Flu shots for the uninsured would save money. Time for Tarrant County to step up | Opinion

Thousands of needy Tarrant County residents may have to forgo flu shots this fall, for want of a tiny portion of the county’s annual budget.

The shots have been available for residents without health insurance for the last few years, thanks to federal COVID pandemic funding. That money has dried up, county officials say.

The shots cost about $25 each, and in 2021, the Public Health department program inoculated more than 3,200 residents, the Star-Telegram’s Ciara McCarthy reported.

Do the math: Even if you adjust for a larger population and, hopefully, more interest, we’re talking about approximately $100,000.

This year, Tarrant County’s budget is $896.6 million.

It’s shortsighted for the county to risk that so many vulnerable people might not get the flu shot because they can’t afford the $25 ($8 for children). Some portion of those people will get the flu and may end up sick enough to need care at John Peter Smith Hospital’s emergency room or one of the county health system’s clinics. When that happens, it’ll be much more expensive for taxpayers to treat them.

This is a perilous time for the uninsured. Thanks again to federal policy, the state is carefully checking eligibility for Medicaid, the program that covers many Texas children and some poor adults. Hundreds of thousands of children are losing coverage, a new report shows. Texas has always been stingy with Medicaid, and the loss of COVID-era exceptions could mean the difference in millions of Texans receiving basic care such as flu shots.

Federal funding always comes with strings, and some programs should indeed be temporary. The original point of paying for more flu shots during the pandemic was to relieve the burden on already stressed hospitals and health systems.

But it’s frustrating to see local officials throw up their hands as if there’s nothing they can do. For what is practically a rounding error in the annual budget, Tarrant County could prevent serious illness for thousands of residents.

For some lately, attitudes on vaccinations of all kinds are colored by the COVID experience. We hope that kind of politics isn’t at play here. The flu shot is not the mRNA type that some have questioned. No one wants to make flu shots compulsory.

Flu vaccinations are well-established. It’s true that they are far from perfect; scientists and health officials have to project what strain of the flu is likely to dominate and craft the annual shot against it. They don’t always get it right and, yes, some people who get vaccinated get sick anyway. Plenty of people choose not to get vaccinated.

And yet, the shots often help prevent the worst of outbreaks. With a tricky annual disease such as influenza, every little bit helps.

This is exactly the kind of thing we have a public health department for. The county partnered effectively with grocery-store pharmacies and runs its own clinics. Shots will still be available, but even a modest cost barrier should be avoided.

County government has taken up the mantle of fiscal conservatism, trimming the budget and reducing property taxes. We’re all for that. But part of financially prudent governance is recognizing areas where modest spending can save money down the road.

If you’ve ever been in a crowded urgent care clinic or ER during flu season, you know how many cases could have been prevented. Count up the dollars that could have been saved and ask why Tarrant County can’t do better.