CDC: Flu Outbreak Hits Hard in 24 States

[nyrnyr1994]

By DANIEL YEE, Associated Press Writer

ATLANTA - Federal officials announced Thursday that the flu has hit hard in 24 states, nearly twice as many as last week, and said more than 100,000 doses of the flu vaccine would be rushed across the country to combat vaccine shortages

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=4&u=/ap/20031211/ap_on_he_me/flu_outbreak_11

[chookie]

1. Not enough profit motive for vaccines

I find it troubling that companies which produce vaccines seem to be out of touch with public health officials that can apprise them of expected trends, to which they can be expected to react appropriately acoording to real public needs.

Ah, but apparently making flu vaccines doesn't make enough for the plutocrats. The genius of capitalism! Or maybe they think, if enough people die this year, next year they'll be so scared that they'll be willing to pay ANYTHING for a shot!

Let's get the profit motive out of pharmaceuticals. This is not only bad public policy, but it is immoral as well.

[mrsteve]

2. Heard something similar on the radio the other night

They said that the number of companies making vaccines in the US had dropped from 25 ten years ago to only 4 today.

They said that because of low profit margins, few companies were interested in making vaccines. Profit woes were blamed on the high cost of research (ha! 40% of drug research is paid for by the US and local govs), litigation costs (of course - those bad old tort lawyers) and low profit margins, because the government can force defact price controls through bidding.

Of course, big pharma is not about health, it's about profits. Screw infant vaccines, let's make more Viagra!

Damn, I'm cynical today.... :mad:

[htuttle]

3. "force defacto price controls through bidding"

Do you mean the drug companies are complaining that they have to bid against each other? Wasn't that supposed to be the whole point of privatizing something?

Did having to bid 'offend' them, or something?

:eyes:

[diamond14]

4. Metro DC area all OUT of vaccine....(link to WP article)

yes, this is bush* homeland security...because of more bush* failure, lots of Americans will be DEAD....with no health insurance for 40 million children in America and no flu vaccines...where's the outrage ????? what is bush* doing with all that 'homeland security' money? shoving it into bush* campaign donors pockets ! bush* doesn't care how many will DIE under his policies...and if we were hit with a terrorist bug...this is typical of the bush* failure to protect us....

-------------------------------------------

Metro
In Brief
Thursday, December 11, 2003; Page B03

Washington DC....THE REGION

Health Departments Out of Flu Vaccine

Health department officials across the Washington region reported yesterday that they had run out of influenza vaccine and urged residents to take other precautions against the virus.


Maryland's top health officer, Nelson Sabatini, encouraged rationing the remaining doses and said the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is preparing to redistribute the supply to areas with the greatest need.

Officials in Montgomery and Frederick counties and Northern Virginia said an unusually strong demand exhausted their supplies and will halt flu shot clinics, including one scheduled tomorrow at the Dennis Avenue Health Center in Silver Spring.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54816-2003Dec10.html