Plenty of Tamiflu, Despite Government Panic
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Roche, the manufacturer of the (only somewhat effective) influenza treatment Tamiflu, has notified the World Health Organization that its productive capacity for the drug — currently 115 million doses for 2006 and 300 million doses in 2007 — exceeds all the government orders placed thus far.
Which invites the question: Will governments now back off on their threats to ration the drug in attempts to prevent private "hoarding"?
Because, remember, when a government pre-emptively buys massive quantities of scarce resources that it doesn't yet need, it's called "stockpiling," but when you pre-emptively buy just enough for your own personal needs, it's called "hoarding."
Nevertheless, avian flu hysteria is still nascent, so there will be plenty of opportunities for the governments of the world (not to mention world governments such as the U.N.) to disrupt private markets for Tamiflu, vaccines and other resources.
Stay tuned...
Which invites the question: Will governments now back off on their threats to ration the drug in attempts to prevent private "hoarding"?
Because, remember, when a government pre-emptively buys massive quantities of scarce resources that it doesn't yet need, it's called "stockpiling," but when you pre-emptively buy just enough for your own personal needs, it's called "hoarding."
Nevertheless, avian flu hysteria is still nascent, so there will be plenty of opportunities for the governments of the world (not to mention world governments such as the U.N.) to disrupt private markets for Tamiflu, vaccines and other resources.
Stay tuned...
Related Posts (on one page):
- Reports of Humanity's Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
- Plenty of Tamiflu, Despite Government Panic
- For You It's "Hoarding," For Branson It's "Stockpiling"
- Tamiflu Maker Cutting Off U.S. Purchases
- Wonder Drugs are Now a "Negative Externality"?
- Avian Flu: EU = "Don't Panic," UK = "Panic"
- Calls for Seizing Tamiflu Patent Increasing
- Avian Flu: How Anti-Libertarian Could It Get?
Posted by Kip on
9 November 2005
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