As June 30th nears, millions of flu shots are set to be written off and then destroyed.
Because of a mild winter, approximately ten million flu shots are set to be classified as trash on June 30th because of FDA regulations. These flu shots will probably be useful for a few more years, but because the government wants to ensure Americans have the most up to date vaccines available; any flu shots left over from the last flew season are destroyed after June 3oth.
An Associated Press examination of this long-standing practice raises questions about its consequences. For years, policymakers have talked about letting doctors keep unused vaccine until new doses are in hand, donating leftover supplies to poor countries, or pushing back the expiration date. Wasted vaccine means lost money for drug companies and one stopped making flu shots because of it — setting the stage for a flu shot shortage in 2004.
Having no vaccine in the summer deprives travelers of the chance to get a shot before they visit places where flu is in season. It also prevents summer vaccinations for children, who need two doses the first time around.
This seems like a waste of perfectly good vaccines considering these vaccines could be donated to less well off countries that probably would not mind having perfectly good 'leftover' vaccines for their citizens. In addition, having a few 'extra' shots of the flu vaccine makes good sense because you never know when an emergecy may arise and extra doses may be needed.
Think about this the next time you hear someone complain about why health care is so expensive in the USA.
Read more at Yahoo News
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