The capitalist state is attacking all of us!!!
We learned this week that the flu vaccine will no longer be free for the entire population – a decision by the CAQ provincial government. Last year, the same rollback on free vaccines was implemented for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Free vaccines will be reserved for the most vulnerable people, including the elderly, those who are immunocompromised, and healthcare workers. But it is well known that being vaccinated yourself while those around you are not is much less safe than when a large portion of society has access to vaccination.
The government, going against all consensus on the importance of preventive healthcare, has therefore decided to sacrifice those at risk of complications from contracting these diseases.
The CAQ’s excuse is that it is prioritizing vaccination for those who need it most, based on a “cost-effectiveness analysis”.
But a government truly concerned with the health of vulnerable people would organize a vaccination campaign designed to provide the widest possible vaccination coverage. Anticipating the arrival of the flu is an annual occurrence; there is no justification for not having enough vaccines for the entire population that wishes to receive them.
So why this backtracking?
Because it puts at risk only those who are generally excluded from capitalist production. The elderly, in particular, are considered to no longer be contributing to society and are seen as nothing more than an expense for the government. People who are sick or disabled are often excluded from the workforce, and are therefore also viewed as an expense by the accountants who manage our healthcare system.
It is important to point out that the vaccines remain available… to the people who can afford it. This is another part of our precious healthcare system that is sold to the private sector. Our politicians will be vaccinated: they can afford it. Their poorer and more vulnerable constituents will not, and they will get sick, and possibly die.
In an article in Le Devoir on this subject, however, an infectious disease specialist advocates for vaccination among the general population. But not because prevention promotes well-being, but rather:
“For healthy people, there are still benefits to the vaccine, such as lower absenteeism from school or work.”
A healthcare system at the service of capitalism – that, too, is the far right.
