Norway closes it's vaccine research group

[phantom power]

If some horrible pandemic ever does happen, I hope that all the members of the "markets are always superior to government" cult spend their last days pondering the fact that their free-markets gave us an endless supply of viagra instead of new vaccines, antivirals, etc.

OSLO, Norway, June 1 (UPI) -- The Norwegian Institute of Public Health said it will close its research group to cut costs and its meningitis vaccine for Africa likely will never be produced

"If a new epidemic comes we have a problem -- we will become ill," senior researcher Einar Rosenqvist said. "We are a small country with under 5 million inhabitants. We are not very interesting" to large pharmaceutical companies."

Rosenqvist said the research group developed a vaccine for Africa to protect against cerebrospinal meningitis.

"But it will likely never be produced. People in Africa do not make up a market. They have no money, they just get sick," Rosenqvist said.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20050601-17525500-bc-norway-vaccines.xml

[Warpy]

1. This is the operative sentence

""But it will likely never be produced. People in Africa do not make up a market. They have no money, they just get sick," Rosenqvist said."

This is why medical care should NEVER be in the for profit sector! Illness is NOT a consumer decision! We can't decide to save our money by not getting sick, getting old, breaking down, injuring ourselves.

Keeping any healthcare in the profit sector is begging for trouble. And yes, the rich will get sick too. They'll just take longer to die.

[lakeguy]

2. exactly! there are certain things in a "well run" society that should

NOT be for profit. guess that's why my friends call me the socialist.

[hunter]

3. "They have no money, they just get sick"

I know I will use this quote.