Who benefits from a flu vaccine shortage?

[soundfury]

Who stands to gain the most from the consequences of having a flu vaccine shortage?

WhoÕs agenda does it serve?

[Maple]

1. Dunno...it scares people

but then again it points out a lack of preparedness for all this biological warfare you've supposedly been threatened with.

I can't see how this helps Bush. I mean...some security!

[catchthefever]

2. Benefits doctors and pharma

When people get sick, they go to the doctor and are prescribed drugs. Vicious cycle right back into the repug pocketbook.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. No, not doctors, most work for HMOs these days

they don't get a say

[DuctapeFatwa]

3. Rich men. All medical treatment in the US is commodity

A commercial product like any other. Americans are proud to have the freedom to purchase all the medical care they can afford.

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

4. Price gougers

It's already happening, they're charging 10x the normal price for a dose. But I don't believe that this is the reason for the shortage.

[The Straight Story]

5. Is the implication that the shortage was engineered?

Someone almost always benefits from something that we see as 'bad'. Lots of people dying? Well, morticians benefit. Lots of sick people going to the hospital? Well, Doctors make more and nurses from all the Overtime and billing.

Who benefits from your posting this? Kerry? Did he send you a memo to post it? Was it the anti-capitalist groups? Did they ask you to post this?

I understand the overall concern you have but I don't think all things are engineered and managed by only those who can benefit. Many say * benefitted from 9/11, well had he done it this year instead 3 years ago he would have benefitted more in the polls - then he would have easily had four more years (which to me seem like decades when he is in).

I think too that many benefit from things, whether they are good or bad. Hard to find only one person or one company that benefits. Then, too, some benefit after the fact by capitalizing on things (much like after the 2000 selection, many made money off shirts, mugs, etc).

[SOteric]

7. Aha! It's a plot design to benefit

the undertakers.

[DS1]

10. Damn special interests

:nuke:

[jean]

8. the not-bush people. Anyone not responsible for ensuring availibility

of the flu vaccine.

What demographic group is likely to be distressed about the shortage?

How about middle-agers who are pulled in two directions, taking care of aging parents and young children or grandchildren?

The seniors are for sure ticked off.

[lapfog_1]

9. Well, if you are a "tinfoil hat" type

it benefits those who might want to see a repeat of early
Flu epidemics which killed millions of people, often the
elderly (we need to fix Social Security!) and the poor (we've
outsourced any jobs that they might be qualified for, so we
don't need them clogging up the welfare roles).

All you need now is some deadly flu virus released into the
population, something like SARS... not to mention a lack of
top scientists to sequence the genetic structure and work on
new vaccines (see previous tinfoil discussions on mysterious
deaths of some of the world's top biologists).

There may be a group of people, people with power, who have come
to a conclusion that we are in a resource depleted world which
cannot support 6+ billion people, not to any reasonable
standard of living, so the best policy is to secure the remaining
resources for the few, and, in addition, reduce the world's
population by something like 50 to 90 percent. Likely? No.
Possible? Yes.

[CAcyclist]

11. No one

But vaccines are not very profitable to the pharmaceutical companies, esp the flu vaccine because they need to make a new one every year. So there's little incentive for private companies to make them, that and the ongoing consolidation in the corporate drug company world.

[DemBones DemBones]

13. The profits would come from people getting the flu, not from

flu vaccine. Older people and people with health problems get sicker with influenza and can end up in hospital. Potentially, doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical corps, funeral homes, all could benefit from more business.

The increased demand for flu vaccine next year may lead to price increases, too.

I had to pay $25 for a flu shot several years ago, when my doctor ran out of the vaccine and I had to go to a doc-in-a-box. I'd pay more now. When you have chronic health problems, you don't want flu.

The fear is the worst part.

[soundfury]

12. Thanks for the responses, itÕs always interesting to come here

and bounce off ideas and questions.