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* Today’s Sun-Times editorial pretty much sums it up…
Gov. Blagojevich’s ill-fated effort to import more flu vaccine during the winter of 2004-05 has turned into a textbook example of how not to govern by bravado and bluster. Virtually nothing about the proposal turned out right — unless you count the initial burst of good publicity for the governor at the time. And now we learn that even the one legitimate bright spot has a sour ending.
The idea sprang from a flu-shot shortage in the fall of 2004. The governor’s office looked abroad to find more vaccine, eventually agreeing to buy some from a British wholesaler for $2.6 million. As a state audit later determined, Illinois pushed ahead before it had the federal approval that would have made the purchase legal. Blagojevich’s office never documented why it ordered a quarter of a million doses.
The administration placed the order in October 2004 but didn’t sign a contract until three months later, after it was billed by the wholesaler. And at that point, state officials apparently knew the shots no longer were needed, because there was enough domestic supply to cover the elderly and others in the high-risk population. […]
Meanwhile, the vaccines sat in storage until the next year. Unable to sell the disputed doses on the open market, Illinois and Eccose donated them to Pakistan, which was struggling with the aftermath of a major earthquake. It was a nice gesture, a way to eke out some good in an otherwise botched operation.
Except, it turns out, not a single dose made it to an earthquake victim. As the Chicago Tribune reported Sunday, Pakistani health authorities didn’t know the doses had expired when they accepted the donation. While Ecosse said the doses still were potent, officials were put off and decided to destroy them instead of using them, the paper said.
So on top of all the other problems with the flu-shot effort, Franks said, now we’ve insulted a key ally and damaged our reputation abroad.
* Pakistan probably overreacted, and the government’s claim that it didn’t know the vaccine was expired might not hold up. Here’s a story from a Pakistani newspaper from early January of 2006, just five days after the governor announced the vaccine was delivered…
Flu vaccine declared un-useable (because its expiry date elapsed in August 2005) by US authorities has been sent for use in the earthquake-affected areas of Kashmir at the request of the Pakistani government.
Earlier, when the expired vaccine was offered to South Africa, its government refused to permit its import because it considered the vaccine unsafe for humans.
A quarter-million doses of the flu vaccine that expired in August last year were bought overseas by the state of Illinois, but couldn’t be imported because of the adverse finding by a federal agency. The vaccine has since been donated for earthquake victims in Pakistan, according to Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.
Still, once again we have a lot of flashy headlines and no real results, with the taxpayers getting stuck with the bill. That’s par for the course in Rod Blagojevich’s Illinois.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 9:04 am
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Either way, sending expired vaccine to these people is pretty sick. Let me adjust my tinfoil derbyshire, but many would argue that is how AIDS began. Expired medicines
Comment by Wumpus Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 9:08 am
Buck the system, say you are fighting for the “little guy,” send out a press release, force the issue down people’s throats, and then ignore the results.
That’s leadership in Ram-Rod’s Illinois.
Comment by Fan of the Game Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 9:27 am
Oh yes another story of how Rod Blagojevich and his staff have are screwing people on an international level now.
Again they try to bury the story.
Illinois taxpayers most certainly will be on the hook for the $2.6 million plus countless legal fees.
Comment by Quicksilver Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 9:29 am
The government wastes countless millions of dollars. Granting that the Governor was only trying to make headlines and look good at least there was the potential for a benefit to the public good.
When I look at the hundreds of payrollers in the City of Chicago alone that bounce from administrative job to job sucking up millions in pay and benefits I don’t bat an eye at this one.
Comment by Garp Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 9:31 am
Don’t forget the fabled Veterans Care program. The much aclaimed program to get health care to Veterans was proclaimed by Blagojevich to be needed by 10s of Thousands.
After great publicity and state officials going around to sign up the needy, the governor’s office finally released the results of the sign-up program (after the 2006 election). A total of 14 people signed up for the program! That’s 14!
Great PR - Poor results - this may be the slogan and legacy for this administration.
Comment by Downstate Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 9:31 am
Wumpus, I think you need to adjust your tinfoil hat a bit more. I have never heard any link between AIDS and expired medicines. There is a now discredited theory linking AIDS to inproperly prepared polio vaccine.
I’m no expert but a review on the web indicates that expired flu vaccine may not be effective, but its not dangerous. Here is an excerpt from International Business Times: “Millions of doses of flu vaccine will expire at midnight June 30, unsold during this year’s mild flu season and written off as trash. Still perfectly good, and possibly useful for a few more years, it will wind up being destroyed. This annual ritual is supposed to ensure that Americans get the most up-to-date vaccine”
My sense is the non-use of the vaccines has more to do with Pakistan than Illinois and Rod should not be blamed for this one.
Comment by Objective Dem Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 9:37 am
Objective why is Rod not to blame for attempting to stick us with the bill for expired, illegally obtained, vaccine?
Comment by Milorad Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 9:42 am
If the tables were turned would Blago allow expired flu vaccines to be administered to the men, women and children of Illinois?
Comment by Flounder Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 9:45 am
Just yet another example of Rod’s reasoning. “How can I personally benefit short-term”, while giving absolutely no thought to the long-term or even middle-term consequences, costs, benefits, etc.
Comment by schroedk Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 9:58 am
Blago tries to dump millions in expired flu vaccine on Pakistan, meanwhile in Iraq his friend Rezko tries for $50 million. Woweee! Who’s the bigger dreamer? Grafter #1 or #2.
Comment by A Citizen Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 10:02 am
So, how poor a governor is this guy? Here is just one example…
Virtually nothing about this event turned out right.
First off, we hadn’t even reached the point where we could say with certainty that there was a flu-shot shortage. By the time we discovered there wasn’t a shortage - this yahoo already miscalculated.
The governor’s office looked abroad to find more vaccine. They assumed that the vaccine was manufactured, stored and was identical to our domestic version. What utter stupidity. What agency in what country oversaw this vaccine? Why did Blagojevich believe it was the same stuff?
They ended up dealing with a British wholesaler. Not a pharmaceutical company - a wholesaler.
Blagojevich didn’t seem to understand or care to understand why he would need federal approval to bring in a foreign vaccine from a wholesaler.
Without knowing or understanding anything about what he was buying or knowing anything about the wholesaler, or the manufacturer of the vaccine, he agreed to spend $2,600,000 of our money.
The deal was illegal because Blagojevich didn’t follow accepted procedures. It is really odd that a guy who claims to want medicine regulated would not want an questionable international vaccine regulated by the agencies who do the regulating.
Now he wants to do health care? He couldn’t even do this right!
Blagojevich’s office never documented why it ordered a quarter of a million doses. Read that again - they didn’t document this. They spent $2,600,000 without official documentation. What kind of governor would spend money like this without documentation?
The administration placed the order in October 2004 but didn’t sign a contract until three months later, after it was billed by the wholesaler. Well, when you don’t document, don’t follow procedures, don’t care about safety, don’t know anything about the guy you are dealing with, then I guess no one should be surprised that they committed our money without a contract.
The vaccine never reached Illinois.
Blagojevich wanted to pay, but state Comptroller Dan Hynes refused to cut the check. Although we are over 1 billion dollars behind in payments to health care providers, Blagojevich wanted to pay off the wholesaler first, even when we got nothing for it.
But this disaster continues. We have court costs to shell out with the wholesaler. Our credit internationally is damaged because of our non-payment.
The government of Pakistan has it’s hands full with lunatic terrorists within it’s borders, and asssassination attempts. It is an Islamic nuclear power fighting on our side and walking a fine line between being pro-US and Islamic. But thats not enough. Thanks to two moronic Illinois Democrats, they have to deal with expired vaccines and cough up money to destroy Blagojevich’s “gift”, (in German, “gift” = “poison”), and deal with a naive, self-righteous Illinois senator who has spent more time running for president than being senator proudly announcing that he would invade Pakistan and overthrow it’s government.
The Pakistanis must think we’re crazy.
Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 10:13 am
Brilliant! What is he working on next?
Comment by Can anyone be surprised? Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 10:14 am
The job of defending Rod usually belongs to Bill but he must be on vacation, so I’ll step up (to a degree). The other part of the equation is the Bush administration’s refusual to allow the use of the imported flu vaccine. I don’t think I’m being cynical to beleive that the Bush administration would refuse to allow the import the vaccine in order to stick it to a Democratic Governor.
If the flu had hit as hard as some predicted, the Bush administration would have likely relented and Rod would have looked like a hero rather than a fool. And people would have been in long lines waiting to get expired vaccine shots.
Now taking off my defender hat, it strikes me that part of the problem is Rod wants to look like the hero and makes these “hail mary” plays when he should be just plugging away. The health care/GRT plan is another example. I imagine some of this is the desire to get his name on the national stage. Part is immaturity and the inability to focus on the mudane. And while my mastery of psychology is limited to freshman year in college, I think he has some sort of hero complex.
Comment by Objective Dem Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 10:15 am
Flounder,
The vaccines WERE originally intended for IL. When they expired, they were illegal to dispense in the US. I guess the gov could have offered to take willing citizens 3 miles offshore where they could get a free innoculation with the expired medicine. And I can guess that the Musharraf administration in Pakistan probably thought, “hey, a few million doses of free medicine” and re-thought it after imagining an opposition campaign where the medicine was no good for US citizens, but OK for “inferior” people of different color, religion and nationality. If we are truly one people in the world, what’s no good for the goose should be no good for the gander.
Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 10:21 am
-Objective Dem-
“…# I think he has some sort of hero complex.”
Equals MEGALOMANIAC !
Comment by A Citizen Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 10:22 am
Tone it down, please.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 10:25 am
Interesting view on the Bush Administration trying to “stick it” to Blago……don’t you think that the reverse could also be said to be true? Maybe Blago was also looking to score some points and make Bush look bad in the process?
I find that there is an amazing double standard for politicians at this point - damned if you do and damned if you don’t. I know the Gov has virtually no credability left, and I would generally be the last to support him on anything. With that being said, I agree with Objective Dem regarding if the flu had hit as hard as was predicted - there could have been hundreds or thousands of dead, mainly seniors, children and those at high risk due to other health isses. They everyone would be all over Blago for not doing everything in his power “to protect the most at risk Illinoisians……”
I am sure that seeing the President reamed over some of the same type of issues (Katrina springs to mind first) that the idea of being prepared for the worst was a priority. The same people that are railing on him now would be looking for his head due to his “inaction and incompetence.”
Comment by Anon Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 10:28 am
Perhaps Rod could join team Obama and invade Pakistan..that would solve 2 pakistani problems at once.
Comment by Wumpus Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 10:32 am
I sure would like to see a comprehensive list of all of Blago’s PR programs and their actual, true results (and associated costs.)
Comment by Papa Legba Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 10:46 am
-Rich-
“Tone it down, please.”
Yes sir, My apologies, just getting frustrated.
Comment by A Citizen Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 11:04 am
Blago has a “John Wayne to the rescue” complex. Whatever planet you are currently on Rod, come back to Earth.
Comment by Little Egypt Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 11:09 am
- Objective Dem - Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 9:37 am:
I don’t think I’m being cynical to beleive that the Bush administration would refuse to allow the import the vaccine in order to stick it to a Democratic Governor.
Come on guy, look at yourself. Really? Because all the Republican Governors got vacinnes over seas, o wait, no OTHER GOV Tried to userp Federal Law. Its not his fault that he ignored laws on the books? Its not his fault that he ordered these vacinnes, and then didnt ever pay the supplier? ITs not his fault that he sent already expired vacine (that was already rejected by South Africa mind you) to a country and they had to destroy it? Then whos fault is it?
Comment by Moderate Repub Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 11:15 am
I guess Blago thinks that just because he has a “jurist doctorate” degree he can now give away expired vaccines.
Since he has a “doctorate”, I guess he is also well qualified to administer his “Healthcare Program”!
Another story of Flashy headlines but in the end makes the United States, and specifically Illinois, looking like we a giving away our trash, so that other countries have to dispose of them. What a good will jesture.
I also think Todd Stoger Jr. will be needing a few medical items, $$, at ST. ROGER (STROGER)hospital, maybe DR. Rod could help him out, just like he did with Pakistan.
When will someone stop the madness.
Comment by CRODAN Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 11:18 am
I have it on incompetent authority that Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey has rejected this circus.
“High wire acts, animal trainers and clowns, we have enough of.” “There aren’t enough rings and not enough laughs,” the spokesperson said.
“And, besides, they don’t know when the show is over.”
Comment by Truthful James Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 11:34 am
The vaccine issue was not some random act that the Rod did to usurp federal powers. It was a side squirmish in the larger battle regarding healthcare reform, the FDA’s role, and the pricing of drugs in this country.
I’m sure the idea of importing vaccine grew out of the use of Canadian medicine, an initiative started by the Republican Governor of Minnesota.
Putting the vaccine issue in prespective, 2004 was an extraordinary year. The US was facing a shortage of flu vaccine and predictions of the most serious influenza outbreak since 1918. I don’t remember the details but there was some fire or disaster in the UK that wiped out a major portion of the flu vaccine that year. There was serious concern that the federal government wasn’t prepared. New York City, New Mexico and others were also looking into importing vaccine. Its easy to blame Rod in hindsight, but as I said before, if there was a major flu outbreak we would have been very thankful.
Without moving the discussion to President Bush too much, the reality is the Bush administration makes their decisions based on partisan politics more than any other presidential administration I can remember. Rod’s most fundamental mistake was to think they would ever allow him to import the vaccine.
Comment by Objective Dem Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 12:15 pm
Would Blagojevich give expired medication to his own children?
Comment by Herself Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 12:20 pm
I would have no problem receiving a flu shot that was expired for a year. At home I take medicine occassionally that is past its expiration date.
It sounds like a lot of the commenters think that the day the medicine expires it converts to being poison.
Comment by Objective Dem Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 12:29 pm
Blago’s antics have a note of desperation, particularly in his intransigence.
I am struck by two scenarios.
A. He can see that his Administration is sinking, along with any hope of stepping up to the national stage (Rod is still a young man, after all), so he is “throwing long” with little to lose at this point.
B. This is an ignoble replay of George Ryan’s sudden shift to humanitarianism, once Mr. Fitzgerald began hitting paydirt.
I vote for A, but wonder on B.
Comment by Anon Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 12:40 pm
Has Illinois officially declared war on Pakistan? Does the legislature have to act on it? Is there a special session? Does anyone have a list of the special sessions and their subjects? Is the war on Pakistan one of them?
Comment by been there Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 1:59 pm
I have what I think is a legitimate question, namely why would flu vaccines be helpful to victims in the earthquake zone? Is there another efficacy for the drug that I am missing here? I’m thinking that since this issue wasn’t addressed in the Tribune article or here, there must be an obvious answer that I’m just missing, I’m just not sure what it is.
Comment by Rep. John Fritchey Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 2:06 pm
Perhaps when President Obama invades Pakistan we can get our medicine back?
Comment by Bluebyrd Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 2:12 pm
I believe that during the aftermath of an earthquake people are at higher risk to the flu and other communicable diseases due to group living conditions and weakened immune systems.
Comment by Objective Dem Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 2:27 pm
That seems to be the presumption, but I can’t find a basis for that anywhere.
Comment by Rep. John Fritchey Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 2:37 pm
I did a quick web search and found some supporting evidence.
A New York Times article discussed a flu outbreak after the 1995 Kobe Japan earthquake. “Colds and flu viruses, the medical aftershocks of last month’s devastating earthquake, are rippling through the refugee camps where 270,000 people live huddled together in classrooms and tents here in western Japan, and some of the fragile elderly are dying of the flu.”
I found this quote regarding the Idonesian Earthquake/Tsunami “Although the risk of avian flu re-emerging after the tsunami disaster is not great, a risk is always present when people are living together in an overcrowded shelter, said Dr Samlee Plianbangchang, the director for the WHO’s Southeast Asia regional office.”
And it is important to remember that the flu vaccine may have expired and become less effective but it was still safe.
Comment by Objective Dem Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 3:35 pm
I started doubting my statement, that the vaccine was safe, when I re-read the statement that South Africa turned the vaccine down because they felt it was unsafe. Then I remembered that the President of South Africa doesn’t think HIV and AIDS are linked and his health minister advocates nutrition over anti-viral drugs for AIDS.
Another mistake by Rod and the drug company was not ensuring they had an end-user for the vaccine before touting their humanitarian efforts.
Comment by Objective Dem Tuesday, Aug 7, 07 @ 4:00 pm