Flu and The Liars Club

Have you been catching the aerial shots of scared people lined up for flu vaccines? ASZ hit on this right after the last debate - Bush couldn't answer the question, and John Kerry avoided the question by going off on a rant about healthcare. Obviously, neither had been briefed onthe flu vaccine situation by their handlers prior to the debate.

Anyway, this is a situation that's been brewing for the past few years. Every autumn, there's problems with the flu vaccine. If I recall correctly, last year the produced vaccine was not the correct strain for the most probable form of the flu - and even the incorrect strain was in short supply (I'm operating on memory here, if someone cares to dig up confirmation, please do).

Kos reader "mcgrayc" went back to the archives, and dug up a 2003 press release from none other than Dr. Bill Frist, Senate Majority Leader. Obviously, the BushCo public health mavens weren't paying attention. They were more interested in electroshock therapy in Abu Ghraib at the time:

Frist press release, 12/16/2003:

"The current shortages of the flu vaccine are merely the latest event to highlight the need for a comprehensive plan to restore balance and ensure the availability of much-needed vaccines," said Frist. "Vaccine shortages threaten our children and the health of our nation, yet unnecessary litigation continues to destabilize our vaccine supply by causing fewer vaccines to be developed and produced. Today's nonpartisan expert recommendations highlight the need to move forward in a comprehensive manner such as that detailed in the Improved Vaccine Affordabilty and Availability Act, which I introduced earlier this year. This legislation is supported by a range of public health groups and is critical to protecting our children and nation."

As of today, S.754, the Improved Vaccine Affordability and Availability Act, which was introduced on April 1, 2003, still sits in Committee. A similar House bill, introduced by Rep. Congressman Jim Greenwood in 2002, HR 5282, died in Committee. In the 108th Congress (currently in session), the Flu Protection Act of 2004 was introduced Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Il) on 2/3/2004, and currently languishes in Committee. A companion Senate bill (S2038) introduced by Evan Bayh (D-Il) on 1/28/2004 has suffered the same fate.

Don't let anyone tell you or your elderly parents that these sumsabitches didn't know it was coming.