The Associated Press reports that states are dropping their restrictions on flu shots as falling demand has led to surpluses:
The federal government last month eased its restrictions, imposed when production problems in October cut the flu vaccine supply in half, and allowed shots for adults age 50 and older.
Since then, at least 16 states have lifted all previous restrictions, according to the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. The states previously had reserved the vaccine for older adults, infants and people with chronic medical conditions.
Okay, companies don't want to make flu shots because more is produced than is used and the manufacturers lose money. This year half of the flu shot to be produced for the U.S. are contaminated. Governments impose restrictions on who will be allowed to get a flu shot. Now, because of the restrictions there is a surplus.
I'm no public health expert, but it seems to me that we need to ensure that we have at least several companies producing flu shots. It also seems clear that we need to produce more than the experts think we need. Finally we have to ensure that the companies producing flu shots make enough of a profit to want to produce the stuff. Are these three points really that hard?
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