Flu Vaccine Surplus!?

Here's a comment from today's Wisconsin State Journal front page.

A doctor at the Madison Department of Public Heath, Dr. Kathryn Vedder says, "We had just about right amount, I would say, in Wisconsin, by the time we got it redistributed, shared and helped each other." Vedder does not expect the kind of surplus found in other states. "Unfortunately almost every year we do have some extra vaccine and that's sort of universal. It's almost impossible to guess how much we're going to need."

Did you notice the comment "we had just about the right amount..."?

So where are the apologies for charges made during the campaign?

Sen. John Edwards, North Carolina Democrat and one of nine candidates seeking his party's presidential nomination, said the government should have done more to ensure a larger supply of vaccine.
He has asked for companies to explain the shortage and for the General Accounting Office to investigate the Bush administration's response, particularly that of Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"It's frustrating to hear a Bush health adviser make excuses for drug companies by giving inflated numbers on how much stockholders might lose on vaccine production," Mr. Edwards said. "I wish we could think more about solutions and worry less about profits."

Where was the Madison Department of Public Health during the "shortage?" Were they telling folks "we had just about right amount"? Here's a quote from October '04.

Dane County and Madison Public Health are providing local health care organizations with a screening tool to help determine who'’s in the high risk category and requires a flu shot. "“This is very serious, we need to stay vigilant and only allow those with high-risk factors to receive a flu shot at this point,"” said Dr. Kathryn Vedder, Madison Public Health Department Director.

Oops.

Watch this whole situation boomerang on public health officials during the next public health crisis. I've got five dollars that I'm willing to put on how quickly there will be a breakout topic at a public health convention on "Managing Public Perceptions of Public Health." And if I could just have a nickel for how many times public health officials and media reporters will use the word "overblown" to describe the "shortage."