Criticism brings end to flu-shot campaign CAMPAIGN 2006

Offer of free flu shots halted at polling places

Mayor cancels program after critics slam it as a politically motivated ploy

Voting is good. Flu shots are good. But mix them together in the middle of a hard-fought election season and politics takes over.

Mayor Bill White ordered a halt Wednesday to the city health department's privately funded drive to offer flu vaccinations at early voting sites in predominantly Hispanic and black neighborhoods, amid conservative criticism that the effort would boost Democratic turnout.

About 1,300 flu shots were given to people age 50 or older in the past three days under the program, which didn't require the recipients to vote. Health officials said they were only trying to reach people in medically underserved communities.

White defended the program Wednesday but said he decided to abandon it to avoid the perception that it was an attempt to draw certain voters to the polls. White is a former chairman of the state Democratic Party and served in the administration of former President Clinton.

"There was no political motive whatsoever to do it," he told reporters after the City Council meeting. "I don't want to have to spend more money in defending a baseless lawsuit than we're giving away in vaccine or allow anybody to question the integrity of the political process."

Harold Dickey, 81, already had participated in that process by voting several days ago but missed out on a flu shot when he arrived at the Sunnyside Multi-Service Center on Wednesday about 10 minutes after White's order took effect.

"Well, that's just a bunch of so-and-so," Dickey said when told the vaccine program was closed because of accusations that it was politically motivated. "That's a hell of a thing to do."

"The shot wasn't tied to my vote in any way," he said.

Two days of criticism

White's decision followed two days of criticism from some conservative bloggers and talk radio shows hosts after officials announced the program Monday. At least 20 other municipalities have launched the same initiative in several states, city officials said.

Local Republicans, who had scheduled an afternoon news conference on the vaccination issue before the mayor's announcement, accused White of deliberately selecting early voting sites in Democratic strongholds in an attempt to gin up votes favorable to city propositions on Tuesday's ballot.

"I think the program was completely motivated by a plan to turn out Democratic voters," said Harris County Republican Chairman Jared Woodfill.

Woodfill said the program violated a provision in state law that prohibits any benefit or consideration in exchange for a vote. He said the local GOP is pledging $1,000 to provide free vaccinations the day after Election Day, and he called on the city and the localDemocratic Party to match the pledge.

City health director Stephen Williams said the program was motivated by public-health concerns and said anyone 50 or older was eligible for a shot — not just those who voted.

"The sole purpose of doing the 'vote and vaccinate' initiative is to actually go where the people were," Williams said.

Other voters at Sunnyside said they weren't even aware that vaccinations would be available when they voted.

Ida Gibson, 59, said "it's just ridiculous" for anyone to tie her vote to a shot. "It's not an incentive for me to come," she said.

Williams said he hopes to get permission from Amerigroup Foundation, which helped get the vaccinations with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, to offer the remaining 1,600 doses at less controversial locations.

Fine legal line

Before launching the program, Williams' staff consulted with Republican Harris County Clerk Beverly Kaufman , the county's top election official, who offered support provided that the initiative complied with applicable laws.

Kaufman's spokesman, David Beirne, said erroneous media reports might have fueled the perception that voting was related to receiving something of value, which could violate the law. "It's not tied to the voting practice, which is a critical element," he said. "We did not see anything on its face to indicate that it would be a clear violation of election law."

Scott Haywood, a spokesman for Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams, also a Republican, said in an e-mail that "there is nothing wrong with a health clinic being located at the same site that voting is taking place," provided that people weren't required to vote to get the service.

Stephen Williams, the city health chief, and White said the terms of the Amerigroup grant required a tie to polling places in medically underserved areas where populations are less likely to get vaccinations.

The Amerigroup Foundation, according to its Web site, is the philanthropic arm of the Amerigroup Corp., a health-care company with a focus on providing services to low-income communities. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is a philanthropic group that devotes funding to health care.

Amerigroup spokesman Kent Jenkins said the program was an extension of existing immunization efforts and that Amerigroup helped offer a similar service at some of the same city sites in September.

"I understand the nature of the objection," he said. "All I can tell you is that we were looking at in a health care context."

Chronicle reporters Alexis Grant and Leigh Hopper contributed to this report.

matt.stiles@chron.comanne.kilday@chron.comlori.rodriguez@chron.com