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Home > Archive > Health Forum > October 2004 > Monopolies & Corruption Endanger The Public Health
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Monopolies & Corruption Endanger The Public Health
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| Abel Malcolm 2004-10-10, 4:06 am |
| Influenza kills tens of thousands of Americans each year, 36,000 died
last year. But this year, there will be a lot more than the usual
36,000 deaths, because our vaccine supply has been cut in half.
Millions of vulnerable youngsters, pregnant women, and elderlies will
be at risk of dying this year, from what are completely preventable
diseases. It seems that 48 million doses of vaccines, produced at a
British run factory, run by Chiron, have become contaminated, and
therefore they will not be made available to the public. So poof!
Just like that, half of our flu vaccine supply is gone.
Furthermore, new variants of bird flu in Asia, are poised to spread.
It is a lethal, contagious disease, yet it can be stopped when the
right vaccine is ready. But it might not be. Let's face it, we have
a serious problem, with world wide implications, and it's very
important that scientists and policy makers fix this problem, and
fast.
How did it come to this?
It's called monopoly. We have an economic system where there are more
and more of the big and powerful drug companies that Republicans like
to cater to, these companies just keep getting bigger and more
powerful, and as a result, fewer and fewer people end up monopolizing
our entire medical industry.
A total of 25 companies made vaccines 30 years ago, but today there
are less than 5. Only 2 companies make injectable flu vaccines any
more, Chiron is one of them, and Aventis Pasteur is the other one.
Aventis Pasteur has made 54 million doses available for this year, but
it will not be enough. FluMist makes a non-injectible nasal vaccine
that can be inhaled, but they have only made 2 million doses available
for this year.
On another front, Vioxx, the much advertised, much prescribed
arthritis "wonder drug" was pulled off the market last month, because
as it turns out, it doubles the risk of heart disease (including
sudden cardiac death) and stroke. A good part of this knowledge
about Vioxx's danger was known ever since 1999, but because the Vioxx
company was so politically powerful they continued to spend millions
of dollars on a series of very slick TV and magazine ads that made
false promises, and the public bought it.
These days, scientific knowledge have become perverted for commercial
gain by the very powerful pharmaceutical giants who routinely finance
the campaigns of Republican politicians. DTC (direct to consumer) ads
have become ubiquitous on TV, radio and in magazines. Patients come
in demanding a particular drug, and doctors usually prescribe it.
Abel Malcolm
http://www.johnkerry.com
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| AbelMalcolm@webtv.net 2004-10-14, 7:06 pm |
| I'm glad this subject came up in the debate. Here's a transcript of
what the candidates said:
From: http://www.nbc13.com/politics/3820534/detail.html
SCHIEFFER: New question, Mr. President, to you. We are talking about
protecting ourselves from the unexpected, but the flu season is suddenly
upon us. Flu kills thousands of people every year.
Suddenly we find ourselves with a severe shortage of flu vaccine. How
did that happen?
BUSH: Bob, we relied upon a company out of England to provide about half
of the flu vaccines for the United States citizen, and it turned out
that the vaccine they were producing was contaminated. And so we took
the right action and didn't allow contaminated medicine into our
country.
We're working with Canada to hopefully -- that they'll produce a -- help
us realize the vaccine necessary to make sure our citizens have got flu
vaccinations during this upcoming season.
My call to our fellow Americans is if you're healthy, if you're younger,
don't get a flu shot this year. Help us prioritize those who need to get
the flu shot, the elderly and the young.
The CDC, responsible for health in the United States, is setting those
priorities and is allocating the flu vaccine accordingly.
I haven't gotten a flu shot, and I don't intend to because I want to
make sure those who are most vulnerable get treated.
We have a problem with litigation in the United States of America.
Vaccine manufacturers are worried about getting sued, and therefore they
have backed off from providing this kind of vaccine.
One of the reasons I'm such a strong believer in legal reform is so that
people aren't afraid of producing a product that is necessary for the
health of our citizens and then end up getting sued in a court of law.
But the best thing we can do now, Bob, given the circumstances with the
company in England is for those of us who are younger and healthy, don't
get a flu shot.
SCHIEFFER: Sen. Kerry?
KERRY: This really underscores the problem with the American health-care
system. It's not working for the American family. And it's gotten worse
under President Bush over the course of the last years.
Five million Americans have lost their health insurance in this country.
You've got about a million right here in Arizona, just shy, 950,000, who
have no health insurance at all. 82,000 Arizonians lost their health
insurance under President Bush's watch. 223,000 kids in Arizona have no
health insurance at all.
All across our country -- go to Ohio, 1.4 million Ohioans have no health
insurance, 114,000 of them lost it under President Bush; Wisconsin,
82,000, Wisconsites lost it under President Bush.
This president has turned his back on the wellness of America. And there
is no system. In fact, it's starting to fall apart not because of
lawsuits -- though they are a problem, and John Edwards and I are
committed to fixing them -- but because of the larger issue that we
don't cover Americans.
Children across our country don't have health care. We're the richest
country on the face of the planet, the only industrialized nation in the
world not to do it.
I have a plan to cover all Americans. We're going to make it affordable
and accessible. We're going to let everybody buy into the same
health-care plan senators and congressmen give themselves.
SCHIEFFER: Mr. President, would you like to add something
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| AbelMalcolm@webtv.net 2004-10-14, 7:06 pm |
| The subject of vaccine shortages came up in the final debate, but
unfortunately, both candidates missed giving the correct answer. Here
was a golden opportunity for Sen. Kerry to point out the fact that
Democrats are much better at breaking up monopolies than are
Republicans, but he missed it.
This year, our vaccine supply has been cut in half. Millions of
chronically ill people, vulnerable youngsters, pregnant women, and
elderlies are going to get sick or die this year, and so unnecessarily,
from what is a completely preventable disease. This is is going to
happen because we put all our eggs in so few baskets.
This is an issue that is outrageous from so many different aspects,
because it's been caused by too much power concentrating on the top of
an industry which is in the hands of too few a group of people, in other
words, a monopoly.
Chiron is an American pharmaceutical company, but they are located in
Britain for some reason. And that's another issue that connects with
the issue of outsourcing. We should never have monopolies in the first
place, and then we should especially never outsource our vital medical
needs to the whims of foreign monopolies. Because of one company's
vaccine supply being contaminated, so just like that, immediately, half
of our flu vaccine supply disappears.
With more and more of the big and powerful drug companies getting bigger
and more powerful every day, the result, fewer and fewer people are
ending up monopolizing our medical industry.
A total of 25 companies made vaccines 30 years ago, but today there are
less than 5. Only 2 companies make injectable flu vaccines any more,
Chiron is only one of them, and Aventis Pasteur is the other one.
What was Bush's answer in the debate? It was an awful answer, he
advocated even more foreign dependence, to go beyond England and to be
dependent on Canada too.
And then there was that other horrible answer he gave, that people
should try to avoid getting the flu vaccine so other people can get it.
That's not a solution!
And then he gave that bizzare answer where he blamed it all on Lawyers.
Like I said, 25 companies made flu vaccines 30 years ago, but less than
5 companies make vaccines today. This is a HORRIBLE trend, but it is
the end result of what is a constant drift towards the monopolization of
this industry, it has NOTHING to do with Lawyers.
To read about Bush and Kerry's response on the issue, go to this link:
http://www.nbc13.com/politics/3820534/detail.html
Abel Malcolm
How Many Lies Can You Take? Vote Democrat in 2004
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Educate yourself & go to these links:
www.moveon.org & www.ndol.org & www.alternet.org &
www.americanprogress.org & www.buzzflash.com & www.democracynow.org &
http://ww11.e-tractions.com/truemajority/run/oreo &
http://www.nbc13.com/politics/3820534/detail.html
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| AbelMalcolm@webtv.net 2004-10-21, 11:06 am |
| I've made a series of very interesting and important posts, but nobody
has responded to them except myself. Either everyone agrees with me, or
no one's paying attention. I've made some damning indictments against
the Bush regime and no one is responding. I think I'll just keep cross
posting this to some more newsgroups, until I get some kind of response.
It is apparently too intelligent a subject for the "Yee Haa" crowd to
respond to.
From:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/20/p...n/20bushxx.html =A0
"If you can't get flu vaccines to Americans how are you going to protect
them against bioterrorism?" Kerry said in an NPR News interview. "If you
can't get flu vaccines to Americans, what kind of health care program
(are) you running?"
Abel Malcolm
How Many Lies Can You Take? Vote Democrat in 2004
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Educate yourself & go to these links:
www.moveon.org & www.ndol.org & www.alternet.org &
www.americanprogress.org & www.buzzflash.com & www.democracynow.org &
http://ww11.e-tractions.com/truemajority/run/oreo
| |
| AbelMalcolm@webtv.net 2004-10-21, 11:06 am |
| From The New York Times
October 20, 2004
Flu Vaccine Policy Becomes Issue for Bush
By DAVID E. SANGER and GARDINER HARRIS
THE VILLAGES, Fla., Oct. 19 - With polls showing that Florida is once
again too close to call, President Bush on Tuesday assured the state's
flu-wary retirees that "we have millions of vaccines doses on hand for
the most vulnerable Americans" as his administration said that 2.6
million more doses would be available by January.
Mr. Bush spoke as the flu vaccine shortage moved to center stage in the
campaign and as his secretary of health and human services, Tommy G.
Thompson, said that Aventis Pasteur, the only company approved this year
to sell flu vaccines, would be able to make the extra doses of flu
vaccines available so the total would be about 58 million doses in all.
That figure is still just 60 percent of the expected demand this year
for flu vaccine, but Mr. Thompson said at a news conference that those
doses combined with stocks of anti-flu drugs would be enough to keep
Americans safe.
Democrats have seized on the vaccine shortage to accuse the
administration of being unable to protect Americans - from either
illness or terrorism. "If you can't get flu vaccines to Americans, how
are you going to protect them against bioterrorism?'' Senator John
Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate, asked in an interview with
National Public Radio. "If you can't get flu vaccines to Americans, what
kind of health care program are you running?''
The Kerry campaign has produced a television advertisement that blames
Mr. Bush for the shortage, and a new Kerry radio commercial includes
this charge: "They relied on foreign workers to make the vaccine. A
company with a bad track record. Now we're about 50 million vaccines
short."
Senator Edward M. Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat and close ally of
Mr. Kerry, criticized Mr. Thompson's remarks and those of other
administration officials as an effort to "put a happy face on a
disaster.'' Facing such criticism, Mr. Bush, campaigning in a state
with a large elderly population, addressed the issue in detail at a
rally in St. Petersburg.
"I know there are some here who are worried about the flu season," Mr.
Bush said. "I want to assure them that our government is doing
everything possible to help older Americans and children get their
shots, despite the major manufacturing defect that caused this problem,"
he said, a reference to the stopping of production at a plant in Britain
owned by the Chiron Corporation.
Mr. Bush on Tuesday also touched on other health care themes. He
repeated his charge that Mr. Kerry "wants to move in the direction of
government-run health care," an accusation meant to bring up memories of
Hillary Rodham Clinton's plan a decade ago.
The Kerry campaign disputes the notion, because under its plan, health
plans would still be privately run, though the government would
subsidize 75 percent of the cost of catastrophic claims, probably those
more than about $50,000. It would also raise the income cutoff for
Medicaid and state-run health programs.
Mr. Bush also accused Mr. Kerry of "old-style scare tactics'' on issues
like Social Security and flu. The Bush campaign appears particularly
concerned here that it is vulnerable to Mr. Kerry's attacks on the
president's plan to allow younger workers to divert part of their Social
Security taxes into private investment accounts. The proposal would be
enormously expensive by most government estimates, because money
diverted into private Social Security accounts - which could be invested
by individuals - would no longer be available to the government to pay
current Social Security recipients.
Mr. Bush said on Tuesday that during the 2000 campaign "they said in
those political ads that if George W. gets elected, our seniors will not
get their Social Security checks. I want to remind your friends and
neighbors they got their checks. Nobody is going to take the checks of
those who are now on Social Security."
The Kerry campaign immediately e-mailed to reporters excerpts from the
2004 "Economic Report of the President," showing that depending on which
Social Security plan was adopted, the federal deficit could increase by
up to $2 trillion over 10 years. Mr. Bush rarely if ever discusses the
costs of his privatization plan.
The flu vaccine shortage is a late-developing issue on the campaign
trail. Nearly 90 million Americans are at high risk to contract a
potentially fatal case of influenza. In most years, just half of those
at highest risk of the disease are vaccinated. Usually, public health
officials work to persuade the other half to be vaccinated, in hopes of
reducing the disease's annual death toll of nearly 36,000.
But this year all 46 million doses produced by Chiron, the nation's only
other supplier, were condemned because of bacterial contamination, and
as a result public health officials are relying on low vaccination rates
to get them through the season. Efforts by many health departments to
publicize the advisability of being vaccinated have stopped. Many
experts say the shortage will lead to a greater number of flu-related
deaths.
Mr. Thompson said that more had been done to fight the flu by this
administration than by any previous one. Echoing comments made in recent
days by Vice President Dick Cheney, he said that tort reforms proposed
by the administration were needed to help vaccine manufacturers even
more.
But 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.
The Vaccine Injury Compensation system provides "no fault" awards to
those injured by vaccines by tapping into a fund created through an
excise tax. Mr. Thompson acknowledged those shields, but he said that
tort reforms would also help.
The acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Lester
M. Crawford, said on Tuesday that his agency was continuing to negotiate
with ID Biomedical in Canada and other manufacturers of the flu vaccine
worldwide to determine whether the United States could safely import
more vaccine.
Dr. Crawford said there was nothing inconsistent about his search for
more flu vaccine abroad with his continued opposition to legalizing drug
imports. The government would not license any flu vaccine until the
F.D.A. determined it is safe, he said. His opposition to imports of
other prescription drugs stems from the government's inability to
certify that such drugs are safe, he said.
| |
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| AbelMalcolm@webtv.net 2004-10-27, 7:06 pm |
| I've made a series of very interesting and important posts, but nobody
has responded to them except myself. Either everyone agrees with me, or
no one's paying attention. I've made some damning indictments against
the Bush regime and no one is responding. I think I'll just keep cross
posting this to some more newsgroups, until I get some kind of response.
It is apparently too intelligent a subject for the "Yee Haa" crowd to
respond to.
From:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/20/p...n/20bushxx.html =A0
"If you can't get flu vaccines to Americans how are you going to protect
them against bioterrorism?" Kerry said in an NPR News interview. "If you
can't get flu vaccines to Americans, what kind of health care program
(are) you running?"
Abel Malcolm
How Many Lies Can You Take? Vote Democrat in 2004
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Educate yourself & go to these links:
www.moveon.org & www.ndol.org & www.alternet.org &
www.americanprogress.org & www.buzzflash.com & www.democracynow.org &
http://ww11.e-tractions.com/truemajority/run/oreo
| |
| AbelMalcolm@webtv.net 2004-10-27, 7:06 pm |
| From The New York Times
October 20, 2004
Flu Vaccine Policy Becomes Issue for Bush
By DAVID E. SANGER and GARDINER HARRIS
THE VILLAGES, Fla., Oct. 19 - With polls showing that Florida is once
again too close to call, President Bush on Tuesday assured the state's
flu-wary retirees that "we have millions of vaccines doses on hand for
the most vulnerable Americans" as his administration said that 2.6
million more doses would be available by January.
Mr. Bush spoke as the flu vaccine shortage moved to center stage in the
campaign and as his secretary of health and human services, Tommy G.
Thompson, said that Aventis Pasteur, the only company approved this year
to sell flu vaccines, would be able to make the extra doses of flu
vaccines available so the total would be about 58 million doses in all.
That figure is still just 60 percent of the expected demand this year
for flu vaccine, but Mr. Thompson said at a news conference that those
doses combined with stocks of anti-flu drugs would be enough to keep
Americans safe.
Democrats have seized on the vaccine shortage to accuse the
administration of being unable to protect Americans - from either
illness or terrorism. "If you can't get flu vaccines to Americans, how
are you going to protect them against bioterrorism?'' Senator John
Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate, asked in an interview with
National Public Radio. "If you can't get flu vaccines to Americans, what
kind of health care program are you running?''
The Kerry campaign has produced a television advertisement that blames
Mr. Bush for the shortage, and a new Kerry radio commercial includes
this charge: "They relied on foreign workers to make the vaccine. A
company with a bad track record. Now we're about 50 million vaccines
short."
Senator Edward M. Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat and close ally of
Mr. Kerry, criticized Mr. Thompson's remarks and those of other
administration officials as an effort to "put a happy face on a
disaster.'' Facing such criticism, Mr. Bush, campaigning in a state
with a large elderly population, addressed the issue in detail at a
rally in St. Petersburg.
"I know there are some here who are worried about the flu season," Mr.
Bush said. "I want to assure them that our government is doing
everything possible to help older Americans and children get their
shots, despite the major manufacturing defect that caused this problem,"
he said, a reference to the stopping of production at a plant in Britain
owned by the Chiron Corporation.
Mr. Bush on Tuesday also touched on other health care themes. He
repeated his charge that Mr. Kerry "wants to move in the direction of
government-run health care," an accusation meant to bring up memories of
Hillary Rodham Clinton's plan a decade ago.
The Kerry campaign disputes the notion, because under its plan, health
plans would still be privately run, though the government would
subsidize 75 percent of the cost of catastrophic claims, probably those
more than about $50,000. It would also raise the income cutoff for
Medicaid and state-run health programs.
Mr. Bush also accused Mr. Kerry of "old-style scare tactics'' on issues
like Social Security and flu. The Bush campaign appears particularly
concerned here that it is vulnerable to Mr. Kerry's attacks on the
president's plan to allow younger workers to divert part of their Social
Security taxes into private investment accounts. The proposal would be
enormously expensive by most government estimates, because money
diverted into private Social Security accounts - which could be invested
by individuals - would no longer be available to the government to pay
current Social Security recipients.
Mr. Bush said on Tuesday that during the 2000 campaign "they said in
those political ads that if George W. gets elected, our seniors will not
get their Social Security checks. I want to remind your friends and
neighbors they got their checks. Nobody is going to take the checks of
those who are now on Social Security."
The Kerry campaign immediately e-mailed to reporters excerpts from the
2004 "Economic Report of the President," showing that depending on which
Social Security plan was adopted, the federal deficit could increase by
up to $2 trillion over 10 years. Mr. Bush rarely if ever discusses the
costs of his privatization plan.
The flu vaccine shortage is a late-developing issue on the campaign
trail. Nearly 90 million Americans are at high risk to contract a
potentially fatal case of influenza. In most years, just half of those
at highest risk of the disease are vaccinated. Usually, public health
officials work to persuade the other half to be vaccinated, in hopes of
reducing the disease's annual death toll of nearly 36,000.
But this year all 46 million doses produced by Chiron, the nation's only
other supplier, were condemned because of bacterial contamination, and
as a result public health officials are relying on low vaccination rates
to get them through the season. Efforts by many health departments to
publicize the advisability of being vaccinated have stopped. Many
experts say the shortage will lead to a greater number of flu-related
deaths.
Mr. Thompson said that more had been done to fight the flu by this
administration than by any previous one. Echoing comments made in recent
days by Vice President Dick Cheney, he said that tort reforms proposed
by the administration were needed to help vaccine manufacturers even
more.
But 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.
The Vaccine Injury Compensation system provides "no fault" awards to
those injured by vaccines by tapping into a fund created through an
excise tax. Mr. Thompson acknowledged those shields, but he said that
tort reforms would also help.
The acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Lester
M. Crawford, said on Tuesday that his agency was continuing to negotiate
with ID Biomedical in Canada and other manufacturers of the flu vaccine
worldwide to determine whether the United States could safely import
more vaccine.
Dr. Crawford said there was nothing inconsistent about his search for
more flu vaccine abroad with his continued opposition to legalizing drug
imports. The government would not license any flu vaccine until the
F.D.A. determined it is safe, he said. His opposition to imports of
other prescription drugs stems from the government's inability to
certify that such drugs are safe, he said.
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