With the outsourcing of jobs by multinationals moving jobs OUT of this country, it's interesting that the effect in Chiron's case was to give a veto over US security to Great Britain.
It's also interesting that:
Congress in 1986 passed the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act that largely shields vaccine manufacturers from serious legal liability. Congress voted this year to add flu vaccines to the program, a bill that only awaits President Bush's signature, according to a spokesman for the program.
shrub...asleep at the switch...AGAIN.
Bush has not nominated a replacement at the FDA for Mark McClellan, who left in February 2004.
shrub...asleep at the switch...AGAIN.
The Food and Drug Administration, America's health watchdog, knew over a year ago of safety problems at the facility that produces half the US flu vaccine supply, but the administration failed to direct FDA to take aggressive action to require the company to correct the problems -- or even to conduct a follow-up inspection. Indeed, the Bush administration recently admitted that they relied solely on information from the vaccine manufacturer to determine the status and safety of the vaccine supply.
shrub...asleep at the switch...AGAIN.
The Bush administration was warned time and again of the need to take action to avert a disastrous vaccine shortage. The General Accounting Office, the government watchdog agency, raised the alarm in 2001: "a production delay or shortfall experienced by even one of the three remaining manufacturers can significantly impact overall vaccine availability." The GAO stated just last month that "the absence of more detail in HHS's draft plan creates uncertainty for the states regarding how to plan for the use of limited supplies of vaccine." [GAO Report: Flu Vaccine: Supply Problems Heighten Need to Ensure Access for High-Risk People; May 15, 2001; GAO testimony to Senate Committee on Aging; September 28, 2004] |
