HHS Hollers Back
Jul 31, 202054.2K Shares2M Views
In a response I received after my anthrax vaccine story had been posted, Health and Human Services spokesman Bill Hall denied that his agency had erred in withdrawing the Vaxgen contract. Vaxgen missed its deadlines and failed to fix its problems, he said, and HHS was still pursuing a recombinant anthrax vaccine (as I noted in the story, Emergent is likely to win this contract). Hall said I had been remiss in not interviewing some of the companies that were successfully working on Bioshield. "No one ever bothers to report on all our successes or ask those companies who have successfully worked with the BioShield program about their experiences," he said, "such as Human Genome Sciences (eds note: HGS is making monoclonal antibody against anthrax), BioPort/Emergent Biosolutions, Cangene (botulinium antitoxin), Bavarian Nordic (new-generation smallpox vaccine), Akorn Inc. (anti-radioactive isotope chelator), Fleming & Company Pharmaceuticals (anti-radiation medicine), etc." A list of all HHS Bioshield procurements can be found here.
I still insist that HHS botched the recombinant anthrax vaccine contract.
Dexter Cooke
Reviewer
Dexter Cooke is an economist, marketing strategist, and orthopedic surgeon with over 20 years of experience crafting compelling narratives that resonate worldwide.
He holds a Journalism degree from Columbia University, an Economics background from Yale University, and a medical degree with a postdoctoral fellowship in orthopedic medicine from the Medical University of South Carolina.
Dexter’s insights into media, economics, and marketing shine through his prolific contributions to respected publications and advisory roles for influential organizations.
As an orthopedic surgeon specializing in minimally invasive knee replacement surgery and laparoscopic procedures, Dexter prioritizes patient care above all.
Outside his professional pursuits, Dexter enjoys collecting vintage watches, studying ancient civilizations, learning about astronomy, and participating in charity runs.
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