CRUISIN’ and MUSIN’

Bias? What Bias?

In an article for NewsBusters, Brent Baker notes that even though Obama has declared H1N1 a national emergency, he has escaped any blame for the vaccine shortage by the media or elected officials (unless of course it just hasn’t been reported.)

CBS Evening News, fill-in anchor Harry Smith reported: “Now to the H1N1 flu. Federal health officials admitted today their projected timetable for producing the vaccine was way off.”

Substituting on the NBC Nightly News, Ann Curry blandly announced: “President Obama declared the swine flu pandemic a national emergency over the weekend, but still the amount of vaccine to protect against it is running way behind what the government had promised.”

ABC, Charles Gibson, the only regular anchor working Monday night, also avoided placing any blame: “The government originally predicted 40 million doses of vaccine would be available by the end of October, now says there will only about 28 million. And people who want the vaccine are finding tremendous difficulty getting any information about when and where it will be available…”

ABC Reporter John McKenzie named a government agency instead of the Obama administration: “Even members of Congress, hearing from so many frustrated Americans today called on the Centers for Disease Control, to do a better job communicating where and when people can find this elusive vaccine.”

One can only imagine how the media would have treated George Bush in the same situation. But wait… we don’t have to imagine because a flu vaccine shortage did happen while Bush was president. Samples of the Media coverage:

Houston Chronicle’s Cragg Hines: The Bush administration has blamed the current vaccine shortage on virtually everyone but itself. A favorite whipping boy is, of course, trial lawyers and liability suits against pharmaceutical houses

Thompson: No flu crisis; Ex-Wisconsin governor, visiting Dubuque, talks about vaccine shortage

Telegraph – Herald (Dubuque) …with dire predictions of a flu vaccine shortage. “The flu vaccine is not a crisis… campaign tour. “The fact is that George Bush was warned three years ago that we could face a flu vaccine shortage and he did nothing about it,”

AP Online: Flu Vaccine Shortage Sways 2004 Campaign

AP Online: …the last several days, the vaccine shortage has become a political issue… The vaccine shortage became public two weeks ago…

Daily Breeze: Kerry points to Bush on vaccine shortage

Telegraph – Herald (Dubuque) Vaccine shortage affects election; Bush defends his administration while Kerry tries to hold him responsible for loss of doses

Telegraph – Herald (Dubuque) …President Bush’s fault. Over the last several days, the vaccine shortage has been injected squarely into the presidential race…you’re a young child, if you’re a pregnant woman, George Bush and the Republicans have this to say on health care…

U.S. Newswire: George Bush: Failing To Protect Americans’ Health; Failed to Take Action to Prevent Flu Crisis, Says Kerry Campaign

U.S. Newswire: …around the corner, George Bush has again failed to plan for a vaccine shortage, leaving millions at…to avert a disastrous vaccine shortage.”

CBS Evening News with Dan Rather: The big question facing doctors is what will the vaccine shortage mean in terms of actual risk to the public? …John Kerry was quick to point out this happened on George Bush`s watch.”

NPR All Things Considered: “John Kerry lays out his plan for dealing with the flu vaccine shortage”

NPR All Things Considered: “…John Kerry lays out his plan for dealing with the flu vaccine shortage Host: MICHELE NORRIS, …system to decide who’s going to get a flu shot. So now George Bush is telling us you got to get lucky to get health care in…”

The Christian Science Monitor:     A month of mini ‘October surprises’; A flurry of revelations, from Iraq’s missing explosives to the flu vaccine shortage, have touched this year’s presidential race. (USA)

The Christian Science Monitor: “…The Kerry campaign issued an immediate response: “George Bush’s hypocrisy knows no bounds. On the same day that his …that have worked against the president include the flu-vaccine shortage, oil prices, and a stock market below 10,000.”

CBS Evening News with Dan Rather: Candidates Blame Bush for Flu Vaccine Shortage

CBS Evening News with Dan Rather: “… system to decide who`s going to get a flu shot. So now, George Bush is telling us, ‘You got to get lucky to get health care …vaccinations during this upcoming season.’ … A George Bush mess. ACOSTA: The next day, a new Kerry ad was born”

Chicago Sun-Times: “Vaccine shortage gets political Cheney says lawsuits helped create flu woes as Durbin joins fray.”

Chicago Sun-Times: “Seniors and children wait. Not enough vaccines for pregnant women. The Kerry ad ends with the kicker: ‘A George Bush mess. It’s time for a new direction.’ Kerry followed up Monday during a speech on health care by alleging that the administration… “

Okay, so, what is the reason for the shortage? What did the Bush administration actually do to cause a shortage, in an election year? What might the root cause might be? The lack of intellectual curiosity by the media, then and now, isn’t surprising, I just wonder how they missed Blaming Bush for this shortage… after all if Bush had not allowed Katrina to hit New Orleans there would probably be lots of vaccine.

Since American companies are not making and distributing vaccines in the US any more, the hang up could be because the world isn’t over hating Bush (after all they didn’t give Chicago the Olympics.)  Maybe someone actually has found a way to blame Bush, I might need to cruise some more… Although, I am sure they will get around to it if Fox News starts asking too many uncomfortable questions.

Seems like a curious journalist would start to wonder why there are shortages, since Bush isn’t being blamed. (Although, I am sure they will get around to it if Fox News starts asking too many uncomfortable questions.) I did find a 2001 USA Today article that suggests an possible answer…

“…Price caps also hinder production, the group says. “Most of the vaccine market is effectively price-controlled, so there is not a true market for vaccines,” says Sara Radcliffe, research director for PhRMA. She said those controls help explain why the number of vaccine makers has dropped from a dozen 15 years ago to four today.

Radcliffe’s concern about vaccine price controls stems from federal legislation enacted in 1994. The law capped at 1993 levels the prices of childhood vaccines bought for use in public health centers through a national contracting system overseen by the CDC. From 50% to 60% of all vaccines for children are purchased through such arrangements.”

Hmmm… A 1994 law that capped the price of vaccines? Now who was in office in 1994?

If car makers were suddenly faced with a law that limits the amount of money they can charge for a car, how many car makers are going to keep producing cars, while losing money? It’s common sense, but as we know, that seems to be in short supply these days.