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Sen. Clinton Faults Bush Administration for Flu Vaccine Shortage NewsMax WiresNEW YORK -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton accused the Bush administration on Monday of being "asleep at the switch" and mishandling the flu vaccine shortage, which she said was part of an overall breakdown in the country's health care system. "They're more interested in tax cuts for the rich than for flu shots for everyone who needs them, and we've really paid a big price for their negligence," she said at a press conference at the Ryan Chelsea-Clinton Community Health Center. "This should be a wake-up call. This administration has their priorities wrong." Story Continues Below The flu vaccine crisis occurred when Chiron Corp., one of two firms that make the vaccine, announced it would be unable to provide its anticipated 48 million shots, nearly half the supply federal health officials expected. Clinton noted that during last year's flu season she and others recommended changes that would have prevented this year's shortage. She said the Bush administration hasn't adopted the recommendations. Clinton, D-N.Y., was one of a group of senators to introduce the Emergency Flu Response Act of 2004, which would allow the government to buy flu vaccine doses from nations with excess supplies and provide the Food and Drug Administration with authority to review the drugs quickly, among other provisions. She said that when Congress meets next month the bill should be a priority. She also announced that her office released a flu vaccine resource guide that informs New Yorkers where they can receive shots and how to contact health officials with further questions. The guide is available on the Internet. Clinton was joined by New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat, who condemned the Bush administration for its "lack of planning and foresight." To prevent similar shortages, Nadler said, the government should contract several medical companies to produce large amounts of vaccine doses and buy them back if it turns out the public doesn't need them all. In West Virginia on Monday, Vice President Dick Cheney blamed the threat of lawsuits, the yearlong efficacy of flu vaccines and limited company profits for the shortage of the medication. During a discussion with local residents, Cheney was questioned by a physician about the limited supply of the flu vaccine. "It's a combination of the economics of the business," Cheney said. "They produced millions of doses, but if people don't take it, they have to throw it out. The other problem is liability concerns." The vice president also pointed out that manufacturing the flu vaccine has not been a moneymaker for drug companies. "The problem we have run into, producing vaccine is not a very profitable business," he said.
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