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'Minister ignored advice over swine flu vaccine double dose plan'Tuesday 27 July 2010 Health minister Ab Klink ignored advice from both the Dutch vaccine and public health institutes when he bought 34 million doses of swine flu vaccine last year, RTL news reports. The tv programme says the vaccine institute told Klink that two shots per person would be unnecessary. And the public health institute warned Klink delivery would be too late for a mass vaccination programme. The Netherlands bought 34 million doses of the vaccine for H1N1 at the height of the scare, enough for two shots per person. But the mass vaccination programme only began in November just weeks before the epidemic was over. In January, the government began trying to sell the vaccines to other countries. Unused In the end only young children, the elderly and some categories of workers were vaccinated, leaving 19 million doses of vaccine unused. Nearly 18 million of them are now in the process of being destroyed because they are past their 'use by' date. A health ministry spokesman said Klink ordered so many doses as a precaution because it was unclear how the epidemic would progress. It emerged last year that the country's chief virologist Ab Osterhaus, who advised the government to buy a double dose of the vaccine, has close links to drugs firms. He denied any conflict of interest. In total, 63 people have died of swine flu in the Netherlands and nearly 2,200 people were hospitalised. © DutchNews.nl
@Oz, Agreed about our bright Minister (hopefully not for much longer), but, unfortunately, government responsibility == citizens tax money... By Vlad | July 27, 2010 1:13 PM I agree, Oz. But had the outbreak been much worse and not enough vaccine had been ordered, or it was found that two doses WERE, in fact, needed, he would have gotten blamed in that case, too. Aren't there emergency funds built into the national budget for cases like this, or other unforseen disasters that nature provides us with now and then, i.e. volcanic ash that grounds airplanes (money to assist stranded passengers and/or the airlines themselves)? By Cathy | July 27, 2010 1:18 PM ok order extra for a double dose scenario ok fin but how many ppl are in NL, sure as hell isnt 34 million lol. silly politicians, health ministers should be Drs not suits By adhd | July 27, 2010 4:01 PM This is now just a very old hoax as the new flu scare mongering will arrive shorty on platform 3 at 11:35am on 12-November calling at all stations (If it runs on time...?) By stevie | July 28, 2010 10:07 PM 1 out of 5 persons here commenting seem to understand the lies which our world governments feed to us. Like the hoax of "global warming", which was uncovered this year and only spoken about breafly, where will the information go concerning the diabolical actions of WHO and the pharmaceutical giants? I should be happy I suppose that 1 in 5 persons will steer clear of the next witch's brew "griep prik". By Lisa | August 13, 2010 10:39 AM
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Now I see the reason why we need to increase our healthcare premiums. If that loss was caused by a stupid decision of a stupid minister, I don't care, government should take the responsibility and finance the loss occured, not the citizens.
By Oz | July 27, 2010 12:35 PM