Flu Vaccine Shortage Not Likely To Influence Voters, Analysts Say
President Bush and Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (Mass.) in the past week have discussed the U.S. flu vaccine shortage in recent campaign appearances and advertisements, but political analysts predict that the issue will not "remain a significant theme" in their campaigns after this week, the Newark Star-Ledger reports.
Kerry has aired television and radio ads that criticize the response of the Bush administration to the flu vaccine shortage. Meanwhile, Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, who have linked the flu vaccine shortage to the need for medical liability reform, have said that concerns about lawsuits have prompted many vaccine manufacturers to exit the market.
According to Ross Baker, a political scientist at Rutgers University, "At this point in the race, anything including the weather becomes grist for political attacks." However, Elizabeth Whelan, president of the not-for-profit American Council on Science and Health, said that the flu vaccine shortage likely will not influence many voters on Nov. 2. "People are hysterical about getting something that many never even got before," Whelan said, adding, "If it enters voters' minds at all, it should be the context of which candidate will provide better incentives for pharmaceutical companies to manufacture vaccines."
Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, said that the flu vaccine shortage issue "has some legs, but it doesn't carry terribly far." Sabato added, "First of all, it's a stretch and most people know that. It's one step away from blaming Bush for the four hurricanes that hit Florida. There are plenty of real election issues this fall to occupy voters" (Orr, Newark Star-Ledger, 10/21).