It’s a small world
in finding a solution to vaccine shortage for Secretary Thompson...answer
lies
with company
with former Bush 41 cabinet member on its board
Ever wonder how
Washington works? Follow the trail of these headlines:
HHS Announces
Additional Million Doses of Flu Vaccine…
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced yesterday that the nation will
have an additional 1 million doses of the FluMist nasal spray flu
vaccine, bringing the total flu vaccine supply this year to 61 million
doses. Additionally, there is enough antiviral medicine to treat tens of
millions of people for flu this season. (from Oct. 22 PR Newswire)
September 2004
Washington Post--Last year's launch of the nasal flu vaccine FluMist
was, as Mott recently told an investor's conference, "a debacle of the
first order." And the company doesn't expect to launch a new product
until at least 2007. All of which calls into question Mott's forecast of
$2 billion in revenue by 2009
October 22, 2004,
Sun Sentinel--
MedImmune Inc. expects to reap an extra $10 million from sales of its
FluMist vaccine over the next three months as a result of the flu shot
shortage and believes it could increase production to sell millions more
next year, company officials said yesterday… The company was cautious,
however, in projecting the future of FluMist,
which proved a resounding flop in its first season last winter. The
debacle forced MedImmune to retrench, and it subsequently said it did
not expect the vaccine to be profitable until 2007…"The current
situation is quite fluid," Mott said… There is no
one specific approval needed from regulators that would trigger a
decision to increase production, Mott continued. "It's kind of
like pornography - you know it when you see it," he said…Among the
issues MedImmune will be discussing is how to demonstrate that FluMist,
now approved only for healthy people ages 5 to 49, is safe for younger
children and adults up to age 65. It also is seeking a change in the
rules governing how the vaccine is inspected and released, allowing for
quicker distribution, and trying to convince federal officials that
FluMist can be stable when stored in regular freezers, rather than the
special freeze boxes currently required…
Medical News, Oct.
22, 2004--FluMist maker, MedImmune Inc, says it will deliver an extra
one million doses of its nasal spray. American authorities, desperate
for flu vaccines are extremely grateful - their shortfall, however, is
still over 40 million doses.
His means there will now be 3 million FluMist doses available.
Although the extra doses are welcome, they cannot be used for people who
need them the most. The FluMist can only be used on healthy 5 to 49 year
olds. The ones who need the vaccine the most will not benefit from this
good news.
MedImmune says trials will soon be underway on a new FluMist that can be
used on even younger kids, as young as 6 months.
Last year, FluMist did not sell nearly as well as the makers had hoped.
This is probably because it is incredibly expensive, costs $46 per dose
and can only be used in healthy people aged 5 to 49 - sort of kills the
market before it has a chance. The company produced 4 million doses last
year and couldn't shift 80% of it - sales amounted to a mere 450,000.
AND NOW, the BUSH
Link…
Barbara H. Franklin is on the board of directors of MedImmune.
From the official site of the Department of Commerce: Barbara H .
Franklin Secretary of Commerce for George H.W. Bush. February 27, 1992 -
January 20, 1993…Barbara Franklin was
the second woman to serve as Secretary. She was among the first women to
graduate from Harvard Business School and served in the administrations
of four U.S. presidents. In 1971, she directed the first White House
program to recruit women for high-level government jobs…
So the
Administration's solution to the flu vaccine shortage was
available all along from a company whose
product likely is unsafe, failed in the market place, is overly
expensive, is losing money (until now), is applicable (safety concerns
aside) for only those 5 to 49, and just happens to have a cabinet
appointee of George H.W. Bush on its board...this is what is the
Administration's response to the potentially deadly looming health
care crisis caused by the vaccine shortage.
Now,
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