Poked around on the 'net and found an actual serial number for .5 mL of Ipol in an integrated syringe. Seeing as this was exactly what I needed -- and exactly what my pharmacist said they didn't carry -- I was livid. There was a good ten minutes of me sitting here being really pissed off, imagining myself returning the vial to the pharmacy tomorrow morning (threatening to sue 'em for fraud if they refused to take it back) and making them order the right stuff immediately, which I'd get the nurse to inject for me first thing Monday.
Yeah. Then I googled it a bit more and found out they don't make it any more. No shit. My pharmacist spoke the truth. Of the two online vaccine ordering places I found (and isn't life cool that pharmacies can order all this stuff on the internet?), both of them were only carrying the stupid ten-dose vial.
Still not sure what I'm s'posed to do with the remaining 9 doses. Four doses is what it takes to immunize a kid. I'm wondering if there's some local pediatrician or clinic or something I could donate it to so two little underprivileged kids can get their polio shots. I doubt it -- I mean, would you accept a vial of Ipol from some stranger? Still, seems a horrible waste of good vaccine (not to mention my money).
Edited -- It pretty much went as suggested in the comments, with the possible exception of the receipt. My nurse (who was doing the injecting) said her daughter-in-law worked for a pediatrician, and she was pretty sure said pediatrician would take the Ipol. No receipt was possible since I didn't have the donee present. I doubt it would have mattered anyway as (1) isn't the receipt unnecessary for something in this price range? and (2) I expect a pediatrician doesn't count as a charitable organization -- even if said pediatrician promises to use the Ipol for charitable purposes. (I'll have to look that up.) In any event, for now, I'll just satisfy myself with the fact that I'm not wasting 9 doses of polio vaccine and somewhere two kids will get vaccinated 'cause of me. Oh, makes me feel all warm and cozy inside. Or maybe that's the just the Ipol stinging. Hard to tell.
2 comments:
Hmmm - if you have a pediatrician that you know from usage in the past, call and offer it in return for their injection and signature on your immunization record. Otherwise, "donate" it to your physician and get a receipt for the full cost of the bottle of Ipol - use the tax deduction and let us pay for it. The problem revolves around no reasonable party being willing to accept an open vial unless they know the history. Good luck!
when I was in the fourth grade we all got our oral polio boosters. My best friend and I were being super cool so we held ours in our mouth until we could get to the bathroom, then we spit it out in the sink. I asked a nurse years later if I should get re-boostered. She looked at me like I was a monster and suggested that spitting live polio vaccine in a sink was an act of terrorism. I feel lucky I didn't get arrested.
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