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NEWS FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE U.S. SENATE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON AGING

CRAIG CALLS FOR PASSAGE OF THE FLU PROTECTION ACT
Short term solution - import more vaccines
Long term solution - build more U.S. capacity

(Washington, DC) At a hearing today on the nation'™s flu vaccine situation, U.S. Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) called for quick action from the Food and Drug Administration to ensure adequate supplies for next year'™s flu season, and for passage of the Flu Protection Act he is cosponsoring with Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Indiana).

'œWe have absolutely no time to waste in addressing this issue and making the necessary changes to assure an adequate supply of vaccine in the future,' Craig said.

'œFlu manufacturers are now making decisions in order to fill orders for next year. We can't wait until Congress is in full swing in February to address next year's supply challenges. By then it will be too late, especially if Chiron Corporation is unable to start production next year. Flu is a worldwide killer and the need for vaccine is clear - and yet, the market has dwindled to the point that the pullout of just one company can devastate our supply.'

In 1967 there were 26 makers of all types of vaccines. By 1980 that number had fallen to 17. By 1994 the number of influenza vaccine manufacturers was down to five: Wyeth, Evans (now part of Chiron), Connaught (now part of Aventis), Parke Davis and Lederle. By 1999 there were just four. Today there are just three flu vaccine makers involved in the U.S. market '“ Aventis, Chiron and MedImmune. Both the Chiron and MedImmune vaccines are manufactured in England.

'œThe simple truth is, the short-term solution is for the FDA to allow more importation of safe vaccines from other nations. But the long-term solution is to get more vaccine production within the U.S., and that is what the legislation I am sponsoring with Sen. Bayh seeks to achieve,' Craig said. 'œI remain hopeful that the Senate will pass our legislation before we close this session of Congress.'

Under the Flu Protection Act, vaccine makers would receive a tax credit for investing in the construction of new facilities in the United States, or renovation of production facilities.

The legislation would also allow the federal government to buy up a certain portion of any unused vaccines at the end of the season. Vaccines need to be changed each season to meet new strains of the flu virus and last year one flu vaccine maker had to discard 5 million of the 43 million doses it produced.

But even if the Flu Protection Act passes this week, getting flu vaccine production levels up quickly will not be easy. It presently takes manufacturers five years or more to bring a vaccine production facility on-line.

November 16, 2004
Contact: Jeff Schrade 202-224-8710

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) published several articles about using exercise programs to prevent falls in older people. One half of those aged 80 years and older will fall in any one year, often with serious health and social consequences, so fall prevention is a topic worth investigating. The BMJ research found that an exercise program delivered by a physiotherapist or trained nurses had some success in reducing falls and moderate injuries in elderly people, but were not always cost-effective.

Researchers at the University of Verona studied the relationship between body mass and lung function in older men and found a strong relationship between body composition, fat distribution, and lung function in elderly men. Researchers concluded that a small reduction in body mass might lead to significant improvement in lung function. The study was published in the April issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The National Academy on an Aging Society (NAAS) is studying the characteristics of people who retire early and those who continue to work past normal retirement ages in order to make predictions about the retirement of baby boomers. They are examining two groups of people, those who retire at ages 51 to 59, and those who continue to work past age 60. Staying healthy appears to be an extremely important factor in the timing and quality of retirement, and the ability of retirees to be financially independent.

They found that those who retire before age 60 are more likely to be:

• Women
• Less educated
• In poorer health
• Less well-off financially

Those who work past age 60 are most likely to be:

• Men
• More educated
• In better health
• Financially well-off

Health was a significant differentiator, with non-workers highly likely to be in fair to poor health.

Health Status

There was also a correlation between health and financial status. Those in good health were likely to be far better off financially than those in poor health.

Financial Status

Median Household Wealth

In another study, NAAS found that health was a significant factor in the decision to retire. People with chronic health conditions were much more likely to say that health was an important factor in their decision to retire. For example, 76% of those with heart disease said their health was an important factor in their decision to retire, as opposed to 39% of those without heart disease.

FloridaHealthStat.com, a new website created by the Agency for Health Care Administration this year, has officially been designated by the Governor's Office as the state's health care electronic portal. All four major health care agencies (AHCA, Dept. of Health, Dept. of Children & Families, and Dept. of Elder Affairs) will all be linked together on the one website. Consumers will then be able to retrieve all types of health care information from this one site. Information will include physician profiles, hospital and nursing home evaluations and a host of other information.

In the current issue of Health Affairs, Allan Rock, Canada's minister of health, believes that Canadians want to see their revered health care system flourish once more. He discusses the problems the system is facing as funding shifts more and more to the provinces. He notes that, of the $90 annual spending on health care in Canada, the federal government contributes about 23 cents, the public contributes about 31 cents, and the remaining 45 cents is paid for by the provinces. So the federal government now contributes less to health care costs than the public.

Britain'™s National Health Service (NHS) has come under fire for alleged age discrimination over kidney care policies that sacrifice older patients in favor of saving younger victims of renal diseases. A confidential memorandum, leaked to the London Daily Mail, was signed by 12 senior clinicians at major hospitals in London. It indicates that a shortage of funds is forcing doctors to send kidney patients as young as 50 home to die so that the limited available funds can be channeled into treatment for the young.

This is the latest in a series of accusations that the National Health Service is actively promoting age discrimination in the delivery of health services. Age Concern's report Turning your Back on Us cites examples of ageism in the National Health Service. The report stated that old people are told that treatment is unavailable to them because of their age or are given a low priority. The Age Concern survey found that one in 20 people over the age of 65 in Britain had been refused treatment by the NHS, and that as many as one in 10 people said that they had noticed a difference in treatment since their 50th birthday. Areas of special concern are routine breast screening, cancer and coronary problems.