October 27, 2004
Sick Of The Flu Vaccine
Folks... this is the future of government health care...
It didn't take long for the flu vaccine shortage to get politicized. And they were right - we didn't get a flu shot, but the discussion about it sure is making us sick.
Since Kerry has been in the habit of blaming every leaky faucet and burned out light bulb in America on Bush, it's not too surprising that like the stock market or the shortage of Pabst Blue Ribbon at the convenience store, this flu vaccination shortage too is the work of Bush Administration incompetence.
It's hard to discuss the topic with those enticed by the argument that the rooster makes the sun rise - that since Bush is President, and we don't have enough, it naturally follows that it's his fault. But examining the underlying truth shows that Bush isn't to blame - in fact, we are, with our own good intentions.
In 1993, the US passed the 'Vaccines for Children' program - I mean how could you vote against it? It was designed with the best intentions, as most bricks on the path to socialized medicine are, to make sure vaccinations were available to poor and underpriliveged people. The government would buy a substantial portion of the vaccine at a fixed price - of course, a price fixed well below market value - and distribute it.
Well, we now see the results. When the government price-fixes, everyone loses. There are now just two producers of this vaccine. Is it any wonder? I can get an endless supply of erection medicine, but cannot get a flu shot.
This surely wasn't the goal of the bill - but should we not have seen this coming? Price controls and central planning have never met the needs of the market. In this case, government involvement in supply and pricing does what it nearly always does - stifle innovation, production, and leave us the bare minimum. When the vaccine supply in Britain showed contamination, that was it - there were no competing suppliers, nobody looking to make money on this product who could step into the void.
This is the future of government involvement in health care. Some have called for government control over such vaccines - yeah, that's what we need.
If anyone thinks the people who run the DMV would be good at making sure we have a bountiful supply of vaccines...
Posted by MEC2 at October 27, 2004 06:38 PM