Vaccine and Tort Reform

Where do they get this nonsense? From the NY Times:

Mr. Thompson said that more had been done to fight the flu by this administration than by any previous one. Echoing comments made in recent days by Vice President Dick Cheney, he said that tort reforms proposed by the administration were needed to help vaccine manufacturers even more.

But Congress in 1986 passed the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act that largely shields vaccine manufacturers from serious legal liability. Congress voted this year to add flu vaccines to the program, a bill that only awaits President Bush's signature, according to a spokesman for the program.

The next time you hear a Republican saying that the lack of tort reform is the problem with the flu vaccine, ask them why George hasn't signed this bill. Then you can move on to a more productive discussion of profit margins, the unpredictable market for a "commodity" product that's only good for one flu season, the logic of investing in production facilities that use a technology that is soon be obsolete, and whether or not we need to look at the extent of FDA regulation of production facilities.

Update: If you'd like a detailed examination of the things the administration hasn't done about vaccines, download this PDF document from the office of Rep. Henry Waxman.