GOVERNMENT SETTING US UP FOR A FLU DISASTER

During the winter of 1918-19, only months after the end of World War I, much of the world was ravaged again, this time by the "Spanish flu" that killed an estimated 40 to 50 million people. Normal societal functions, including commerce, education, and government services, were virtually shut down in many places....

Vaccination to prevent viral and bacterial diseases is modern medicine's most cost-effective intervention. Although their social value is high, vaccines' economic value to pharmaceutical companies is low because of their minimal return on investment and the manufacturers' exposure to legal liability. The underlying problem is government policies that discourage companies from investing aggressively in new vaccines, and that have failed to stockpile antiviral drugs.

The major purchaser of most vaccines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, extracts huge discounts from manufacturers. Arbitrary and excessive regulation also blocks progress. As a result, innovation has suffered and vaccine producers have abandoned the field in droves, leaving only four major manufacturers and a few dozen products. There are only two producers of injectable flu vaccine for the U.S. market.

To correct these broad deficiencies, and to stop an evolving flu pandemic in its tracks, the government must take a number of steps: increase funding for basic research on subunit vaccines (which are safer and cheaper and should have shorter development times than conventional ones) and other novel approaches; and stockpile anti-flu medicines. The CDC must stop demanding discounts that discourage manufacturers, and regulators should pursue "reciprocity" agreements on approvals so vaccines and antiviral drugs licensed in certain foreign countries can be marketed in the United States.

In the longer term, Congress could take other measures to improve the climate for vaccine-makers, such as offering tax breaks to offset research and development costs; requiring that health-insurance providers cover immunizations without deductibles; and stipulating that once the Food and Drug Administration approves a vaccine, the government will compensate victims of side effects. These measures collectively constitute a health insurance policy we can't do without.

More here

***************************

For greatest efficiency, lowest cost and maximum choice, ALL hospitals and health insurance schemes should be privately owned and run -- with government-paid vouchers for the very poor and minimal regulation.

Comments? Email me here. If there are no recent posts here, the mirror site may be more up to date. My Home Page is here or here.

***************************