{
  "id": "RL32655",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL32655",
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  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 306047,
      "date": "2004-12-27",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T20:00:42.405774",
      "title": "Influenza Vaccine Shortages and Implications",
      "summary": "On October 5, 2004, Chiron (pronounced Ki\u00b4-ron), a California-based\nbiotechnology company,\nnotified U.S. health officials that British regulatory authorities had suspended production of\ninfluenza (\u201cflu\u201d) vaccine in its plant in Liverpool, England, due to vaccine safety\nconcerns. The\nplant was slated to provide between 46 million and 48 million doses of flu vaccine for the U.S.\nmarket for the imminent 2004-2005 flu season, almost half the expected nationwide supply.\n \n The announcement of Chiron\u2019s suspension prompted the Centers for Disease Control\nand\nPrevention (CDC) and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to re-define the\ngroups most at risk, to be given priority for the available vaccine doses. CDC coordinated\nnationwide tracking of available vaccine, high-priority individuals who might need it, and infections\nsignaling the start of the winter flu season. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent a team\nto the Liverpool plant to determine whether any of the Chiron vaccine lots could be salvaged (they\nlater determined that they could not) and sought additional sources of vaccine from other\nmanufacturers, domestically and abroad. States launched plans to locate and re-distribute or ration\nvaccine, and responded to reports of price-gouging. The response of local, state, and federal\nagencies was limited because most of the U.S. flu vaccine market is in private hands.\n \n Several bills were introduced in response to the shortage, and proposals introduced earlier in\nthe 108th Congress, in response to flu vaccine supply problems during the 2003-2004 season,\nreceived renewed attention. Two hearings on influenza vaccine were held immediately prior to\nannouncement of the shortage, indicating Congress\u2019s ongoing interest in this issue. \nAdditional\nhearings were held after the shortage was announced. Congress also passed (in  P.L. 108-357 , the\nAmerican Jobs Creation Act of 2004) a provision adding flu vaccine to the National Vaccine Injury\nCompensation Program (VICP), and provided $100 million in FY2005 funding for influenza\npreparedness, which could be used to purchase flu vaccine.\n \n The shortage illustrates the challenges that the federal government faces in responding to public\nhealth threats. Much of the responsibility for preventing or managing the shortage rests with the\nstates or with the private sector, and the threshold over which the federal government would wrest\ncontrol from either appears high. As a result, the federal government may appear disorganized or\nunresponsive. The shortage also raises questions about the role and effectiveness of government in\nrationing a scarce health resource.\n \n As communities across the country saw long lines of sick and elderly citizens waiting in vain\nfor flu vaccine, and concerns about the supply for the 2005-2006 season emerged as well,\npolicymakers asked why the system to provide this potentially life-saving product was so unreliable,\nand what could be done about it. Some have expressed concern that this situation bodes ill for\npreparedness for an influenza pandemic or a large-scale bioterrorism event. This report will describe\nthe system of flu vaccine production and delivery, the causes of supply problems, and options for\nimprovement. It will be updated as circumstances warrant.",
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      "typeId": "REPORTS",
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      "topics": []
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs6128/",
      "id": "RL32655 2004-10-29",
      "date": "2004-10-29",
      "retrieved": "2005-06-12T19:38:41",
      "title": "Influenza Vaccine Shortages and Implications",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
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      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Medicine",
          "name": "Medicine"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Influenza - Vaccines - Industrial production",
          "name": "Influenza - Vaccines - Industrial production"
        },
        {
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          "id": "Business",
          "name": "Business"
        }
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  ],
  "topics": [
    "Health Policy"
  ]
}