Spain has destroyed six million flu vaccines

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/sociedad/Espana/ha/destruido/millones/vacunas/gripe/elpepisoc/20101211elpepisoc_4/Tes

Spain has destroyed six million flu vaccines Eliminated drugs now cost more than 40 million euros EMILIO DE BENITO - Madrid - 11/12/2010
A virus less aggressive than expected and an intense campaign of intimidation have ended with a small economic disaster: the general secretary of Health, José Martínez Olmos, confirmed yesterday that the autonomous communities, which were the repositories, and had destroyed vaccines against influenza A that were not used last year.
A virus less aggressive than expected and an intense campaign of intimidation have ended with a small economic disaster: the general secretary of Health, José Martínez Olmos, confirmed yesterday that the autonomous communities, which were the repositories, and had destroyed vaccines against influenza A that were not used last year. In total have burnt about six million doses, which cost more than 40 million euros (normal immunization is around seven euros per unit, but these, being special and being charged later, had a higher price).
The economic disaster could have been higher. In October last year the Ministry of Health and laboratories reached a deal to supply 37 million doses. It was when they believed they were going to need two doses per person. In the end, they bought about 13 million vaccines.
The amount is slightly higher than the 11 million who have purchased this year for a mild flu that was expected. But after the initial concern was raised that buy drugs for 30% or even 40% of the population, and in Spain the situation was fairly calm, in France there was talk of vaccines to 75% - won force opposing the theory of immunization. So we had to renegotiate health laboratories to reduce the order.
In the end, they bought about 13 million doses, two million more than they put on a normal year. But demand fell while only employed about three million. The six have been destroyed are among those who remain.
The decision to dispose of them as possible was postponed because the initial idea was to resell them or send them as a donation to countries that came late to the first orders. But once the first peak of the flu has been found that there was no need. In addition, the vaccine is being distributed this year and is prepared to protect against H1N1 and two strains of influenza virus (an H3N2 and one type B), so that the old vaccine would make no sense. To that could have been used would have required that laboratories have made this winter just for the H3N2 vaccine and the virus B, but users would never have accepted. Apart from that the price would nearly double, the system is organized so that a vaccine has become almost equal for two or three viruses, "would be two punctures.
That pandemic, which was so little left other dangerous consequences for the system. Several directors of Health said on Thursday in the Council of Interregional NHS concern that the vaccination rate this year is not as high as other years. It was hoped that 11 million vaccinations, but is 60% of that figure, said the directors.