Aventis Pasteur official tells Senate committee that vaccine shortages are preventable.(Brief Article)

2002 JUL 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Testifying before the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, Wayne Pisano, executive vice president of Aventis Pasteur North America, stated that a 6-point plan that increases cooperation between government and vaccine manufacturers could strengthen the nation's vaccine supply, preventing many of the types of shortages seen in the past year.

Pisano spoke on behalf of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Vaccine Committee, which represents companies supplying over 90% of the vaccines in the U.S.

"We're already seeing a resolution of two high-profile acute shortages - diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP) vaccine and tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccine. Because we've been able to increase production, we've resumed shipping Td vaccine directly to physician offices and are well on our way to normal supply. DTaP availability is improving as well. The company has been able to significantly increase its supply to both the public and private sectors, helped substantially by the approval two weeks ago of an additional DTaP vaccine," Pisano said.

In his testimony, Pisano outlined several immediate steps that would have an important impact on vaccine supply. "First and foremost, the government should look at expanding stockpiles for use in case supplies are disrupted," said Pisano. "The recently passed bioterrorism bill calls for increased stockpiles for bioterrorism ...