Houston Stops Offering Free Flu Shots After GOP Calls It a Democratic Ploy

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HOUSTON — The city has stopped offering free flu shots at early voting sites after Republicans alleged that it was a ploy by the mayor to lure more Democrats to the polls.

The vaccinations, for people 50 and over, had been offered at early voting sites in predominantly black and Hispanic neighborhoods. Health officials said they were targeting medically underserved areas, not Democratic neighborhoods.

“There was no political motive whatsoever to do it,” the former head of the Texas Democratic Party, Mayor Bill White, said. He said he ended the program Wednesday, after it provided 1,300 flu shots over three days, because he didn’t want “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.”

But some Republicans accused Mr. White of using the program to boost Democrats’ election prospects. Harris County Republican Chairman Jared Woodfill said the offer violated a state law that bars people from accepting anything in exchange for a vote.

“I think the program was completely motivated by a plan to turn out Democratic voters,” Mr. Woodfill said.


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