H1N1 Vaccinations Available Wednesday in Brooklyn Heights

By on December 1, 2009 10:34 am in Health

This just in for Long Island College Hospital:

Due to the large turnout last week, local pediatrician Stephen Turner, MD, will conduct an additional session of H1N1 vaccination for children AND adults. There is a $20 administrative fee.
Location: 185 Montague St., 4th floor
Time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2009
No appointment is necessary.

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  • promenade

    greed at times like this, never cease to amaze me….the vaccine didn’t cost him anything – so the $20 is for his time to stick the needle in an arm and write down a name with birth date? Altruism or capitalism?

  • heightsdiho

    Well – presumably his time is worth something and he won’t be able to see other patients while administering the vaccine. Just = to a co-pay…

  • ABC

    Oy. Why is it that everyone is such a jackass in brooklyn heights? You really think $20 is too much? CVS charges $20-25 for an admin to admin the seasonal flu vaccine. The guy has to heat his office, pay his employees. He has to take his time out from regular clients.

    This neighborhood! I nominate the “Crotchety Grouch” as the Person of the Year in BH!

  • heightsdiho

    Bravo, ABC!

  • Lee

    YAY, ABC!!!!! At least he has the vaccine and is offering the service to everyone.

  • Publius

    Are there any limitations, or can anyone obtain the vaccine?

  • promenade

    He is NOT CVS. He is a doctor – and presumably, not a very busy one if he is able to offer his Wednesdays to make money off the H1N1 fiasco. Let’s face it, the distribution of the vaccine was sorely botched, but for him to make money on this is ridiculous. There are still plenty of places that are giving it free of charge. He is taking advantage of a [understandably] nervous public.

  • promenade

    and why does he have so much of the vaccine when most dr office are out? hmmmmmm…..

  • RKM

    If you are in one of the risk groups (see below), you can get the H1N1 influenza vaccine for free at one of the Health Department’s weekend vaccination clinics – locations for this weekend and next weekend can be found here. http://nyc.gov/html/doh/flu/html/vaccination/index.shtml

    Lines have not been long and the wait is generally ~1 hour, usually less.

    Risk groups
    * Pregnant women
    * All health care workers
    * Anyone 6 months through 24 years of age
    * Anyone 25 through 64 years of age who has an underlying health condition that increases risk of severe illness or complications (see box above)
    * Anyone who lives with or cares for children less than 6 months old

  • AEB

    The doc’s in business to provide a service–he also has overhead. You think he shouldn’t charge for his time just because health is involved?

    You think twenty bucks is too much for the shot?

    In a better world, perhaps, in which capitalism is a footnote to a long-gone “civilization,” such charges will be unnecessary. But until then….

  • ABC

    call before you go to any of those sites. it hasn’t been updated the way it should, and sites regularly have the vaccine for kids under 4 or people over but not both.

    my pediatrician told me last week that they only had the child doses at a clinic in Bushwick and one in Chinatown, but it changes often. (the money is less of an issue for me than getting 2 kids and a stroller to chinatown to a clinic I’ve never heard of.)

    dr turner is a well-respected local pediatrician. clearly, “promenade” doesn’t have kids and hasn’t had kids in a long time if he/she doesn’t know of him. and still willing to talk trash about him — how very Brooklyn Heights of you!

    my kids go to another local pediatrician who is also expecting — finally — doses for everyone. she had doses and a waiting list for the doses earlier on, but when our names came up it was clear there were not enough to go around and she asked people to skip it so she could immunize kids who were immunocompromised. this is what non-jackass people did. we waited. I’m sure “promenade” would have made a different decision. I really wouldn’t get all “hmmmmm” about the fact that the doses are now, finally, arriving in the area.

    it comes as no surprise that the vaccines are finally getting distributed now that the flu has peaked nationally. but here in Brooklyn Heights, the swine flu has struck again recently and hard. 3/4 of some local preschool classes have been empty with kids out with swine flu or “swine flu-like” symptons. it’s a major worry with local parents. you can continue to gripe about the $20…

  • promenade

    ABC, I have two kids. Clearly you don’t understand what I am saying. If Dr. Turner had (and he has had this for several weeks now) so much more vaccine then everyone else, why didn’t he redistribute to a medical/center so that they can give the vaccine for free locally. Why did he contact local schools to “advertise” the fact that he has it? I agree that the swine flu is VERY real (one of my children had it last spring) and getting vaccinated is important – this is not something I’m arguing. But stock piling vaccination and then charging to give them is unforgivable.

  • ABC

    Vaccines are regulated. You can’t redistribute it legally. So there’s that.

    He can sit on it, or he can let people know it’s available locally. I’m glad he is getting the word out. I am personally glad to have this information. Also, ask you pediatrician — most doctors lose money on vaccines. CVS loses money on them too, but they figure it’s a loss leader.

  • ABC

    here you go promenade. I’m sure you’ll want to handle this for him:

    > Also, Dr. Turner said they sent him 30,000, which he obviously will never
    > use all of. He said the paper work is a mammoth. He also said he would like
    > to send the extras to another medical facility that can use them too. If
    > anyone has ideas and knows how to handle the paperwork/willing to handle the
    > paperwork, I am sure he would be happy to hear about it.

    Also, make sure when you call him you should tell him about how you think he is greedy, how he is taking advantage of the public, how his actions are unforgivable, etc. and that you wrote all that on a local blog that will come up when anyone googles his name.

  • Heather

    ABC is right, as above. It’s my understanding he tried to redistribute and I assume this is the best alternative he came up with. For what it’s worth, they’re a great practice and it’s wonderful that they are doing this. My daughter was in desperate need of the vaccine before they got it (since she was just getting over pneumonia) and I couldn’t find a clinic in the city that would vaccinate her because of her age.

    Dr. Turner and all the pediatricians at this practice are great people. Their practice is not exactly rich, and I’m sure there ARE administrative costs associated with vaccinating. For one, you need syringes and medical records, correct?

  • promenade

    oh please – he hire you for his PR? He can set aside a full Wed each week to vaccinate and charge but can’t figure out how to redistribute?

  • sunset

    Hey promenade why don’t you get a medical degree and you can have the option to do this for free. Or maybe you can volunteer your Wednesday and help his office with some administration for no charge. Seasonal shots (non H1N1 flu shots) are not free either. It’s not simply stick a needle in the arm, some people can have severe allergic reactions etc. There’s always a risk. It may look simple like changing a light bulb, but there’s a always a medical risk.

  • promenade

    Hey Sunset – I have a medical background – it is that simple. Those with egg allergies receive their vaccinations at their allergists office. It is as simple as a stick in the arm and writing down a name and birth date. I think I should be allowed my opinion without personal attacks.

  • ABC

    Not exactly true, as usual. My child with egg allergies gets the shot at the pediatrician and then is kept and monitored for 30 minutes.

    Also it’s a two dose vaccine which takes some time administratively, as well as medically. But, I know, $20 is too steep for you!

    I think it’s ironic that you don’t like personal attacks — and you’re anonymous here — but you’re AOK with personally and professionally attacking others by name.

  • promenade

    well ABC, YOU are wrong again. someone with an egg allergy SHOULD be given their vaccine at their allergist office if possible…and I never said that kids under 10 shouldn’t receive boosters…the CDC lays this all out, and I’m not doubting them. I also didn’t say $20 was “too steep” for me. I said that this doctor is clearly making money on his stock piled vaccines and I think this is wrong.

  • Publius

    Stopped in today at 2:30 and it took less than 5 minutes to complete the form, pay the $20, get the shot, and leave. Very efficient.

    I have a few friends who’ve contracted Swine Flu and they are having a rough time. Get the shot.

  • mommy

    Dr. Turner is an outstanding doctor and we are lucky to have him in BH.

  • nabeguy

    Not for nothing, but how did one doctor receive 30,000 doses of the vaccination? Instead of vilifying the doctor who received them, perhaps the focus should be on the distribution network that not only seems to have made a gross error but further compounds it by making it next to impossible to correct.

  • harumph

    nabeguy, promenade mentioned the distribution problem before
    “Let’s face it, the distribution of the vaccine was sorely botched, but for him to make money on this is ridiculous. There are still plenty of places that are giving it free of charge. He is taking advantage of a [understandably] nervous public.”
    I have to admit there is some truth there…this isn’t about how ‘outstanding’ a doc this guy is, it is about charging the public $20 for something he rec’d free (and I guess charging those with kids $40 since they need two shots). A neighbor of mine to me that he contacted their school and that they sent a similar email announcing his shot program to ALL the parents.

  • bklyndave

    I went to one of the distribution sessions, paid my $20, got the shot, and left thinking, “that was great, and worth the $20 to avoid waiting in line somewhere for 4-5 hours.” Then I got a bill from Long Island College Hospital for $75.01 for “H1N1 Administration” (curiously, the actual dose was listed as costing $0.01). Fortunately, when I called Dr. Turner’s office, they said it was a billing error and that they would take care of it. What a relief… still gave me a bit of a scare.