Who Sez it Don't Happen?: Flu Vaccine Blocked

[materia3]

complete story is at:

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/041005/flu_vaccine_suspension_7.html


Influenza vaccine licence withdrawn by UK authorities
-----------------------------------------------------
Global and United States health officials warned on Tue 5 Oct 2004 of major influenza vaccine shortages after British health officials abruptly pulled the license of the maker of half the US vaccine just as the influenza season was about to begin. The news means the US will face "a significant
shortage," said Dr Anthony Fauci, the National Institutes of Health's infectious disease chief. Other countries will likely face similar problems. "The implications may be significant," said Dr Klaus Stohr, of the World Health Organization ....

[Rolfe]

Wow, just off the phone with my Mum, she says she's got an appointment to get hers on Thursday. She mentioned there was a shortage, and I said, get in there and get your share!

She had very bad flu one year the strains didn't match and she's scared to death of getting it again. Let's hope the strains do match this year.

Rolfe.

[anonimouse]

It's a plot by the evil pharma companies to create demand.

Oh wait. One of the evil pharma companies will make no money because all their stock of flu vaccine is worthless.

Nevermind. It must be a public health hazard, though.

Oh wait. None of the stock actually got used. It was all intercepted beforehand.

That can't possibly mean the system works. There has to be some angle I'm missing as to how this is part of the great vaccine conspiracy.

[Dymanic]

Got mine last week.

[EdipisReks]

i don't get them anymore. rather keep the $20, for all the good they've done me in the past.

[Dymanic]

Originally posted by EdipisReks

i don't get them anymore. rather keep the $20, for all the good they've done me in the past.
Are you sure what you had was really influenza? People are always walking around saying they have the flu, but walking around is one thing they wouldn't be doing at all if they really had it. There aren't any guarantees, but even if you did get flu despite being vaccinated, how do you know it wouldn't have been worse if you hadn't?

[Benguin]

What is it that has caused the license to be suspended? noone seems to be saying ... I'm due for my jab next month, though I can't figure out why they think I should have one!

[Capsid]

What is it that has caused the license to be suspended? noone seems to be saying
The factory in Speke has a history of problems including contamination issues. This news article (http://uk.news.yahoo.com/041005/325/f3zl4.html) appears to confirm this.
Chiron had suspended shipment of its vaccine in August, saying it had some problems with purity at the Liverpool plant where it makes all of its flu vaccine.
The company declined to say precisely what the problem was but Dr. Jesse Goodman, director of the Centre for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said he believed the vaccines had been contaminated with a bacteria called serratia, a type of enterobacteria

[Rolfe]

They said "problems with sterility" on the radio this morning. And although the NHS is saying that this doesn't affect the UK (the stuff was for export to the US), they also had a doctor on the line who said that he regularly sourced his vaccines from Chiron and alhtough he did manage to get a small "emergency" supply from elsewhere it was all gone in a week and now he doesn't have a single dose in his fridge.

On the other hand, Serratia liquifaciens? You're not injecting that into me, mate!

Rolfe.

[Beausoleil]

Originally posted by Rolfe
They said "problems with sterility" on the radio this morning. And although the NHS is saying that this doesn't affect the UK (the stuff was for export to the US), they also had a doctor on the line who said that he regularly sourced his vaccines from Chiron and alhtough he did manage to get a small "emergency" supply from elsewhere it was all gone in a week and now he doesn't have a single dose in his fridge.

On the other hand, Serratia liquifaciens? You're not injecting that into me, mate!

Rolfe.

The government guy on the radio this pm made a good point - the UK sources its vaccine from 5 different companies, 20% each. Thus one company going down leaves them a 20% shortfall. Each surgery use one source however, so ~20% of surgeries will have to reschedule appointments until they can order from one of the other 4 companies. The other 80% will be fine. He implied that people criticising should come up with a better policy.

Struck me as a pretty smart policy, though I hate to say something positive about the government...

[Kiwi Kid]

I wonder what the death rates from influenza will be over the coming season if a good portion of the at-risk groups don't get the shot? An unfortunate but very interesting experiment. Depends on how well they have guessed the main strains anyway.

[Kiwi Kid]

Originally posted by Benguin
What is it that has caused the license to be suspended? noone seems to be saying ... I'm due for my jab next month, though I can't figure out why they think I should have one! To keep you chained to your desk at work, of course. Can't have you skiving off for a week allegedly suffering from the 'flu.

[Zombified]

Just got the email that our at-work shots are cancelled so that the suppliers can focus on the most at-risk populations...

[EdipisReks]

Originally posted by Dymanic
Are you sure what you had was really influenza? People are always walking around saying they have the flu, but walking around is one thing they wouldn't be doing at all if they really had it. There aren't any guarantees, but even if you did get flu despite being vaccinated, how do you know it wouldn't have been worse if you hadn't?

what i said was somewhat tongue in cheek. i haven't been sick when i've gotten the vaccine, and i haven't been sick when i haven't gotten the vaccine.

[Jas]

The one company I work for pays for them, got mine last week.

Although I was surprised at how few people got them. Interestingly enough, the ones that got it tended to be older, and considered more 'stable' employees (ie. they had been witht he company for a long time), whereas, the younger, more flaky ones, didn't get it.

[Kiwi Kid]

Originally posted by Jas
The one company I work for pays for them, got mine last week.

Although I was surprised at how few people got them. Interestingly enough, the ones that got it tended to be older, and considered more 'stable' employees (ie. they had been witht he company for a long time), whereas, the younger, more flaky ones, didn't get it. Healthy adults do not really have to have the shot. I get the jab annually because one, I don't like feeling absolutely miserable with the flu and two, I'm self-employed so the fewer days off work the better.

Remember that the young and flaky (us when we were younger) are indestructible.

The much respected Cochrane Collaboration conducted this review (http://www.cochrane.org/cochrane/revabstr/ab001269.htm) on the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine in healthy adults.
Reviewers' conclusions: Influenza vaccines are effective in reducing serologically confirmed cases of influenza. However, they are not as effective in reducing cases of clinical influenza and number of working days lost. Universal immunisation of healthy adults is not supported by the results of this review.Have a look at the main results for some interesting statistics on the different vaccines.

Here's an interesting snippet on an antiviral. (http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000201/tips/3.html)

Simon

[Rolfe]

My Mum got her vaccination this afternoon! Yayyyy! :)

Her surgery didn't have a shortage. Which is good because she was very ill with flu about seven years ago (she had been vaccinated but it was a year with mismatched strains) and we don't want that again. Particularly when I won't be able to go help her this January.

Let's just hope they got the strains right this year. Anybody know if there's any news on that?

Rolfe.

[BillHoyt]

Originally posted by Rolfe
They said "problems with sterility" on the radio this morning.

Well, you can count me out of this vaccination, then! I'm not taking anything that'll make me...

...uh... never mind.

[Suezoled]

Signed up at work for it. Anything to give me a couple minutes away from clients.

[Kiwi Kid]

Originally posted by Rolfe
Let's just hope they got the strains right this year. Anybody know if there's any news on that?I don't think you'll know until the flu season is well under way.

Simon

[LostAngeles]

Originally posted by BillHoyt
Well, you can count me out of this vaccination, then! I'm not taking anything that'll make me...

...uh... never mind.

I don't get the flu vaccine because there's not a very large supply ever and I'm currently not among the groups that it's reccomended for.

However, the last time I had the flu was on Christmas of 1999. I believe my mother had been immunized but apparently managed to bring the outbreak at her school home to me. It was NOT FUN, even if I have a funny story about seeing my friend as a walking, talking piece of Astroturf in my fever. No one else got it from me in the house since everyone else got the shot.

If there's ever a year where they have a surplus of vaccines with regards to the reccomended groups, then I'll get one. As I've had the flu a whole twice in my life without having a bad case, I'll just take my chances and avoid my grandparents when I'm sick.

[Benguin]

Originally posted by Kiwi Kid
To keep you chained to your desk at work, of course. Can't have you skiving off for a week allegedly suffering from the 'flu.

It's not work doing it in the UK, the NHS decides who needs it. I think it varies regionally, but obviously in this region I'm considered 'at risk'.

I suggested to my GP's secretary I thought there might have been an error, but she was adamant that if I'd been sent a card I must need it and there was no need to check.

Who am I to argue with that logic? Anyway, I'd quite like a year without catching the damn flu at some point. It usually buggers up christmas for me.

[Jas]

I got the flu one year (never since I've had the shot, even missed that nasty strain last year that wasn't covered), and the worst part wasn't even having the flu, it was catching up on everything the week after!

[Rolfe]

Originally posted by Benguin
It's not work doing it in the UK, the NHS decides who needs it. I think it varies regionally, but obviously in this region I'm considered 'at risk'.

I suggested to my GP's secretary I thought there might have been an error, but she was adamant that if I'd been sent a card I must need it and there was no need to check.

Who am I to argue with that logic? Anyway, I'd quite like a year without catching the damn flu at some point. It usually buggers up christmas for me. And all these respiratory horrors you keep regaling us with couldn't possibly influence the practice to consider that they'd rather not have to deal with that lot and flu as well if they can avoid it?

Rolfe.

[Boo]

Flu shot every year since 1985. Primary reason is being a Medic means not only increased exposure but increased risk of passing it on. The other reason is to protect my kids; my son is at increased risk for respiratory illnesses after having RSV at 9 months. His Dr would rather have me get the vacc since I would be most likely source for transmission.

Gawd I hate Flu season.


Boo

[Kiwi Kid]

Originally posted by Benguin
Anyway, I'd quite like a year without catching the damn flu at some point. It usually buggers up christmas for me. I have a solution for you...emigrate to New Zealand! One, the flu season is in the middle of the year instead of Christmas and two, we have good warning of which virus strains are coming our way and three, Christmas is a time for warm weather and barbeques. :D

(edited to add that knowing the flu strains doesn't help much because we use the same concoction as the northern hemisphere)

[Benguin]

Originally posted by Rolfe
And all these respiratory horrors you keep regaling us with couldn't possibly influence the practice to consider that they'd rather not have to deal with that lot and flu as well if they can avoid it?

Rolfe.

I suppose so. I wouldn't have thought they were that serious in context. Certainly not going to be life threatening.

Just mean I suffer a little more than others ... but then I am a big baby.

Back on topic ... How come the US government didn't have any contingency against a vaccine supply problem? I'd have thought all sorts of things can go wrong.

[Zombified]

Originally posted by Benguin
Back on topic ... How come the US government didn't have any contingency against a vaccine supply problem? I'd have thought all sorts of things can go wrong.
The US government? Plan ahead? Consider contingencies? What is this crazy moon language you are speaking?