIMELINE CONFUSION!
I believe he was trying to use this scenario to compare to the larger picture. He's talking about the rationing of services. There's a situation where in order to receive care, the doctor has to go to a "higher authority" to get permission to carry out his job. That authority denied the man a service because others should receive it first.
In this situation, I would have no problem with him getting the shot. These vaccines have been out long enough that there should be waiting lists if people are really concerned about getting them. If they don't want to take the time to get them, why should others have to wait when they want to prevent an illness?
This is just a tiny example what will happen on a much larger scale if this worthless money pit of a bill passes.
This is the part I like:
Piercey said, "Is this what health care is going to be like under our government in the future?"
No, dumbaz, that's what it's like now!
-- Posted by grandma72 on Wed, Nov 18, 2009, at 6:32 PM
Yes it is like that now. But it is a lack of meds not a lack of funds.
But...if UHC passes and you need a procedure or meds that are readily available but after paying taxes for 50 years an accountant say NO because it is not cost effective due to your age.
Big difference.
only a loser like rush would waste time over a stupid story like this.
There you go again, Mr. Wiffle. Typical conservative (republican) scare tactics. Making up fact of how the future will be by looking through your crystal ball. There will be no death panels. You might as well say if UHC passes, Al-Quada will attack the US too.
The HC system is broke.
When the number of vaccines are limited and the health department is getting in half the orders they need then of course they should have some say in it. The health department is like the control center when these situations happen. Just like if we had an outbreak of another disease, the health department keeps track of numbers and vaccines. I am pregnant and a mother of a school aged child when my husband went with me to the health department he requested an H1N1 shot to help prevent me and our child sick but he was also denied. I completely understand this and was actually happy the county is looking ahead to make sure those children and pregnant women are not at risk. People would complain no matter what they did so I have learned to suck it up cause you cant make everyone happy!
Ike, Dr. offices have to follow current guidelines, just like the health dept does. The vaccine doesn't "belong" to the Dr.
The other day when I read Piercey's letter, I thought it was misleading and full of incorrect information - still do. Perfect for Rush though. I bet Rush has tried to get the vaccine - heck, probably already bought it from one of his "friendly" Dr. friends. Or maybe he was able to get the vaccine intended for his housekeeper's child. He should because he's more important than most and rules should be different for him.
I had a client this week whose child received the H1N1 vaccination and began having seizures afterward. The child is in St Louis at this time trying to determine treatment. Maybe if Mr. Piercy had received this dose his whining would be of a different nature.
"The doctor overseeing my health care advised me to get an H1N1 flu shot." ...the woman at the health department apologized and told me that even though I was a senior citizen at high risk, the health department had been instructed to approve shots only for children and pregnant mothers.-from Mr Piercy's letter.
And you don't see how this is connected to government control of health care.....simply amazing
John in Jackson,
No explain it to me.
In St. Louis County where they were administering free H1N1 vaccines, it depended on who you got your coupon from. I took my children up there ages 10, 16, and 22. One worker would not give me the coupons stating that the children did not meet the age criteria. I went to another coupon station, and a different worker gave me the coupons for my 10 and 16 year old. My 22 year old just decided he'd try to get it later. My conclusion, it is very subjective on who gets approved. I had thought all 3 of my kids that I took up there met the age criteria based on the press reports in the local St. Louis newspapers, but it really depended on subjectivity and possible biases. There is alot of confusion on who gets the shot and different criteria are enforced differently from person to person. By the way St. Charles County is $10.00 to get the shot.
i was raised in the polio time i am glad he was not my dad or grandpa because only children were affected. besides rush wouldnt have said nothing if it wasnt bad for health care. besides i bet this expects to get the shot before children and mothers to be boy what a man
Here is the real kicker.
The only reason there is any vaccine, is becasue of government involvment. Funny how they leave that out of the bashing.
Odd, isn't it, how even the media et al keep leaving off 'the rest of the story' about who should get this vaccine ... that people with compromised immune systems should receive it.
Well, gee ... everyone knows that seniors are draining the the SS and Medicare system that they helped pay for, so ... let's push the idea that no one over 60 needs a vaccine.
You're right, John ... this IS a government-regulated program ... and soon we will have a 2,074 page (GASP) government-regulated health care 'plan' which will cost hundreds of billions (um ... trying to remember any government 'estimate' of what anything will cost compared with what the actual cost turns out to be) but will reduce the federal deficit. Amazing, isn't it?
Well ... sorry I skimmed these comments ... Really hadn't realized the extent of some of the animosity and hatefulness in this area.
There you go again, Mr. Wiffle. Typical conservative (republican) scare tactics. Making up fact of how the future will be by looking through your crystal ball. There will be no death panels. You might as well say if UHC passes, Al-Quada will attack the US too.
-- Posted by grandma72 on Wed, Nov 18, 2009, at 8:26 PM
How about what is happening since the BO administration announced women don't need a Mammogram until they are 50. That is crazy. Well there is what the future holds for you with UHC.
Ha, now women don't need PAP smears every yr according to GOV'T OFFICIALS.
I can not wait until these GOV"T OFFICIALS STOP giving us rectal exams!
"Rush Limbaugh would read excerpts from the column"
That should tell you all you need to know, right there.
Not the whole story, just what he wanted to read.
Just mention the name Rush Limbaugh and all the left wing Lugnuts fall off the wheels in a frenzy of criticism.
Most of them by their own admission do not listen to Rush. So how can they criticize when they don't know what they're complaining about.
Mr. Piercey was making a point the left wing lugnuts don't want to hear. That simple.
You're absolutely right, I don't listen to him. I've heard enough of his show in the past to know that I don't need to hear anymore of it.
He's a lunatic, a liar, and a hypocrite.
Anyone who disagrees with him is a "liberal" wacko.
Since when did lebeling someone a "liberal" become schoolyard name-calling. It's pretty childish at best.
And it seems it's the only response you can ever get out of one of these conservative pundits whenever they are questioned.
"Oh yeah, well you're a liberal!"
Oh NOOOOOOO....
I lot of dumb people listen to Rush Limbaugh. A lot of dumb people buy Snuggie blankets....
What's your point?
I think it is very demeaning to dog our local health department. The very people who are criticizing these hard working people are the very same ones I bet who are lining up for their free services. As a nurse, I am especially offended by the comment made about the "glorified nurses and social workers". I will tell you one thing, nurses and social workers are hard working people and this is a very trying time of year. There are not enough vaccine around. If they could magically vaccinate you all, they would so they didnt have to constantly hear the complaining. The health dept provides vaccine to all of our physician offices. There are certain criteria that they have to go by. If you dont like it...too bad. They are only doing what they can by a priority list. It is not a guessing game. H1N1 is typically seen primarily in the peds and pregnant women at this point. SO that is why they are getting vaccinated first.