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CNN Live Today
Short on Shots
Aired September 17, 2002 - 11:22 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: ... but we can't, because there aren't enough, so your child can come to school or come to day care anyway. The concern here among public health folks is that vaccines have been so effective against all sorts of diseases from hepatitis to chicken pox to polio to mumps, so the concern is that if not enough children are vaccinated that these diseases might slowly, I emphasize slowly, creep back into the population, because as more and more children are not vaccinated, that means that those children could get then get ill and could spread it to other people.
However, it is important to note that these children aren't usually completely going unvaccinated. It just usually means they they're getting it at a later time.
Now the big question is, why are these shortages of vaccines? There are several reasons for this. The big one is that not enough companies are making them. In 1967, 26 companies made vaccines. 2002, now 12 companies make vaccines. That means that for five out of the eight vaccines that children get, five out of the eight of them are made by one company each. So in other words, five vaccines, only one company making each of those vaccines. So if there's a problem with production, there is no place to go, there is no one to pick up the slack, because there is no other company making those five vaccines.
HARRIS: That's remarkable. Now we didn't even think to talk about vaccines until we starting thinking about smallpox around here, when we got this happening right under our noses for so long. Why is it that this is coming up all of a sudden now? Didn't they know about it for a time?
but we can't, there are not enough so your kid can come to school or day care anyway. The concern here among folks is that vaccines are so effective against diseases from hepatitis to chicken pox to polio to mumps so if not enough are vaccinated the diseases could creep back into the population because as horror and more children are not vaccinated, it means the children could get ill and spread it to other people. However, it is important to note that these children are not completely going unvaccinated it means they can get it at a later time. The question is why aren't the shortages of the vaccines?
Several reasons for this. Not enough companies are making them, in 1967, 26 companies made vaccines, 2002, 12 companies make vaccines, that means for 5 out of the 8 vaccines, 5 out of the 8 are made by one company each. 5 vaccines and only one company making each of those vaccines. So if there is a problem with production. There is no place to go, nobody to pick up the slack because of the no company making the five vaccines.
HARRIS: We did not think of the vaccines until we thought of smallpox, and this happening under our noses for so long. Why is this coming up all of a sudden now? Didn't they know about it for a time?
COHEN: You know what, they did know about it for a while. I mean, it was sort of known that something had to be done. It was sort of known that, gee, this is kind of a vulnerable position.
But as you can see, those numbers have declined so much that it really hasn't been until the past couple of years that public health authorities have said, gosh, we just don't have enough of these. We are just not making enough of those. And the problem here is that the system is very vulnerable. When you only have one company making these vaccines, you can't go anywhere else. When there was 26 companies making vaccines. If one company was having problems; another company could pick up the slack. Can't do that now.
HARRIS: Let me ask you another question here about the threat. If any of the diseases were to creep back in, is there a concern that perhaps they could be more resistant to treatment because they have been inoculated from them for so long, or what?
COHEN: I do not think there is necessarily that concern, because all you would have to do is get the vaccine to sort of start the resistance back up again. But there is a concern that it's not entirely clear what to do about this problem. The FDA, for example, has not fast-tracked these vaccinations. The FDA has a system to fasttrack various companies that want to make drugs and vaccines, but they haven't really done it for vaccines. The General Accounting Office has been urging them to do that. Also the CDC, by law, is supposed to have a stockpile, six-month stockpile of these childhood vaccinations, and they don't.
The Senator Jack Reed from Rhode Island is going to be having a hearing later today, and sort of ask, you know, what happened. By law, you are you suppose to have it, and you don't. You could have fasttracked these, and you didn't. So hopefully some of those questions will get answered.
HARRIS: Very interesting. Are there companies waiting in the wings right now to begin making new vaccines here?
COHEN: Absolutely. They have applied to the FDA. They are vaccines that are in the pipeline. The problem is, it takes years and years to get them approved. So it can't help with this immediate situation, although the CDC does say that it is getting a bit better, that it seems like some of these shortages have been addressed. The problem, as I said, though, is that they're so vulnerable. It might be getting better now. One company has a problem and then you are back to where you were before, where you are lots of shortages?
HARRIS: I sure would hate to see an epidemic of any kind break out and make them say, OK, now, lets get the wheels moving. COHEN: Yes.
HARRIS: Elizabeth Cohen, thanks very much. Appreciate ti.
COHEN: Good to see you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 17, 2002 - 11:22 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: ... but we can't, because there aren't enough, so your child can come to school or come to day care anyway. The concern here among public health folks is that vaccines have been so effective against all sorts of diseases from hepatitis to chicken pox to polio to mumps, so the concern is that if not enough children are vaccinated that these diseases might slowly, I emphasize slowly, creep back into the population, because as more and more children are not vaccinated, that means that those children could get then get ill and could spread it to other people.
However, it is important to note that these children aren't usually completely going unvaccinated. It just usually means they they're getting it at a later time.
Now the big question is, why are these shortages of vaccines? There are several reasons for this. The big one is that not enough companies are making them. In 1967, 26 companies made vaccines. 2002, now 12 companies make vaccines. That means that for five out of the eight vaccines that children get, five out of the eight of them are made by one company each. So in other words, five vaccines, only one company making each of those vaccines. So if there's a problem with production, there is no place to go, there is no one to pick up the slack, because there is no other company making those five vaccines.
HARRIS: That's remarkable. Now we didn't even think to talk about vaccines until we starting thinking about smallpox around here, when we got this happening right under our noses for so long. Why is it that this is coming up all of a sudden now? Didn't they know about it for a time?
but we can't, there are not enough so your kid can come to school or day care anyway. The concern here among folks is that vaccines are so effective against diseases from hepatitis to chicken pox to polio to mumps so if not enough are vaccinated the diseases could creep back into the population because as horror and more children are not vaccinated, it means the children could get ill and spread it to other people. However, it is important to note that these children are not completely going unvaccinated it means they can get it at a later time. The question is why aren't the shortages of the vaccines?
Several reasons for this. Not enough companies are making them, in 1967, 26 companies made vaccines, 2002, 12 companies make vaccines, that means for 5 out of the 8 vaccines, 5 out of the 8 are made by one company each. 5 vaccines and only one company making each of those vaccines. So if there is a problem with production. There is no place to go, nobody to pick up the slack because of the no company making the five vaccines.
HARRIS: We did not think of the vaccines until we thought of smallpox, and this happening under our noses for so long. Why is this coming up all of a sudden now? Didn't they know about it for a time?
COHEN: You know what, they did know about it for a while. I mean, it was sort of known that something had to be done. It was sort of known that, gee, this is kind of a vulnerable position.
But as you can see, those numbers have declined so much that it really hasn't been until the past couple of years that public health authorities have said, gosh, we just don't have enough of these. We are just not making enough of those. And the problem here is that the system is very vulnerable. When you only have one company making these vaccines, you can't go anywhere else. When there was 26 companies making vaccines. If one company was having problems; another company could pick up the slack. Can't do that now.
HARRIS: Let me ask you another question here about the threat. If any of the diseases were to creep back in, is there a concern that perhaps they could be more resistant to treatment because they have been inoculated from them for so long, or what?
COHEN: I do not think there is necessarily that concern, because all you would have to do is get the vaccine to sort of start the resistance back up again. But there is a concern that it's not entirely clear what to do about this problem. The FDA, for example, has not fast-tracked these vaccinations. The FDA has a system to fasttrack various companies that want to make drugs and vaccines, but they haven't really done it for vaccines. The General Accounting Office has been urging them to do that. Also the CDC, by law, is supposed to have a stockpile, six-month stockpile of these childhood vaccinations, and they don't.
The Senator Jack Reed from Rhode Island is going to be having a hearing later today, and sort of ask, you know, what happened. By law, you are you suppose to have it, and you don't. You could have fasttracked these, and you didn't. So hopefully some of those questions will get answered.
HARRIS: Very interesting. Are there companies waiting in the wings right now to begin making new vaccines here?
COHEN: Absolutely. They have applied to the FDA. They are vaccines that are in the pipeline. The problem is, it takes years and years to get them approved. So it can't help with this immediate situation, although the CDC does say that it is getting a bit better, that it seems like some of these shortages have been addressed. The problem, as I said, though, is that they're so vulnerable. It might be getting better now. One company has a problem and then you are back to where you were before, where you are lots of shortages?
HARRIS: I sure would hate to see an epidemic of any kind break out and make them say, OK, now, lets get the wheels moving. COHEN: Yes.
HARRIS: Elizabeth Cohen, thanks very much. Appreciate ti.
COHEN: Good to see you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
