Too soon to tell either way

Reader comment on: 'Big Government' and the Flu Vaccine

Submitted by benjamin (United States), Oct 26, 2009 23:03

Predictions were overly optimistic (remind anyone of the employment projections), but that doesn't mean this is an example of government failings. As I understand it, designing and then growing a vaccine is a somewhat unpredictable process. There was money in the stimulus to pay for this, so the government did everything it could to ramp up vaccine production, but there are only a couple of companies (two I think) that actually make flu vaccine, and they can only produce so much, so quickly. If anything, this could be an example of a place where the public's reliance on the private market for such an important public good as vaccinations leaves the country coming up short. We are rationing the vaccine much like our health care system CURRENTLY rations care. Perhaps a "government option" would actually cut down on the amount of rationing - both for vaccines and general healthcare - that currently takes place in our system.

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