posted on October 22, 2004 08:42:17 PM new
Seems like Canada is annually much better prepared then we are--and American citizens are taking advantage of that fact:
Americans Flock Across Borders for Flu Shots
Fri Oct 22, 2004 05:56 PM ET
The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority is taking in U.S. citizens daily and will be opening its doors on Saturday, Oct. 30, in response to demand. The shots cost up to $40, including a clinic fee and the vaccine.
Flu shots in the United States typically cost $15 to $80.
GlaxoSmithKline's Fluarix brand sells for the equivalent of $11 a shot in Reynosa pharmacies, and the locally made Fluzone goes for about $15. Commercially available vaccines cost $65-$80 in the United States.
Canadian officials say that Americans seeking flu shots have been showing up at various clinics near the border and at Vancouver International Airport, which has a health clinic.
"We're well supplied," said Viviana Zanocco, spokeswoman for the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, who said that Canada typically has a surplus of flu vaccine every year from its main two manufacturers. (Additional reporting by Tim Gaynor in Monterrey and Catherine Bremer in Tijuana)
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