A vaccine in the hand is worth — not much

A bird flu vaccine, the first of its kind, recently was approved by the Food and Drug Administration, whose representatives said it was better than nothing. According to the Associated Press, 20 million doses are expected to be purchased and stockpiled by the government, to be administered to health care and emergency workers should an outbreak erupt. Clinical trials have shown an efficacy rate of only about 45 percent.
This is not the least bit reassuring in light of FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach’s statement that “the threat of an influenza pandemic is, at present, one of the most significant public health issues our nation and world faces.”
Posted by Patrice Hein

12 Comments

  1. GSheridan
    Posted April 19, 2007 at 4:47 am | Permalink

    I’m not at all surprised by this.

    Of course the Bird Flu scare has been put on the back burner for the time being – because Global Warming (the sky is falling) is doing such a good job of fear-mongering just now.

    lol

  2. brian
    Posted April 19, 2007 at 5:38 pm | Permalink

    Sensationalism sells papers and commercials. Global warming, bird flu, salmonella, and terrorism are so much scarier than heart disease and AIDS.

    Maybe statistical risk should drive health policy and spending. How much Lipitor and AIDS medicine has been stockpiled?

  3. Posted June 27, 2007 at 12:10 pm | Permalink

    Today was a complete loss, but oh well. I don’t care. So it goes. Nothing going on , but shrug. Not much on my mind these days. Such is life.

  4. Posted August 12, 2007 at 1:25 am | Permalink

    My life’s been basically bland recently. I can’t be bothered with anything recently. Pretty much nothing seems important. I’ve basically been doing nothing worth mentioning.

  5. Posted August 13, 2007 at 11:12 am | Permalink

    My mind is like a fog. I’ve just been sitting around doing nothing. Today was a loss.

  6. Posted August 14, 2007 at 11:07 am | Permalink

    I feel like a fog, not that it matters. I’ve pretty much been doing nothing , but eh. Today was a loss. I haven’t gotten much done for a while.

  7. Posted August 18, 2007 at 12:38 am | Permalink

    I haven’t been up to much recently, but whatever. I just don’t have much to say lately. Basically nothing happening to speak of. So it goes. My mind is like a complete blank. Such is life.

  8. Posted August 21, 2007 at 8:50 am | Permalink

    Males should be allowed to go shirtless at home only – Or vary with places for another persuasive speech topic

  9. Posted August 26, 2007 at 3:51 am | Permalink

    Help the homeless down the street and persuade them to look for work

  10. Posted August 26, 2007 at 9:36 pm | Permalink

    An integrated, segregated society is better

  11. Posted September 29, 2007 at 11:09 am | Permalink

    Water pollution is the World’s biggest problem today

  12. Posted October 6, 2007 at 4:55 am | Permalink

    My mind is like a fog, not that it matters. I just don’t have much to say these days. That’s how it is. I haven’t been up to anything recently.