E turned 4 a while ago, but I was waiting to take him to get his next round of vaccinations until we got our health cards that entitle us to free health care at any government health center or hospital.
It's been more than six months and we still don't have them.
So I decided I needed to investigate what the possibilities were for getting the vaccines done anyway and what the probability was that I would end up getting them done here or getting them done back in the States. I looked up both the boys' records, discovered that J, too, needed a Hepatitus A vaccine in addition to the three E needed and collected all the paperwork I had so I can carry it with me until we get this question all sorted out. What followed was a typical journey I take here every couple of weeks, because talking on the phone to someone is utterly useless the vast majority of the time:
First, I went to our private health clinic to the pediatrician's office. After waiting a while and speaking to three different people, I was told that there were no vaccines available except a few and those were "reserved." What does reserved mean, I ask. Well, when people come to get vaccines and those they need aren't available, these people are put on a list and when the vaccines come available, they are reserved for those people on the list. How often do you have all the vaccines you need? Not often. How long does it take to request a vaccine when there is a need? We don't know. Do you store them here? Yes, when we get them from the state hospital. How often does that happen? We don't know. Which of these four vaccine do you currently have available? None. Okay then, I think I will be leaving now. Strike one.
Next, I went to the main state hospital here and inquired again. This hospital was 20 minutes away from the doctor's office and I had to park very far away and it was a balmy 106 degrees right then, at 8am but why focus on all that? At the hospital, I was told that they only give vaccines to infants or those who are hospitalized and others might be available at my local government healthcare clinic...if I had a health card. Strike two.
Then, I went to a private hospital, a tiny little place right smack in the center of a very busy commercial district where I ended up parking illegally when it became apparent that the 20 car parking lot they did have was laughably inadequate for all the people waiting to get in. At this place, they did have all the vaccines available that day but they advised me to call before I came since often they did not. They told me the procedure was for a doctor to see the patients and order the vaccines, have the nurse call the insurance company to see if the vaccines were approved (a process that could take anywhere from 10 minutes to 48 hours depending on insurance carrier), and then have another nurse administer the immunizations. I was able to find out how long my insurance company generally took to approve (10-15 minutes, thankfully) and get the direct number to call to see if the vaccines were in stock. I was also told the helpful tidbit that though vaccines are administered between 8am and 9pm, I should really get there before 8pm and should definitely NOT arrive between 2 and 3pm, which is shift change for the doctors. It also happens to be the time I would arrive if I take the boys right after school, which is less helpful. Ball one
Finally, I tried to locate my local government clinic, in the hopes that I might be able to show up there and get them to give me some more information, but I couldn't find locations or phone numbers for any of them. Typical. I also, on a whim, called the employee health clinic for my husband's work, but no, they don't do immunizations, I am sorry madame. Ball two and ball three.
So where does that leave us? I will try the private hospital route exactly once before we leave (getting the boys anywhere after school is never fun, let alone into this difficult to access area). If I can get everything done then, so much the better. If not, I will call up pediatricians and/or infectious disease or travel clinics in the States when we get back and have what needs to be done done as soon as possible. At the very least, I know that while it may cost me an arm and a leg to have the kids vaccinated in Utah with Qatari insurance, I will absolutely not strike out AND I will be able to track down the information I need in less than half an hour of phone calls, as opposed to the two and a half hours of driving around, waiting, and almost fruitless conversations I had this morning.
It's been more than six months and we still don't have them.
So I decided I needed to investigate what the possibilities were for getting the vaccines done anyway and what the probability was that I would end up getting them done here or getting them done back in the States. I looked up both the boys' records, discovered that J, too, needed a Hepatitus A vaccine in addition to the three E needed and collected all the paperwork I had so I can carry it with me until we get this question all sorted out. What followed was a typical journey I take here every couple of weeks, because talking on the phone to someone is utterly useless the vast majority of the time:
First, I went to our private health clinic to the pediatrician's office. After waiting a while and speaking to three different people, I was told that there were no vaccines available except a few and those were "reserved." What does reserved mean, I ask. Well, when people come to get vaccines and those they need aren't available, these people are put on a list and when the vaccines come available, they are reserved for those people on the list. How often do you have all the vaccines you need? Not often. How long does it take to request a vaccine when there is a need? We don't know. Do you store them here? Yes, when we get them from the state hospital. How often does that happen? We don't know. Which of these four vaccine do you currently have available? None. Okay then, I think I will be leaving now. Strike one.
Next, I went to the main state hospital here and inquired again. This hospital was 20 minutes away from the doctor's office and I had to park very far away and it was a balmy 106 degrees right then, at 8am but why focus on all that? At the hospital, I was told that they only give vaccines to infants or those who are hospitalized and others might be available at my local government healthcare clinic...if I had a health card. Strike two.
Then, I went to a private hospital, a tiny little place right smack in the center of a very busy commercial district where I ended up parking illegally when it became apparent that the 20 car parking lot they did have was laughably inadequate for all the people waiting to get in. At this place, they did have all the vaccines available that day but they advised me to call before I came since often they did not. They told me the procedure was for a doctor to see the patients and order the vaccines, have the nurse call the insurance company to see if the vaccines were approved (a process that could take anywhere from 10 minutes to 48 hours depending on insurance carrier), and then have another nurse administer the immunizations. I was able to find out how long my insurance company generally took to approve (10-15 minutes, thankfully) and get the direct number to call to see if the vaccines were in stock. I was also told the helpful tidbit that though vaccines are administered between 8am and 9pm, I should really get there before 8pm and should definitely NOT arrive between 2 and 3pm, which is shift change for the doctors. It also happens to be the time I would arrive if I take the boys right after school, which is less helpful. Ball one
Finally, I tried to locate my local government clinic, in the hopes that I might be able to show up there and get them to give me some more information, but I couldn't find locations or phone numbers for any of them. Typical. I also, on a whim, called the employee health clinic for my husband's work, but no, they don't do immunizations, I am sorry madame. Ball two and ball three.
So where does that leave us? I will try the private hospital route exactly once before we leave (getting the boys anywhere after school is never fun, let alone into this difficult to access area). If I can get everything done then, so much the better. If not, I will call up pediatricians and/or infectious disease or travel clinics in the States when we get back and have what needs to be done done as soon as possible. At the very least, I know that while it may cost me an arm and a leg to have the kids vaccinated in Utah with Qatari insurance, I will absolutely not strike out AND I will be able to track down the information I need in less than half an hour of phone calls, as opposed to the two and a half hours of driving around, waiting, and almost fruitless conversations I had this morning.
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