Cuba: “Vaccine? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Vaccine!”
Because Cuba has soldiers, a single-payer system and authoritarian rule.
Wasn’t this the health care system Michael Moore touted as so wonderful in “Sicko”?
Cuba is ready to use just about everything at its disposal, from its well-oiled civil defense system to the soldiers of a totalitarian government, to keep swine flu cases to a minimum.
Everything but a vaccine.
As the U.S. prepares an extensive health survey for side affects from its extensive inoculation plans, Cuba’s No. 2 health official says relying on a shot to contain a world pandemic is risky as best — and demoralizing at worst.
“Nobody knows if it would work,” said Dr. Luis Estruch. “How safe would it be?”
Yeah, how safe? Obviously if Cuba didn’t come up with it, well then it must be suspect. And beside they have a plan:
Swine flu plans for the new season involve all ministries, including the armed forces. If necessary, the government will isolate neighborhoods or entire villages, shut down highways and dispatch medical teams to communities affected by swine flu, Estruch said.
Soldiers can go door to door to enforce mandatory quarantines and evacuations — and authorities think nothing of severing areas from all contact with the outside world.
“In a matter of hours, we can determine what resources to send,” Estruch said. “We’ve thought it out. . . . We’ve considered what to do if we have to paralyze a town, if we have to stop public transit, if we have to close the schools.”
Hey, when you have an army, use it. Don’t let them sit around getting fat, dumb and lazy. Send them from door to door to become infected and spread the virus when the go back home or to the barracks to enforce quarantine and evacuations (to where, pray tell?). Beats the heck out of spending money on vaccines doesn’t it?
Yup, when the government runs health care, you’re just covered up with options, aren’t you?
~McQ