If You’re Wondering Why You Can’t Get A Flu Shot, Thank The Government
The government makes just about everything worse:
The shortage of swine-flu vaccine results not from drug- company greed or outsize demand but almost entirely from the government’s decision to pander to unfounded and unscientific fear.
As The Wall Street Journal reported last week, the US government set out to have the H1N1 vaccine produced largely in single-dose syringes—a demand that has set back production considerably, because multidose vials are far easier to make.
And the only reason to seek single-dose production was to please people needlessly worried about the preservative thimerasol, which is used to provide multiple doses of the vaccine. The fear—utterly groundless and repeatedly debunked is that thimerasol can cause autism and other neurological disorders in infants and other young children.
If not for that decision, we’d have more than enough vaccine. Instead, because the government yielded to pressure from antivaccine fringe groups, we’re behind the curve on protecting millions of children from swine flu.
But don’t worry. When the Democrats pass their health care bill and you’re forced to buy only government-approved health insurance policies that provide government-approved levels of coverage through a government-run health care exchange this sort of stupidity totally won’t happen.
