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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Hope Praytochange who wrote (653203)	10/29/2004 12:21:31 PM
From: Peter Dierks	Respond to of 769670

There are those who blame the Vaccine shortage on a 1993 law that locked the US government into buying over half of all vaccines at a roughly 50% discount. It was the one piece of Hillary Care that was passed. Hillary's Vaccine Shortage Daily Policy Digest Health Issues / Moving Toward Universal Coverage Monday, August 18, 2003 Everyone knows America's vaccine industry is in serious trouble, with an ever dwindling number of producers and recent severe vaccine shortages. What everyone also should know is that the National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine has now pinned much of the blame on the government vaccine-buying program promoted by former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, according to the Wall Street Journal. The panel of doctors and economists issuing a report on vaccines last week identified as a fundamental cause of the problem the fact that the government purchases 55 percent of the childhood vaccine market at forced discount prices. The result has been "declining financial incentives to develop and produce vaccines." The root of this government role goes back to August 1993, when Congress passed Clinton's Vaccines for Children program. The plan, promoted by the Children's Defense Fund, was to use federal power to ensure universal immunization. So the government agreed to purchase a third of the national vaccine supply (the President and Mrs. Clinton had pushed for 100 percent) at a forced discount of half price, then distribute it to doctors to deliver to the poor and the un- and under-insured. As a result: Where 30 years ago, 25 companies produced vaccines for the U.S. market., today only five remain, and there is only one producer for a number of critical shots. Recent years have brought shortages of numerous vaccines, including those for whooping cough, diphtheria and chicken pox. The Institute panel in effect said that one of Senator Clinton's pet projects is a bust. As Congress considers Medicare legislation that could do similar harm to prescription drug makers, the vaccine tale is a timely alarm, says the Journal. Source: Editorial, "Hillary's Vaccine Shortage," Wall Street Journal, August 15, 2003; based on Committee on the Evaluation of Vaccine Purchase Financing in the United States, "Financing Vaccines in the 21st Century: Assuring Access and Availability," Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, August 4, 2003.

To: Hope Praytochange who wrote (653203)	10/29/2004 12:21:44 PM
From: JBTFD	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

Seems you've been schmucked again: snopes.com

To: Hope Praytochange who wrote (653203)	10/29/2004 4:20:52 PM
From: J_F_Shepard	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

That story is as phony as a $3 bill.....its circulating on the net above the signature of Dr. Brody and also a woman named Judy Slattery (an Ameritas employee). I received it as an e-mail. I doubt either party approved the use of their names.... You've been made a fool of and your link was to a chat group. LOL Consider this: 1. A story like this would be major news on the campaign trail.....Cheney, in fact, just blamed the threat of lawsuits as the cause of the flu vaccine shortage. He never mentioned any Edward's lawsuit which would be powerful stuff if true. 2. A Google search has turned up only a single reference to the note you passed and that was also to show that it was being circulated on the net. 3. You should have noticed that the "story" contains no dates, specific locations, case names, or details of any kind save for an "award of almost 5 million dollars." What was the award for....liability, compensation, ??? An award for catching the flu? What company was sued? 4. Chiron is an American company based in California with a plant in England.......the vaccine they produced was contaminated with bacteria and they were shut down in August. 5. Chiron was contracted to sell us 48 million doses of vaccine, another 56 million came from a French company, Aventis Pasteur, and a mere 2 million doses were purchased in the US from a Maryland company; MedImmune. 6. I further made a direct phone call to the person whose name appears at the bottom of the email, i.e. Judy Slattery. Ameritas is an insurance company. She was not in her office, but I asked her to call me. I won't sit on my hands waiting because I'm sure she's been inundated with inquiries.