Kelly (![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} thedreammaker) wrote,@ 2009-05-19 12:06:00 |
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My views on the possible Pandemic....from the recent WHO drug plan.
WHO chief: Drug firms OK plan for vaccine to poor
GENEVA – The head of the World Health Organization says major drug companies have agreed on a plan to give poor countries access to a swine flu vaccine and antiviral medications if a worldwide outbreak is declared.
Dr. Margaret Chan says she appealed for help as she met with drug companies and vaccine makers on Tuesday.
Chan says some companies have pledged vaccine donations to poor countries while others say they will reserve some production for poor countries.
She says the firms also agreed to variable pricing, so that poorer countries would pay less for the drugs.
Hundreds of health experts are in Geneva for WHO's annual meeting this week, which is being dominated by the issue of swine flu.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below..... Read the full article here...
When I read that, I thought I was going to bust. What about the middle class people here in America who are struggling just to keep food in their homes. It isn't just the poor that we should be worrying about right now. Especially when our economy is so bad right now. I don't know how much the vaccine is going to coast, but Drug companies are notorious for jacking up the coast, because they know consumers freak out and they can get top dollar for it. That is why we need regulations put on drug medicine coasts. And if this turns out to be anything like the Spanish influenza in 1918, it's going to be devastating world wide. (That's what everyone is thinking)
And later in the article they are talking about how they won't be able to manufacture the seasonal flu vaccine as abundant as they normally do. That is freaking scary...."Mass producing a pandemic vaccine would be a gamble, as it would take away manufacturing capacity for the seasonal flu vaccine that kills up to 500,000 people each year. Some experts have wondered whether the world really needs a vaccine for an illness that so far appears mild. "
Mild? Mild? Are you kidding me. The only reason that that number is that low is because of the vaccine. The number would be double/triple/quadruple if we didn't have that vaccine. Why can't they hire more people and increase the production on both? And further more. People aren't what produce the vaccine, it's done by a machine that inoculates, an egg and it grows the vaccine. (The machine puts a needle carrying a drop of the live virus in an egg and they put it in a warming machine and let it harvest for three months/four months.) That is why sometimes they have spoiled batches of vaccines and there is a shortage. It's the only known method of getting the vaccine and there is always that chance of a batch going bad.
As a health care worker, I know that I will be able to get my vaccine for free and as for my child, she will too. But I'm not worrying for myself. I'm worrying about my friends, my family and the rest of the hard working America. They might not get that same option...only because they are the working class and can't get a break.
It's not that I'm against helping the poor. Anyone who knows me, knows that I would be right there doing the humanitarian/missionary work vaccinating the poor and the third world countries. I plan to do it sometime before I die, because I want to help. Hell up until a month ago, I was a poor, welfare mother. But right now they have the whole World Health Organization (WHO) fighting for them. They middle class doesn't have anyone who is saying anything about working class. Or trying to make sure they get covered.
And if you look back at the pandemic's of the past, it is the poor who suffered first and then spread it to the middle class. The middle class is the ones that boasted the death toll. They are 5 times the amount of people that the poor is. So I can see that they want to try and stop the poor from spreading it. But that was more in the Black plague era....The spanish influenza was most devastating in the Middle class and the death Toll was unreal. They spread it to the poor and wealthy.
Then you have to look at the twenty somethings that don't really fall into either category. They are neither poor nor working class. They are the college students, newly married couples that don't have health care and are trying to make it in these hard times. I have many friends that fall into this category. Who is trying to keep them alive and survive this pandemic that will/could/might me catastrophic?
Okay so I may have blown this all up and been a little on a rant for nothing but damn-it. It pisses me off. It's not right. It's not fair. And someone should be out there yelling about it. And I ask if you don't agree with me, not to go off on me. It's my opinion and I'm entitled to it. We can argue it if you like, but only in a civilized manner. That's all I ask, is for people to be civil with me when debating. :)
[edit:]
I know that there are typo's and misspelled words and I'll try to get that fixed later. But right now, I've got to go get ready for a funeral. Just over look them. I was more worried about venting and getting everything off of my chest.
WHO chief: Drug firms OK plan for vaccine to poor
GENEVA – The head of the World Health Organization says major drug companies have agreed on a plan to give poor countries access to a swine flu vaccine and antiviral medications if a worldwide outbreak is declared.
Dr. Margaret Chan says she appealed for help as she met with drug companies and vaccine makers on Tuesday.
Chan says some companies have pledged vaccine donations to poor countries while others say they will reserve some production for poor countries.
She says the firms also agreed to variable pricing, so that poorer countries would pay less for the drugs.
Hundreds of health experts are in Geneva for WHO's annual meeting this week, which is being dominated by the issue of swine flu.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below..... Read the full article here...
When I read that, I thought I was going to bust. What about the middle class people here in America who are struggling just to keep food in their homes. It isn't just the poor that we should be worrying about right now. Especially when our economy is so bad right now. I don't know how much the vaccine is going to coast, but Drug companies are notorious for jacking up the coast, because they know consumers freak out and they can get top dollar for it. That is why we need regulations put on drug medicine coasts. And if this turns out to be anything like the Spanish influenza in 1918, it's going to be devastating world wide. (That's what everyone is thinking)
And later in the article they are talking about how they won't be able to manufacture the seasonal flu vaccine as abundant as they normally do. That is freaking scary...."Mass producing a pandemic vaccine would be a gamble, as it would take away manufacturing capacity for the seasonal flu vaccine that kills up to 500,000 people each year. Some experts have wondered whether the world really needs a vaccine for an illness that so far appears mild. "
Mild? Mild? Are you kidding me. The only reason that that number is that low is because of the vaccine. The number would be double/triple/quadruple if we didn't have that vaccine. Why can't they hire more people and increase the production on both? And further more. People aren't what produce the vaccine, it's done by a machine that inoculates, an egg and it grows the vaccine. (The machine puts a needle carrying a drop of the live virus in an egg and they put it in a warming machine and let it harvest for three months/four months.) That is why sometimes they have spoiled batches of vaccines and there is a shortage. It's the only known method of getting the vaccine and there is always that chance of a batch going bad.
As a health care worker, I know that I will be able to get my vaccine for free and as for my child, she will too. But I'm not worrying for myself. I'm worrying about my friends, my family and the rest of the hard working America. They might not get that same option...only because they are the working class and can't get a break.
It's not that I'm against helping the poor. Anyone who knows me, knows that I would be right there doing the humanitarian/missionary work vaccinating the poor and the third world countries. I plan to do it sometime before I die, because I want to help. Hell up until a month ago, I was a poor, welfare mother. But right now they have the whole World Health Organization (WHO) fighting for them. They middle class doesn't have anyone who is saying anything about working class. Or trying to make sure they get covered.
And if you look back at the pandemic's of the past, it is the poor who suffered first and then spread it to the middle class. The middle class is the ones that boasted the death toll. They are 5 times the amount of people that the poor is. So I can see that they want to try and stop the poor from spreading it. But that was more in the Black plague era....The spanish influenza was most devastating in the Middle class and the death Toll was unreal. They spread it to the poor and wealthy.
Then you have to look at the twenty somethings that don't really fall into either category. They are neither poor nor working class. They are the college students, newly married couples that don't have health care and are trying to make it in these hard times. I have many friends that fall into this category. Who is trying to keep them alive and survive this pandemic that will/could/might me catastrophic?
Okay so I may have blown this all up and been a little on a rant for nothing but damn-it. It pisses me off. It's not right. It's not fair. And someone should be out there yelling about it. And I ask if you don't agree with me, not to go off on me. It's my opinion and I'm entitled to it. We can argue it if you like, but only in a civilized manner. That's all I ask, is for people to be civil with me when debating. :)
[edit:]
I know that there are typo's and misspelled words and I'll try to get that fixed later. But right now, I've got to go get ready for a funeral. Just over look them. I was more worried about venting and getting everything off of my chest.