10/15   Is the current flu vaccine shortage the result of too much government
        interference in the market or not enough government interference?
        \_ Too much incompetence in general, from both the government
           and private sectors.
        \_ I dunno, but it happened on Bush's watch, and I thought he was
           supposed to be on good terms with big drug companies.-partisan troll
        \_ The contamination happened in Britain, not here.
           \_ And the British Government shut down the American company's
              plant because <shock>they were actually doing their regulatory
              duty</shock>.  So now we get to try and shore up the supply
              with those vaccines from a third world coming through Canada.
        \_ I like how Bush kept referring to it as a British company... wasn't
           it Chiron... based in Emeryville?  (Yes, I know the particular
           _lab_ was in England)
           \_ Stop badmouthing our free-market solution to vaccinations! -gwb
        \_ Making vaccines is hard and the profit margin is thin. The US
           government doesn't push hard for taking flu shots so it's all
           free-market. For years, millions of shots were unused and tossed
           (no profit) and the FDA requires companies to pursue getting
           approval for making vaccines. So now only two companies make it
           for the US market and no one else is approved to provide the vaccine
           because companies decided not to seek FDA approval.
           \_ How many customers are there?  Can I get a flu shot if I am
              willing to pay more?  It doesn't seem like a free market
              to me.  Seems more like large entities with lots of
              bargaining power buy the vaccines and push down the price.
              \_ The companies have beat you to the punch.  They raised the
                 price 9-fold.  There are lines 5 hours long to get shots.
                 Massive fuckup.