Vaccine shortage caused by litigation To the Editor:

It appears that Ann McFeatters, one of your regular columnists, has done it again; discussing a major national problem (the shortage of vaccines) while ignoring a cause of that problem that is inconvenient to her politics. Blaming capitalism?

An historical perspective might have helped. In 1957, we had another anticipated flu epidemic. By the beginning of that season, there were 75 million vaccine doses available, more than four times what is available today. How, you might ask, after more than a half century of medical progress, are we so far behind?

Answer: In 1957, America had 25 pharmaceutical companies producing vaccines. Today, there are five. Why?

Answer: Human beings and their responses to medicine are infinitely variable. In spite of all the care, all the precautions, some few people will have adverse reactions to their medicine. If you are one of these unfortunates, what do you do?

Answer: Call 1-800-BAD DRUG! Or call the law offices of (name your poison)! Join the litigation lottery.

Over the years, since 1957, one after another of these companies have decided to cease vaccine production, in order to reduce their civil liability.

The Congressional Budget Office has recently scored the substantial monetary savings of serious tort reform. They are incapable, however, of scoring the human cost of failure to rein in these predatory practices. 

Our elected representatives have recently passed a “health care reform” bill.

For obvious reasons, they have refused to address this consequential issue in any meaningful way.

Posted on Sunday, November 15, 2009 by Bob Savarese Nolanville