NYT: Money for Vaccinating Children Diverted (to adult flu vaccine)...

[DeepModem Mom]

Money for Vaccinating Children Is Diverted, Officials Say
By GARDINER HARRIS

Published: December 16, 2004


The federal government is using money that was intended for vaccinating children to pay for experimental flu vaccines for adults, federal health officials said yesterday....

***

Federal officials say the experimental flu vaccines are needed in case flu infections this season soar. They say using money intended for childhood immunization is appropriate while other money - including a $100 million appropriation this year to plan for major flu outbreaks - cannot be used.

The secretary of health and human services, Tommy G. Thompson, announced on Dec. 7 that the government had agreed to buy 1.2 million doses of flu vaccines made by GlaxoSmithKline at a plant in Germany that had not previously received approval from the Food and Drug Administration....

***

To pay for these vaccines, the government will dip into a $220 million grant program intended to help provide routine vaccinations to children who are not poor enough to be eligible under state Medicaid programs, federal officials said. Money for such vaccinations is already so scarce that 19 states have decided not to provide all the recommended vaccines to children who are unable to pay for vaccinations....


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/16/health/16flu.html

[Erika]

1. The innocent children are sacrificed again

Under Bush. Contact them.

[DeepModem Mom]

6. Bush's spending priorities astound --

n/t

[UL_Approved]

2. An EXPERIMENTAL vaccine?

Maybe I'm too far out, but I wonder if this is about flu vaccine at all, or a program to test new biological warfare agents. This stuff is not FDA approved. This is a new thing. I really have no basis for this argument other than the principle of "if you can think of it, somebody else is trying it".

As for the funding, more bullshit. One more fine example of the long campaign to destroy social programs.

[aquart]

3. Yah. Will they tell us this is experimental stuff as they inject it?

[Rose Siding]

8. "Recipients would have to sign consent forms to get the shots"

No class action risks for any umm, catastrophic successes.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. This vaccine has been used in Europe already

(Ignore my first version of this post. I hadn't read the full NY Times story)

This vaccine, Fluarix, has already been used in Europe.

It has proved to be safe throughout Europe and potential side effects are minor and said to be the same as here in the United States.

"It's been licensed in Europe for several years," said Brady.

"There's probably 126-million doses that have been licensed in Europe and the safety profile seems to be similar to the US vaccines we use ," said Brady. "It's manufactured in a very similar fashion."

http://www.wcpo.com/news/2004/local/12/10/flushots_chmc.html

What I said before:
Aventis Pasteur is producing a vaccine against the avian flu virus (H5N1), which up until now has not had a vaccine against it (being an avian flu, it can't be safely grown in chicken eggs so easily, apparently). This virus is fatal in most cases, but, with a single possible exceptional case, isn't transmitted from human to human. Getting a vaccine for it before it does mutate enough to transmit between humans is vital.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L11319143.htm

That is no excuse for diverting the funds from child vaccination, however. There ought to be extra money for it.

[DeepModem Mom]

5. More from the article re. "experimental," consent forms, fees --

"Mr. Thompson said that an inspection by the agency had concluded that the vaccines were safe. But since GlaxoSmithKline has not received formal F.D.A. approval for the vaccines, they must be distributed as experimental medicines. Recipients would have to sign consent forms to get the shots. Some will also have to pay special fees."

[LynnTheDem]

7. Bush's second inauguration will be the most expensive in history

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-1404822,00.html

[noamnety]

9. Children don't vote

And if the ones that need the grants don't die from the lack of vaccines, they are likely to vote dem.

No need for shots for them.