$7.65B From Congress for Flu Vaccines. But No Flu?
...Congress appropriated $7.65 billion in June to fight pandemic flu, including H1N1. Of that, $6.15 billion has been spent or is set aside, most of it for vaccine purchases and related supplies, including syringes, needles, antivirals and other support... Read more about the cost of the H1N1/seasonal flu program at PBS Newshour.
As reported in The Washington Post, the flu pandemic is looking to be the mildest since tracking began. Now, what does the government do with millions of doses of (mercury laden) vaccines? And what could the government have done with $7.65B during our nation's worst economic crisis in almost a century?
Hey Evil Giraffe-
Well, at least you are immune for life! Unlike the rest of your family...
Now, does the surplus vaccine have to be disposed of as toxic waste in a SuperFund site? Just wondering...
Posted by: Janet Sheehan | December 15, 2009 at 11:29 AM
I didn't get the H1N! flu shot. I got the flu, and a month later I'm still sick with bronchitis.
I wouldn't wish this on anyone.
My wife and two children got the H1N1 flu shot and they didn't get the flu.
Posted by: evil giraffe | December 11, 2009 at 06:50 PM
Michael,
If a 7% uptake rate can stem the tide of a huge pandemic then please quit bitching about herd immunity and let me have my exemptions in peace.
Think of the money we could have saved if we knew only we only needed 7%.
Posted by: Jack | December 11, 2009 at 08:34 AM
Does this mean The World Organization will have our civil rights uplifted yearly because of the flu in a continuous state of national emergency? How long has it been a half a year?
Are they going to mandate it next year since it worked so well to contain the flu this year?
Posted by: Patrick | December 11, 2009 at 08:08 AM
The vaccine barely got out to the public. REmember the panic in the lines over who could get the limited supply and who couldn't? And the public turned it down in droves. The vaccine did not stem the pandemic.
Posted by: Stagmom | December 11, 2009 at 05:58 AM
Um, the pandemic was supposed to be small. That's what the vaccines were for, genius.
Posted by: Michael | December 11, 2009 at 12:18 AM
MSNBC reported just a couple days ago about the huge H1N1 vaccine telivision ad campaign that is getting ready to launch. I shudder to think what will come next - as the "plandemic" has peaked and is waning, and the government is still on the hook for billions of dollars in vaccines that they CAN'T let go to waste. Think of the backlash!
It's quite humorous. For every headline that H1N1 has peaked, is on the decline, or is the pandemic that never arrived, another doom-and-gloom fearmongering headline follows it (another wave is coming! 2 cases of Tamuflu resistant flu found! Your pets can get H1N1! the sky is falling!). The masses just aren't buying it. But, the more backlash, the bigger the strong-arm tactics may be, since fear doesn't seem to be working... (the US had to "revise" thier estimates of flu cases and fatalities - quadrupling the numbers overnight - which puts the US with ten times more than any other country, even adjusted for population differences.
I hope a lot more folks stop drinking the kool-aid.
Posted by: Mom-NOS | December 10, 2009 at 09:13 PM
and the vaccines were pre-ordered and paid for. I suspect the US will have a huge surplus of vaccine, but pharma isn't going to give a refund.
and don't forget to mention the untold billions our government spent stockpiling Tamiflu a few years ago for the last 'pandemic' - bird flu - of course, Tamiflu is getting plenty of use now - except - oops - turns out Tamiflu doesn't work..not only doesn't it work, last week only 15% of the samples sent to the WHO as suspected H1N1 turned out to be flu at all (check cdc website)
This means upwards of 80% of those told they 'probably had' swine flu and were probably treated with an expensive Tamiflu prescription had no flu at all. But hey - that stockpile of Tamiflu was about to expire - we HAD to use it for something.
Posted by: Sarah | December 10, 2009 at 01:59 PM
And here we are tangling with IACC over how to spend a measly (pun intended) less-than-a-billion CAA grant.
Posted by: Gatogorra | December 10, 2009 at 01:52 PM
They could have bought some lab tests, biomed, supplements, etc for the millions of kids with autism!
Posted by: htbenz | December 10, 2009 at 08:34 AM