CNN.com – Tainted flu vaccine discovered – Aug 26, 2004
SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) — The nation’s supply of vaccine for the impending flu season took a big hit Thursday when Chiron Corp. announced it had found tainted doses in its factory.
The company said it will hold up shipment of about 50 million shots — about half the supply U.S. health officials had hoped to have on hand this year — while it investigates what went wrong and determines whether the vaccine is safe to use.
It’s good to know it’s being tested, and I hope it all gets straightened out, and with some Very Public explanations. It’s hard enough getting people to get their flu shots without worrying about the safety of the vaccine.
This also tells us how we can “miss” the right flu strain for the coming year. This represents 50 million doses earmarked for the US, and they’re already made, well before the flu season begins, before anyone in the US has contracted influenza.
I hate writing about Flu in August, it’s unnatural.
