[lit-ideas] Re: flu vaccine
- From: Judy Evans <judithevans001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 23:01:43 +0100
Wednesday, October 27, 2004, 9:43:45 PM, Paul Stone wrote:
PS> It's a problem, but it's surely NOT directly the government's fault.
It's (the extent of this season's shortfall is) the fault of whoever
decided to buy from two suppliers only. What if something had gone
wrong in both plants supplying the vaccine?
PS> These are contradictory statements. A settlement of 5 million dollars is
PS> HUGE on a pro bono ROI. Regardless of the fact that they make billions of
PS> dollars on other drugs. The -5,000,000 is in the books and they're not
stupid.
So Aventis (apparently, a US company) *is* stupid?
>>That's why Marlena's library isn't getting any vaccine this year, because
>>this is a capitalist system and there's no money to be made in
>>vaccines. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I don't like
>>capitalist. But maybe unbridled capitalism might be a bit much. This
>>vaccine shortage might illustrate a good reason to get some government
>>intervention into the system. Let's see, where have I heard that before?
(reply to whoever wrote this)
No that is not why there's a shortage of vaccines in the US this year.
Our vaccine is made by capitalist countries too. And there already is
government intervention in your system; but it's the wrong kind. If
your powers that be had condescended to buy from more companies (not
only US-based or owned) then you might be in our situation, i.e.,
basically, despite a shortfall, OK.
BTW anyone in the US who's really concerned and has the money can get
a private flu shot in Harley St (London) for £30 (plus the air
fare...), or, I hear, take a ferry to Canada.
But there will almost certainly be people in the US who die this year
because of the initial shortfall, subsequent distribution inequalities
and inequities, and failure (the FDA's? the Govt's?) to allow buying
in of stocks from elsewhere.
The US economy may be shaky but the US is still, goodness knows, rich
enough to do better than this.
--
Judy Evans, Cardiff, UK
mailto:judithevans001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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