Rep. Edolphus Towns Holds a Hearing On the Flu Vaccine Program

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM HOLDS A HEARING ON THE FLU VACCINE PROGRAM

SEPTEMBER 29, 2009

SPEAKERS: REP. EDOLPHUS TOWNS, D-N.Y. CHAIRMAN REP. PAUL E. KANJORSKI, D-PA. REP. CAROLYN B. MALONEY, D-N.Y. REP. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, D-MD. REP. DENNIS J. KUCINICH, D-OHIO REP. DANNY K. DAVIS, D-ILL. REP. JOHN F. TIERNEY, D-MASS. REP. WILLIAM LACY CLAY, D-MO. REP. DIANE WATSON, D-CALIF. REP. STEPHEN F. LYNCH, D-MASS. REP. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, D-MD. DEL. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, D-D.C. REP. PAUL W. HODES, D-N.H. REP. CHRISTOPHER S. MURPHY, D-CONN. REP. PETER WELCH, D-VT. REP. JIM COOPER, D-TENN. REP. JACKIE SPEIER, D-CALIF. REP. GERRY CONNOLLY, D-VA. REP. PATRICK J. KENNEDY, D-R.I. REP. HENRY CUELLAR, D-TEXAS REP. BILL FOSTER, D-ILL. REP. STEVE DRIEHAUS, D-OHIO REP. MIKE QUIGLEY, D-ILL.

REP. DARRELL ISSA, R-CALIF. RANKING MEMBER REP. DAN BURTON, R-IND. REP. JOHN M. MCHUGH, R-N.Y. REP. JOHN L. MICA, R-FLA. REP. MARK SOUDER, R-IND. REP. TODD R. PLATTS, R-PA. REP. JOHN J. "JIMMY" DUNCAN JR., R-TENN. REP. MICHAEL R. TURNER, R-OHIO REP. LYNN WESTMORELAND, R-GA. REP. PATRICK T. MCHENRY, R-N.C. REP. BRIAN P. BILBRAY, R-CALIF. REP. JIM JORDAN, R-OHIO REP. JEFF FLAKE, R-ARIZ. REP. JEFF FORTENBERRY, R-NEB. REP. JASON CHAFFETZ, R-UTAH REP. AARON SCHOCK, R-ILL.

WITNESSES: THOMAS FRIEDEN, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION DIRECTOR

ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES

JESSE GOODMAN, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION

[*] TOWNS: Committee will come to order. Let me begin by thanking you for being here today. This past March a novel strain of H1N1 influenza commonly known as swine flu was reported in Mexico. Several people died, and the virus spread quickly. Just three months later in June, the World Health Organization declared that this strain of swine flu to be a pandemic, the first global pandemic declares since 1968. According to the CDC, by the end of August this new virus had spread throughout the United States, resulting in more than 9,000 hospitalizations and over 600 deaths. At first some scientists feared that this could be a pandemic disaster on the scale of the Hong Kong flu of 1967 -- 1957 or worse, the Spanish flu of 1918. At this point, however, it appears to pose much less of a threat.

Nevertheless, there is great uncertainty about the course of this flu. And it is this very uncertainty that I think concerns people most. If there is any good news, it is that so far this flu strain has not caused the number of deaths that some had feared. But why? What did the experts see then that they are not seeing today? And what does this foretell regarding how this virus may behave?

Although dangerous mutations have not yet occurred, is this still a possibility? What does the experts expect, and what do the best assessments now suggest? Public health officials believe that vaccinations is the best means to protect against this flu. We understand that a vaccine has been approved and is in production. But ever since the swine flu vaccine fiasco of the late '70s, people have been cautious.

Today we want to discuss questions that I believe the public has about the benefits and risks of the new vaccine. We want to understand whether it is necessary, whether it is available, who will get it and when will they get it. The more information that can be made available regarding these questions, the better the public and other key stakeholders can assess both the risks and the benefits of receiving this important vaccine.

With the swine flu virus spreading rapidly, hundreds of thousands of health care workers, many in my state of New York, are now being required to get flu shots. Concerns have been raised about mandatory immunizations. In fact, there is a protest underway right now in Albany, New York, which highlights the concern that some have regarding mandatory v...

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