Summary: According to the Center for Disease Control, the cost of the swine flu program may significantly exceed the $135 million appropriated, particularly because of salary costs for Federal and State personnel.
As a result of the cost overrun, there have been diversions of funds from venereal disease control programs, school immunization programs, and other public health programs. The adverse effects of diversions of resources from other programs cannot be measured. As of February 1977, none of the vaccine manufacturers had signed final contracts. The duration of the vaccines conferred is not known. When HEW recommended that all children be immunized, it did not know that there would be an economic disincentive against production of the monovalent A/Victoria, which would result in a shortage. Concerns persist about the adequacy of the requirements for informed consent of the public. The Center for Disease Control was not asked to respond to the following issues: litigation arising from claims by people alleging injury from the vaccine; the prevalence of the Guillan-Barre syndrome among those receiving innoculations; production of the A/Victoria in a separate form; and a course of action for next year.
