ema-adama
25-11-09, 06:45 PM
The slow pace of modernization underscores a deeper, fundamental problem with the U.S. market for flu vaccines: uncertain demand and slim profit margins. The government is trying to build a pandemic vaccine manufacturing system on the back of a fickle market for seasonal-flu vaccine.
The majority of Americans routinely ignore public health officials' pleas to get an annual flu shot.
An oversupply of flu vaccine on the U.S. market in the past three years has pushed prices down 30% to 40%, "creating a strong disincentive for manufacturers to maximize or even maintain current production capacity for the U.S. market," Vas Narasimhan, president of Novartis Vaccines USA, said in written testimony submitted for a congressional hearing last week.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125911113742763271.html
Underlining mine
The majority of Americans routinely ignore public health officials' pleas to get an annual flu shot.
An oversupply of flu vaccine on the U.S. market in the past three years has pushed prices down 30% to 40%, "creating a strong disincentive for manufacturers to maximize or even maintain current production capacity for the U.S. market," Vas Narasimhan, president of Novartis Vaccines USA, said in written testimony submitted for a congressional hearing last week.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125911113742763271.html
Underlining mine