Modern techniques can reduce current shortage of H1N1 vaccine in the U.S.

Oct 29 2009

President Barack Obama declared H1N1 a national emergency this weekend, a status that will give the federal government greater flexibility and authority to contain the pandemic. But the current shortage of H1N1 vaccine underscores the severe lack of U.S. preparedness in responding to pandemics, whether through natural disease transmission or manmade bioterrorist attacks, according to a new video from the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism.

“Whether the threat is from naturally occurring disease or bioterrorism, the United States needs to be able to produce vaccines and other medicines faster and less expensively. We had six months of advance warning for the H1N1 pandemic. A bioterrorism attack will have no advance warning,” said Senator Bob Graham, chairman of the Commission. “Creating the infrastructure for rapid development of large quantities of safe vaccines and medicine is a win-win for public health and national security.”

The Commission released the two-minute video to engage the U.S. public on the need to improve the nation’s capability to produce vaccines and medicines faster and less expensively—and just as safely. The video and resources are available at www.FasterVaccines.org and the website includes links to public discussions on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter.

The United States—unlike the European Union and China—continues to use a 60-year old production method, using chicken eggs, to make H1N1 and other important vaccines. Modern methods will shave months off the typical six-to-nine months that current processes require. These newer methods can produce more vaccine and be quickly scaled-up, on demand.

The consequences of ignoring the bioterrorist threat could be dire. For example, one recent study from the intelligence community projected that a two-to-four pound release of anthrax spores from a crop duster plane could kill more Americans than died in World War II. Clean-up and other economic costs could exceed $1.8 trillion. A large public investment today will greatly mitigate the risk posed by pandemic disease and terrorist attack alike.

“The video takes a light approach to a serious issue,” added Senator Jim Talent, Commission vice chairman. “We want the public to know there are better options, and encourage policymakers to have the foresight to invest in them.”

Last week, the Commission provided an assessment of U.S. government progress in preventing WMD proliferation and terrorism, and concluded that the United States is failing to address the urgent biosecurity threat. The Commission’s original report, World at Risk, released in December 2008, found that unless the world community acts decisively and with great urgency, it is more likely than not that a weapon of mass destruction will be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the world by the end of 2013—and that a biological attack is more likely than nuclear.