French Firm to Fix Federal Flu Flap

Oh Goody! "Freedom" Flu Vaccinations!

October 20 Business Report

Washington - A French pharmaceutical company will supply 2.6 million extra anti-flu shots to help the United States cope with a vaccine shortage that has sparked public concern, a top US health official said on Tuesday.

Tommy Thompson, Health and Human Services Secretary for the United States, said Aventis-Pasteur, a division of French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi-Aventis, will raise the number of vaccines available in the US to 58 million in January.

The doses represent more than half of what the United States needs.

The country experienced a shortage after British authorities closed down a factory run by US pharmaceutical firm Chiron Corporation after finding bacteria in their vaccines. The factory provides almost half the 100 million doses needed each year by the United States.

*snip*

"We continue to explore all options to obtain more vaccines also from other sources," Thompson said.

"We have ongoing negociations with Canada ... they indicated they have some doses available."

I guess France doesn't hold a grudge after all.

You'd think after (as NewsScraps has pointed out), Bill O'Reilly claims the French have suffered "BILLIONS" in anti-French sentiment from his fan base, they might not be so willing to save American lives.

Even since the French decided to oppose the United States and our approach to disarming Saddam Hussein, millions of Americans have been boycotting France and French goods.

The leading voice of this movement � which gained a fresh inhalation of steam when Jacques Chirac decided to boycott Ronald Reagan�s state funeral � is Fox News star Bill O�Reilly.

Powerful stuff. And while there's little doubt not an ounce of brie has entered a single trailor park since Bill O' Reilly rallied the call to hate France and eat "Freedom Fries" one must ask, will the strike continue?

Republicans to boycott health? Refuse French vaccine? Accept infection of "Freedom Flu" instead?

How patriotic!

At least France isn't so nationalistic or spiteful. Thank goodness.

[edit on 21-10-2004 by RANT]

Business is business and money is money.

That being said, thats great that they have been able to get additional vaccine. But I think this is much less a political issue and more a financial one.

Saved by the French!

Ahh, the irony of this is so damn good!
So much "hate France" talk and then they save thousands of american lives with flu vaccines. Now you have to say "thank you very much" to France.

Seriously now, it is good to hear that the french can ignore the petty half-brained moronic crap like changing names of food, and help people in need

And while there's little doubt not an ounce of brie has entered a single trailor park since Bill O' Reilly rallied the call to hate France and eat "Freedom Fries"

First, let me offer my sincere thanks to France, and her Citizens for sharing with us....

But...(sarcasm intended here)...With all the talk of them being either with us or against us, and the accusations of their involvement with the terrorists, along with the idea that our friends in the North, Canada might not have "safe" drugs......well, what the heck are they doing accepting flu vaccine from "our enemies"?

On the more serious side, and well, I'm letting my nuerosis, or pschosis or whatever speak up here, just in case, well......

This guy seems to think that the contaminate flu from England is sitting in our wharehouses here in the states.....or on the black market....he cites a report on SF Gate:

www.nomorefakenews.com...

Then we have the story about the pediatrician's office being robbed. That they warn will most likely hit the black market and be contaminated:

washingtontimes.com...

And, then, in Florida, they confiscated a bunch of unliscenced vaccine from canada just as it was about to be handed out to people!

www.miami.com...

I just thought I'd bring this all up for everyone to consider....just in case this contaminated vaccine starts to kill people and the wackos start accusing the french of a biological attack or something!!!

Don't get all fuzzy over our French "allies" as they'll do anything for a buck. If they'll allow Iraqi people to suffer and die under Hussein's rule so that they can make money on the Oil for Food scam, you know they'll be more than happy to sell us Flu vaccines.

As for me, I'll pass. The flu isn't so bad.

Originally posted by Thomas Crowne
Don't get all fuzzy over our French "allies" as they'll do anything for a buck. If they'll allow Iraqi people to suffer and die under Hussein's rule so that they can make money on the Oil for Food scam, you know they'll be more than happy to sell us Flu vaccines.

As for me, I'll pass. The flu isn't so bad.

I agree here but think of the last time the French did a GOOD thing? Well it is still nice fo them to do it but I never get a flu shot anyway. I want my body to have to go through the full cycle so my immune system can stay in shape.

Originally posted by Thomas Crowne
Don't get all fuzzy over our French "allies" as they'll do anything for a buck. If they'll allow Iraqi people to suffer and die under Hussein's rule so that they can make money on the Oil for Food scam, you know they'll be more than happy to sell us Flu vaccines.

As for me, I'll pass. The flu isn't so bad.

Couldn't the same thing be said for the American companies making money off of the food for oil scam? Why is it ok for Halliburton (Dresser-Rand, Ingersoll Dresser Pump Co.) to do it, but not French companies?

With your logic, you wouln't take the flu shots from the US government because US companies were involved in the food for oil scandel.

"Freedom Flu"

Good for the French if they have extra doses and want to feed the mass flu hysteria going on in the US. They're just playing by the rules of capitalism, as was the US in outsourcing its vaccine production.

Why is it that politicians and other public figures are the first to line up for their shots? I understand for first responders and the very young and elderly but aren�t those others just as fit as you and me?

Oh my! Did you get your flu shot? That scary bird flu is going to get us

Terrorism has many forms.

As for Canada's response...

We have enough for our regular needs but the "craze" has forced authorities to demand that the recipients of the FREE flu shots show their Provincial Health Insurance Card.

Seems Canadian officials are thinking "Canada First". There are press mentions of some unsettled trade disputes among some groups that are also crying "Canada First". Canada shuts out vaccine seekers.

I don't know if we can ship millions of doses on short notice. It's probably the same for every country.

However, I saw a news item the other night where you can find border-town clinics and doctors that will still administer to anyone that asks for FREE or for as high as $12. (What do American for-profit dispensers charge?)

And that is fine with me as long as the situation does not get out of control.

As for the safety issue... Puh-leeese!

Us �dying-by-the-thousands thirld-world citizens� (/sarcasm) are too busy distributing FREE vaccine under our SOCIALIST health system to dignify that with an answer.

Oooooh... "evil" socialism�

Some posters on ATS seem to think accepting an idea from a different political perspective is accepting the entire stereotype embodied in labels they like to throw around.

Our health system may not be perfect, but it works relatively smoothly. What about yours?

Instead of disparaging other countries, maybe you should concentrate on fixing yours.

Just my honest opinion.

EDIT: See Bleys' post on one of my points above: No Shortage of Flu Vaccine for Congress

PS: Good post and nice tongue twisting thread title.

PSS: Yes I know we pay with our taxes. That's what they are for.


[edit on 10/21/2004 by Gools]

You see, curme, France had no desire to rout Hussein and blunt the WMD avenue of the terrorists because they were making money off of the Oil for Food Scam. Remember that? That was known about long before the official sacm news came out. As far as Halliburton, why don't you give me non-conspiracy facts. I do remember many months ago when Haliburton tried to get the gov't to handle the Iraqi oil scene in a cheaper, more efficient manner and the gov't, as is typical, demanded they do it their way. After all, we all know how efficient our government is, right?

We had companies making illegal profits? Really? Which ones? Gee, I want to know. I mean really, I want to know. They will not get any money from me if they have a competitor, I assure you. One thing is for sure, curme, we didn't NOT go to war so that corporations may may big bucks with no whammies.

Anyway, why are you talking to me? You should be out there getting a French flu shot so that you might show your support for your friends!

I was going to comment, but you know what? It's not even worth it. To those who insist on hating France, go ahead and do it. I wonder who it says the most about when you do it.

F**king Fabulous France for Fixing our Fiasco!

Anyway, this flu mess is getting to be rediculous. People dying in lines, people who have never received a flu shot freaking out about not being able to get one.... Good for France to step in and give the US what we think we so desperately and urgently need. Yes, gools, terrorism can take many forms.

I'm surprised France even bothers to give us the time of day. All this French hatered is UN AMERICAN! Yes, edsinger, I said un-American. Aren't people allowed to have an oppinion? Aren't countries allowed to follow their own wishes and not be told what to do by the US?

It's sad that the citizens of France who weren't responsible for the decision are continulously punished by ignorant arrogant Americans who think they get to tell the world what to do. An example: the French vinyards and exporters who watched their small family businesses suffer huge losses because people refused to buy French wine.

As for the last time the French did a GOOD thing... why do they need to pamper and coddle Americans? I think their abstention from the Iraq mess was a good thing. I think the fact they didn't tell our president to go f**k himself is a good thing. They are a country of good people and don't deserve all this BS thrown at them. Get over it.

Originally posted by Thomas Crowne
As for me, I'll pass. The flu isn't so bad.

The flu isn't so bad?? Have you ever had the flu?! I had it a few years ago and with 103 fever, chills, hallucinations and feeling like I had been beaten with baseball bats for 4 days--and THEN a respiratory infection where I was coughing up green aliens and blood for another week, and it felt like I was breathing under water... and I was in excellent health prior to getting the flu, I'm not so sure I would let bias get in the way of common sense.

But isn't Aventis-Pasteur, the provider of the bulk of the U.S. flu vaccine this year, owned by the Sanofi-Aventis group, a French company??

Further...
December 11, 2004
Global vaccine bank to fight terrorism

G7 health ministers have agreed to set up a bioterrorism crisis centre to marshal a global response to germ warfare attacks, and pledged to provide millions of shots for a global "vaccine bank".

The move comes amidst concerns since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States that militants such as Al Qaeda might use biological weapons in any future strike.

"Despite our efforts, we have to admit that 'they' can still hit us at any moment," US Health Secretary Tommy Thompson told Le Figaro daily.

The United States has earmarked the equivalent of 80 million doses of smallpox vaccine for a 200 million-dose vaccine bank, which is run by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Mr Reid says the vaccine stock created by the group, which comprises Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States, plus the European Union and US neighbour Mexico, would be made available to any country in need.

www.abc.net.au...

Sanc'.