Some states are shopping for the flu vaccine in other countries....smart?

[RickM]

Do other countries have the same quality standard as the FDA? I thought not. Who's to say that the considerable batch of vaccine we refused to import lands in the hands of another country, then finding it's way here afterall.

http://news.yahoo.com/fc?tmpl=fc&cid=34&in=health&cat=influenza

[304065]

All drugs to be consumed in the United States have to be manufactured in FDA-approved plants that comply with what are called Current Good Manufacturing Practices, or cGMP. These standards encompass a whole myriad of things, like cleanliness, labeling, temperature, etc., as you might imagine would be important in pharmaceutcial manufacture.

Just because a plant doesn't comply doesn't mean it's not safe, however, that's a moot point because our FDA rules are designed to protect our citizens. How the hell do we know if there are rodents in some foreign plant that's not subject to FDA audits?

The reason the Chiron plant was shut down was due to failing a cGMP audit. If that vaccine finds its way here, we've just circumvented the entire regulatory system. Which at its most benign, could mean that the vaccine doesn't work. And at its worst, kills a hundred or so million people.

Naturally this is being blurred in with the whole "reimportation of prescription drugs for 'seniors'" hoopla.

[dhoward]

Originally posted by john_cramer
Snip...... And at its worst, kills a hundred or so million people.

Naturally this is being blurred in with the whole "reimportation of prescription drugs for 'seniors'" hoopla.

May solve the whole "reimportation of prescription drugs for 'seniors'" hoopla.

[B D]

Anyone know where the vaccines we are not using are going? Are we destroying them or are they sold to other countries?

[RickM]

Good questions. God knows what people will shoot into their arm as long as they're told it's ok.

Seems this may be THE black market item of the year.

How long before vaccines show up on Ebay. I can see it now....Trip to Europe with guaranteed Flu shot.....to highest bidder. They'll figure a way.

[dhoward]

Originally posted by B D
Anyone know where the vaccines we are not using are going? Are we destroying them or are they sold to other countries?

We got nothing to do with the vaccines anymore. They are produced elsewhere...

[Serge914]

They were showing on TV that a few hundreds Americans are coming to get it over here every day. $ 20.00 Cdn a shot. The vaccins are produced in France.

They make them sign a contract stating that they wont use an American lawyer if something goes bad.

[Moses]

My understanding is that the vaccine in question has a bacterial contaminant (serratia?).

No pharmaceutical company would try to "backdoor" a contaminated vaccine. (I hope).