Schumer: Flu Vaccine Shortage Presents Great Danger For The Fall Flu Season, Calls For Government Guaranteed Vaccine Market
SCHUMER: FLU VACCINE SHORTAGE PRESENTS GREAT DANGER FOR THE FALL FLU SEASON, CALLS FOR GOVERNMENT GUARANTEED VACCINE MARKET
This Week, One of Two U.S. Vaccine Makers Announced They Will Not be Able to Produce the Quantity of Vaccine they had Promised
Health Officials Meeting Tomorrow in Memphis; Senator Urges Them to Create Government Guarantee Plan Before they Adjourn
In light of news that one of two flu vaccine manufacturers will not deliver as many flu shots this year as it had promised, today U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer called on the federal government to create a government guaranteed vaccine market so that the U.S. is not faced with a shortage again. Last year, Chiron, one of the 2 leading vaccine makers in the country caused a public health scare last fall when it could not deliver a promised 50 million shots at the beginning of flu season because of manufacturing problems. That was about half the nation's expected vaccine supply.
"Last year flu vaccine production was an unqualified disaster, and instead of taking steps to fix it, the federal government sat on its hands and let two drug companies have sole control over how much vaccine to produce for the nation," Schumer said. "We know now that we won't have enough vaccines. If we fix it now, before the flu season, the public won't be out of luck like it was last year. We shouldn't be taking Johnny-come-lately steps to prevent a public health disaster."
Chiron was expected to manufacture 25-30 million doses for the 2005-2006 flu season. The company now predicts that they will produce 18-26 million doses because they are still facing problems in their factory. Last year they halved their supply because of bacterial contamination. Fewer vaccines by one of two manufacturers will most certainly lead to a flu vaccine shortage. In an effort to combat what could become a public health disaster, today Senator Charles. E. Schumer called for a government guaranteed flu vaccine market.
Schumer proposed today that the federal government guarantee the purchase of an adequate supply of the vaccine. This will entice more companies to enter the market by alleviating the risk of a mild flu season in which they are stuck with surplus unsold vaccines. Drug companies now under-produce in an effort to minimize this risk, however, if the government guaranteed their purchase, the US would achieve a greater supply of the vaccines
"Not only is our reliance on a small number of drug companies to produce the entire supply of vaccines problematic, it is irresponsible and unnecessary," Schumer said. "One of the reasons we have a federal government is to deal with situations like this one. We have been warned. We need to fix the situation now, and not when people are turned away from their doctor's offices."
http://schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/press_releases/2005/PR41718.Flu.061605.html