Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Many States Run Out of Routine Vaccines

Aired September 17, 2002 - 09:48   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: There is a government study out today spotlighting a critical shortage in the nation's stockpile of childhood vaccines. This report says all but one state has had to ration vaccines, and lawmakers today in Washington, they'll talk about the problem. This morning, we talk about it with our medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen, who with us at the CNN Center.
What more do we know, Elizabeth? Good morning.

ELIZABETH COHEN CNN CORRESPONDENT: What we know, Bill, is that according to this report by the General Accounting Office, there are eight vaccines that children are supposed to get, and over the past two years, there have been shortages of five of those eight vaccines. And the results of that are that, as you mentioned, 49 states have begun some form of rationing of the vaccines. And because of the shortages, most states have changed their vaccine requirements.

In other words, they waved the requirements for kids to go to school or day care, or they said, you know, you can get them later. The concern here is that these are diseases that have been -- the vaccines have been very, very effective in -- with these diseases, with diphtheria, with measles, with mumps, with polio. There is a concern that these diseases could slowly begin to creep back into the population, not overnight, but slowly.

Now, of course the big question is, why has there been these shortages? There are several reasons. The biggest one is that not enough companies are making them. In 1967, 26 companies made vaccines. In 2002, 12 companies made vaccines. And that means that five out of the eight vaccines are made by one company each.

In other words, there is only one company making five of these vaccines. So that any little problem that that company has means that there is a shortage of that vaccine, and, Bill, vaccines are difficult to make. They take a long time. They're technically a complicated process. There is more reason to have error with these kinds of vaccines -- Bill.

HEMMER: Two questions then: What do you do about it? And given the shortages you just described to us, are things getting any better?

COHEN: What do you about it? Well, what the General Accounting Office says is that there are two things that the government can think about. First of all, the FDA has what's called fast-tracking of drugs and -- of drugs. In other words, the review process would be faster than usual. And they say, you know what, you ought to think about putting some of these vaccines on fast track, because there are some vaccines in the pipeline.

Secondly, the CDC is supposed to have a six-month stockpile of all childhood vaccines, and they don't. They are required by law to, and they don't. That's another thing that the General Accounting Office brings up. The other question you had, is it getting better? And the answer is, according to the CDC, yes. They said,in July, that production for all but one of the vaccines where there have been shortages is beginning to step up. They say it's betting better, but the General Accounting Office says, well, that might be true, but as we said, any one problem for any one of these vaccines means for a shortage in the future. The system is very vulnerable to shortages. There is a hearing going on on Capitol Hill this afternoon. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island will be discussing some of these problems, and hoping to come up with some solutions.

HEMMER: Good deal. We'll keep an eye on it. Thank you, Elizabeth. Elizabeth Cohen in Atlanta.

COHEN: Thank 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 - 09:48   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: There is a government study out today spotlighting a critical shortage in the nation's stockpile of childhood vaccines. This report says all but one state has had to ration vaccines, and lawmakers today in Washington, they'll talk about the problem. This morning, we talk about it with our medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen, who with us at the CNN Center.
What more do we know, Elizabeth? Good morning.

ELIZABETH COHEN CNN CORRESPONDENT: What we know, Bill, is that according to this report by the General Accounting Office, there are eight vaccines that children are supposed to get, and over the past two years, there have been shortages of five of those eight vaccines. And the results of that are that, as you mentioned, 49 states have begun some form of rationing of the vaccines. And because of the shortages, most states have changed their vaccine requirements.

In other words, they waved the requirements for kids to go to school or day care, or they said, you know, you can get them later. The concern here is that these are diseases that have been -- the vaccines have been very, very effective in -- with these diseases, with diphtheria, with measles, with mumps, with polio. There is a concern that these diseases could slowly begin to creep back into the population, not overnight, but slowly.

Now, of course the big question is, why has there been these shortages? There are several reasons. The biggest one is that not enough companies are making them. In 1967, 26 companies made vaccines. In 2002, 12 companies made vaccines. And that means that five out of the eight vaccines are made by one company each.

In other words, there is only one company making five of these vaccines. So that any little problem that that company has means that there is a shortage of that vaccine, and, Bill, vaccines are difficult to make. They take a long time. They're technically a complicated process. There is more reason to have error with these kinds of vaccines -- Bill.

HEMMER: Two questions then: What do you do about it? And given the shortages you just described to us, are things getting any better?

COHEN: What do you about it? Well, what the General Accounting Office says is that there are two things that the government can think about. First of all, the FDA has what's called fast-tracking of drugs and -- of drugs. In other words, the review process would be faster than usual. And they say, you know what, you ought to think about putting some of these vaccines on fast track, because there are some vaccines in the pipeline.

Secondly, the CDC is supposed to have a six-month stockpile of all childhood vaccines, and they don't. They are required by law to, and they don't. That's another thing that the General Accounting Office brings up. The other question you had, is it getting better? And the answer is, according to the CDC, yes. They said,in July, that production for all but one of the vaccines where there have been shortages is beginning to step up. They say it's betting better, but the General Accounting Office says, well, that might be true, but as we said, any one problem for any one of these vaccines means for a shortage in the future. The system is very vulnerable to shortages. There is a hearing going on on Capitol Hill this afternoon. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island will be discussing some of these problems, and hoping to come up with some solutions.

HEMMER: Good deal. We'll keep an eye on it. Thank you, Elizabeth. Elizabeth Cohen in Atlanta.

COHEN: Thank 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