Delay Undercuts H1N1 Vaccine Campaign

[WriteDown]

Source: WSJ

Some deliveries of swine flu vaccine will be delayed this month, in the latest complication for health officials in mounting a massive immunization campaign as the disease continues to spread.

About 40 million doses of vaccine had been expected by the end of October, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Officials say now they expect between 28 million and 30 million doses instead, because the shots are taking longer to produce than they had hoped. The delay in vaccine production complicates efforts by state and local officials and health-care providers to schedule immunization clinics, because they don't know when shipments of doses will arrive.

Officials know they are in a race against time: The delay comes as the new H1N1 flu has become widespread in 41 states. While most people get only mildly ill, the virus has claimed the lives of young people who were perfectly healthy until they were struck, and made others so sick they had to be rescued with special equipment in intensive care.

The CDC said Friday that 43 children under 18 years old have died of influenza since the end of August. Nearly half were teens, between the ages of 12 and 17. "These are very sobering statistics," said Anne Schuchat, the Atlanta agency's chief of immunization and respiratory diseases. "Forty-three deaths essentially in one month is a lot." Overall, 86 children under 18 have died of the new flu since its emergence last spring, she said.

At the same time, officials are grappling with a chorus of vaccine opponents who are capitalizing on the campaign's high profile to draw new attention to concerns about the safety of the shots....

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125571271634890319.html...

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Didn't we just send a bunch of this to Africa?

[kestrel91316]

1. Not to my knowledge. Besides, I don't think any of it is made in the US.

We should be damned glad the countries that DO make it are willing to sell ANY to us.

Your lack of concern for brown people's lives is duly noted, BTW.

[WriteDown]

2. We don't have brown (and red) people here?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

http://www.france24.com/en/20090918-rich-countries-dona...

Not enough to take care of our own citizens, but we'll give it away.

edited to add link

[Oregone]

7. I read months ago...

That since the US is so heavily reliant on importing these, that if the outbreak hits supplier countries very hard, their governments may prevent exporting the flu vaccine. That would be a scary scenario, in that the US would be left out in the cold with a lightly vaccinated population.

[earcandle]

11. that might mean we get a free pass and avoid potentially hazardous materials.

I don't buy this swine flu cook-up.

I still have old news on my website from former attempts at
bird flu epidemics.  
I wonder what those kids are dying of, really. 

How many people die from normal influenza per year? might be
the same. 

[tularetom]

3. Sometimes these post titles are confusing

I wondered why he would want to undercut a vaccine program. Was he pissed off about having to quit "Dancing With the Stars"? Was he angry about maybe going to jail for corruption? Or was he just ashamed of being in general a thoroughly repulsive human being?

Thank god he wasn't involved in the H1N1 vaccine situation. Probably cut it with some bug spray and pocket the profits.

[AngryAmish]

4. This is what he was doing after Dancing With The Stars?

[annabanana]

5. Yet ANOTHER story about delayed vaccine without the real information.

Here's some basic journalism questions I would like to see the answers to:

1) How many contractors have been given the work of manufacturing the vaccine?
2) Who are they?
3) Why are they behind schedule (If, indeed, enough doses were ordered)

If not enough doses were ordered, why?

[Trillo]

8. Good points!

Here's an older article, I believe it says there were to be 160M doses.
http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNews/idUKTRE56S48...

This current article cites a number of "highly logical" reasons for delay
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-s...

None of them seem to be mentioning names other than government entities. Nothing about contractors.

[DWilliamsamh]

6. As if his the ubiquitous vid of his shaking tush weren't enough to make me hate him.......

Now this?? The depth of depravity of the man never ceases to amaze me!

[Hawkeye-X]

9. Was just talking to my Dr about it yesterday during my checkup

and asked if he had any H1N1 flu vaccines - he said he didn't have any, and wasn't even sure he'll even have any ample supply for his patients.

Hawkeye-X

[earcandle]

12. They are giving them away for free at Kaiser here in San Francisco. I wouldn't take it.

[bobshin]

10. I thought Delay was out of the decision stream...

dancing...

[earcandle]

13. He dropped his last dancing partner and got kicked out of the show.