The New York Times recently published a letter written by GCS CEO Dr. Bruce Feinberg that addresses the recent flu vaccine supply shortage in the U.S. The letter ran on Sunday, October 17 in the Opinion section.
In the letter, Dr. Feinberg writes that the supply shortage was “totally avoidable.”
The appearance in the New York Times is Dr. Feinberg’s third in two years.
To the Editor:
As an oncologist and chief executive of Georgia Cancer Specialists, a large oncology practice that serves thousands of at-risk cancer patients, I am compelled to express my frustration with the malfunctioning vaccine distribution system in the United States.
As a result of the Food and Drug Administration’s incompetence, thousands of our patients and hundreds of our caregivers are at risk because of a failed, totally broken system.
You don’t have to be a health professional to know that every year the country faces a flu epidemic. According to the recommended guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as soon as a shortfall is recognized, all vaccine shipments must be centrally controlled and distributed. This procedure did not occur this year.
This health crisis was totally avoidable, and now patients and caregivers across the country are faced with a flu season that may result in unnecessary and avoidable illnesses and deaths.
Bruce A. Feinberg, D.O.
Atlanta, Oct. 14, 2004
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