Thoughts on taxes paying for vaccines

[kathymuggle]

Are you annoyed your taxes go towards vaccines?

[Marnica]

Yes - very!

[kathymuggle]

Marnica - are you pro universal health care (or at least pro some tax money going towards health care) or not?  Do you feel this influences your feeling?

I am pro universal health care, but I have mixed feelings on vaccines being covered. More later.  I wonder if your annoyance comes from your views on public healthcare, your views on vaccines or both?

[Marnica]

Your question is such a complex one for me Kathy. I couldn't possible answer on here. I have mixed feelings about Universal Healthcare for a variety of reasons.

I think my annoyance is about my views vaccines. I hate to think of my tax dollars paying for anything I believe to be damaging to so many children/people.  

[kathymuggle]

Originally Posted by Marnica 

Your question is such a complex one for me Kathy. I couldn't possible answer on here. I have mixed feelings about Universal Healthcare for a variety of reasons.

I think my annoyance is about my views vaccines. I hate to think of my tax dollars paying for anything I believe to be damaging to so many children/people.  

Fair enough.  I am not sure this is the place for universal health care debate anyways.  No matter our perspective on free health care, some tax money in all countries goes towards health care which includes free vaccines (for those who qualify).

There are lots of things that are done with my taxes that I do not like.  Military spending.  Full time junior kindergarten.

 For the most part I am ok with how the system works.  I vote for a party, if enough people vote the way I do, they get in and spend in alignment with my beliefs.  If I do not like how they rule or spend, I vote differently next time or join lobby group/be an activist for change. So…in general I do not complain how my tax dollars are spent.   

I also acknowledge that just because a program does not hold much value for me does not mean it does not hold value for others.  I am ok with paying for programs that hold value for others even if i do not use them.  For many years I HSed (I still do HS my youngest) and did not begrudge taxes going to school.

That being said, I do think a program should be grounded in a good foundation to justify spending tax dollars on it….and I am not sure vaccines always are.  The flu vaccine is an excellent example - there is a lot of evidence it does not work very well at all (and most people do not need to avoid the flu - your fear of getting sick/missing work or school should not be my tax burden) - yet my tax dollars pay for it.  

[serenbat]

It's a mute point in the US since we don't have Universal Health Care - not even close to it! 

Mandating an insurance company cover it is about as close as we will get, that is a step up compared to not covering it, as in you can't just want a vac and get it without a "professional" giving it to you (it's medical yet not covered for all) - same with birth control pills (you must have a script) yet that isn't covered for us as of yet either!

It falls under medical for me and thus should be covered because you can't just obtain it on your own.

[kathymuggle]

Originally Posted by serenbat 

It's a mute point in the US since we don't have Universal Health Care - not even close to it! 

Some of your tax dollars are earmarked towards healthcare, though.  Doesn't some of this go towards vaccines for kids whose parents cannot afford it?  (example: families on WIC).

[Jennyanydots]

I am all for universal health care (this ridiculous private insurance based crap is a joke) and in the right context I have no problem with taxes paying for most of what would fall under the umbrella of health care, including vaccines. What I do have a problem with, however, is the absence of tort liability for vaccine related harm, and that financial compensation to families of vaccine damaged children is paid by our taxes instead of by manufacturers.

[serenbat]

Quote:

Some of your tax dollars are earmarked towards healthcare, though.  Doesn't some of this go towards vaccines for kids whose parents cannot afford it?  (example: families on WIC).

you can exempt out, the military vac is much larger and I hate more that my money goes to drones

ETA- as things currently stand, who can get FREE vacs is extremely disproportionate here as well - if it's are low income child, yes, if you a senior and do not have part D (and it doesn't pay to have it if you take no meds and are in good health) your Medicare will not pay for all vacs (they only do 3) so that means shingles vac, you pay out of pocket, or if you are in the middle and your state does not mandate insurance companies to pay for them, etc-so over not a fair system here and with the AFC it still will not cover all to get if you choose too either

Quote:

 What I do have a problem with, however, is the absence of tort liability for vaccine related harm, and that financial compensation to families of vaccine damaged children is paid by our taxes instead of by manufacturers.

I don't think we will see this until a complete over-haul and even then I don't really think so (I could see that as a bargaining chip for lower costs for doses)

Edited by serenbat - 2/14/13 at 11:02am