Shortage of flu vaccine in US sparks political row
http://www.100md.com
《英国医生杂志》
London Owen Dyer
The US shortage of flu vaccine continues to grab headlines, as Senator John Kerry accused the Bush administration of incompetence in allowing the situation to develop. Republicans retaliated by accusing Democrats of trying to score political points.
The search to make up the shortfall has so far produced an extra nine million doses of vaccine, bringing the total number of doses available to 61 million. Health authorities had anticipated a supply of 100 million doses this season, but 48 million doses were ruled out after the British factory of one of the United States抯 two suppliers was found to be contaminated.
Britain抯 Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency informed the Food and Drug Administration on 5 October that the Liverpool plant of Chiron, a California based company, had been shut down because of contamination with the pathogen Serratia marcescens (BMJ 2004;329:876, 16 Oct)
The other contracted supplier, Aventis Pasteur, has agreed to produce six million extra doses. Some of these supplies will not arrive until January, however. Other pharmaceutical companies have made smaller quantities available.
Health officials have also arranged to buy three million doses of the intranasal attenuated live vaccine Flumist. Flumist, however, is only approved for healthy people aged 5 to 49, so it cannot help solve the shortage of vaccine in high risk groups.
Normally, about half of the planned 100 million doses would have gone to high risk groups—the elderly, infants, pregnant women, people with chronic diseases, and health workers. The FDA argues that 61 million doses should be sufficient to meet demand in these groups if others forgo vaccination. But evidence is growing that news coverage of the vaccine shortage is creating unprecedented demand.
State officials are starting to take matters into their own hands. Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois has asked the FDA to evaluate vaccine made by Aventis Pasteur at a French plant that normally distributes its products in Europe and Canada. The governor抯 office has negotiated a deal to buy at least 62 000 doses at $7 (?.80; �5.50) each, well below the normal US price.
Reports abound of massive price gouging by US distributors. Last week, California抯 attorney general subpoenaed three California companies seeking information about pricing. One of the companies, Dubin Medical of San Diego, is already being sued by the Texas attorney general. The company is accused of offering 10-dose vials for $950, more than 10 times the normal price.
Democrats accused the Bush administration of failing to protect vaccine supplies as the number of manufacturers dwindled sharply, driven out of the market by minimal profits. A radio advertisement for the Kerry campaign declared: 揟hey relied on foreign workers to make the vaccine. A company with a bad track record. Now we're about 50 million vaccines short.?/p>
Mr Bush said the threat of product liability lawsuits had discouraged vaccine production in the United States, calling Mr Kerry an 搊bstacle to flu vaccine production?for voting against a bill that would protect manufacturers from litigation.
The US shortage of flu vaccine continues to grab headlines, as Senator John Kerry accused the Bush administration of incompetence in allowing the situation to develop. Republicans retaliated by accusing Democrats of trying to score political points.
The search to make up the shortfall has so far produced an extra nine million doses of vaccine, bringing the total number of doses available to 61 million. Health authorities had anticipated a supply of 100 million doses this season, but 48 million doses were ruled out after the British factory of one of the United States抯 two suppliers was found to be contaminated.
Britain抯 Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency informed the Food and Drug Administration on 5 October that the Liverpool plant of Chiron, a California based company, had been shut down because of contamination with the pathogen Serratia marcescens (BMJ 2004;329:876, 16 Oct)
The other contracted supplier, Aventis Pasteur, has agreed to produce six million extra doses. Some of these supplies will not arrive until January, however. Other pharmaceutical companies have made smaller quantities available.
Health officials have also arranged to buy three million doses of the intranasal attenuated live vaccine Flumist. Flumist, however, is only approved for healthy people aged 5 to 49, so it cannot help solve the shortage of vaccine in high risk groups.
Normally, about half of the planned 100 million doses would have gone to high risk groups—the elderly, infants, pregnant women, people with chronic diseases, and health workers. The FDA argues that 61 million doses should be sufficient to meet demand in these groups if others forgo vaccination. But evidence is growing that news coverage of the vaccine shortage is creating unprecedented demand.
State officials are starting to take matters into their own hands. Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois has asked the FDA to evaluate vaccine made by Aventis Pasteur at a French plant that normally distributes its products in Europe and Canada. The governor抯 office has negotiated a deal to buy at least 62 000 doses at $7 (?.80; �5.50) each, well below the normal US price.
Reports abound of massive price gouging by US distributors. Last week, California抯 attorney general subpoenaed three California companies seeking information about pricing. One of the companies, Dubin Medical of San Diego, is already being sued by the Texas attorney general. The company is accused of offering 10-dose vials for $950, more than 10 times the normal price.
Democrats accused the Bush administration of failing to protect vaccine supplies as the number of manufacturers dwindled sharply, driven out of the market by minimal profits. A radio advertisement for the Kerry campaign declared: 揟hey relied on foreign workers to make the vaccine. A company with a bad track record. Now we're about 50 million vaccines short.?/p>
Mr Bush said the threat of product liability lawsuits had discouraged vaccine production in the United States, calling Mr Kerry an 搊bstacle to flu vaccine production?for voting against a bill that would protect manufacturers from litigation.