"U.S. Vaccine Shortages May Be Over by Year's End"
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"U.S. Vaccine Shortages May Be Over by Year's
End"
Reuters Health Information Services (www.reutershealth.com)
(06/12/02); Zwillich, Todd
Pharmaceutical industry and government officials
believe that shortages of measles, mumps, and rubella, varicella, PCV-7, and
other vaccines will be corrected by summer's end. The result of the problem has
been a higher childhood risk of acquiring preventable diseases as immunization
rates have dropped. The existence of only four manufacturers of pediatric
vaccines is considered to be the main cause for the shortfall. Lawmakers may
seek to avert future problems by augmenting the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention's vaccine stockpile and by giving economic incentives to drug
companies for making the products.
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