Feds meet as Chiron crisis hits

[Guest guest]

You can still find it on CBS Marketwatch.

teresa wrote:

>...But the article is no longer available, although it hit the newswire just

4 hours ago........hmmmmmm

>

>

>Feds meet as Chiron crisis hits

>Investor's Business Daily (subscription) - 4 hours ago

>... vaccines. But there is evidence of a link between the mercury-based vaccine

preservative known as thimerosal and autism in children. ...

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

So am I understanding correctly that Chiron was the company that made the

thimerosal containing flu shot, and the flu shots that are left are going to

be thimerosal free? Did Chiron get cold feet about their thimerosal

containing flu shot and foresee the hundreds of potential lawsuits?

Feds meet as Chiron crisis hits

Oh yes they pulled this article fast! Almost as soon as it went up. But,

someone sent me the article! Anyone reading anything in here that would

give

them reason to pull the article?

....

Feds meet as Chiron crisis hits

Investor's Business Daily (subscription) - 2 hours ago

.... vaccines. But there is evidence of a link between the mercury-based

vaccine preservative known as thimerosal and autism in children. ...

Lawmakers grill health officials on flu

By Gilcrest

Last Updated: 10/5/2004 4:05:42 PM

WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - News that Chiron won't be able to provide the U.S.

with

half its influenza vaccines this year came Tuesday morning as U.S.

regulators

were being grilled by lawmakers on Capitol Hill about the lack of suitable

doses for children.

Public health authorities this year recommended that children aged six

months

through 23 months get flu vaccines. Some studies have suggested a link

between the preservatives and autism, while other researchers have said

there's no

link.

Health officials told a House committee Tuesday that progress has been made

in virtually eliminating the use of preservatives in vaccines for children,

but

stressed the process takes time.

" The bottom line is kids are going to get the flu, but we don't have enough

flu vaccines to protect them, " Gerberding, director of the Centers for

Disease Control, told the committee.

She said the Aventis Pasteur (AVE) subsidiary of Sanofi Aventis (SNY) is the

only company that currently makes a flu vaccine approved for children aged

four years and under that is virtually preservative-free.

According to health officials, Aventis said it could make 4.6 million doses

of its vaccine for children this flu season, but could ramp up its

production

to 8 million doses by 2008.

" That's the best they can do with the facilities they have, " Gerberding

said.

Those projections fall short of the 12 million doses needed to vaccinate all

U.S. children between the ages of six months and 23 months, health officials

said.

Gerberding told the committee that the supply of preservative-free vaccines

have doubled in recent years, but added that firms need to double their

production capacity to make vaccines in single-dose vials, which require no

preservatives.

The switch will mean companies have to make sweeping changes to their

manufacturing sites and equipment, she said.

Against that backdrop, House lawmakers pressed the regulators on why they

haven't done more to prepare for the potential shortage in child flu

vaccines.

" I have to be very frank with you. " Gerberding told the committee, " We're in

a very fragile situation in terms of vaccine supply "

She said that the worldwide flu vaccine supply currently numbers about 290

million doses.

" We don't have excess vaccines of any type, let alone flu vaccines. This is

a

catastrophe waiting to happen, " Gerberding said.

© 1997-2004 MarketWatch.com, Inc.

[Guest guest]

Not sure Sandy? But, Chiron made multi dose, and single dose vials.

Of course, with the single dose you get almost all of the thimerosal

was removed in the purification process. Here is the 2004-2005

inserts.

Multi vial

http://www.chiron.com/products/vaccines/fluvaccines/0405fluvirin_vial_

pi.pdf

Single vial

http://www.chiron.com/products/vaccines/fluvaccines/0405fluvirin_syrin

ge_pi.pdf

> So am I understanding correctly that Chiron was the company that

made the

> thimerosal containing flu shot, and the flu shots that are left are

going to

> be thimerosal free? Did Chiron get cold feet about their thimerosal

> containing flu shot and foresee the hundreds of potential lawsuits?

>

> Feds meet as Chiron crisis hits

>

>

>

> Oh yes they pulled this article fast! Almost as soon as it went up.

But,

> someone sent me the article! Anyone reading anything in here

that would

> give

> them reason to pull the article?

>

>

> ...

> Feds meet as Chiron crisis hits

> Investor's Business Daily (subscription) - 2 hours ago

> ... vaccines. But there is evidence of a link between the mercury-

based

> vaccine preservative known as thimerosal and autism in children. ...