According to the finding of the Center for Bio-security at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (CB-UPMC) impact evaluation, the occurrence of a pandemic disease outbreak necessitates the limited rationing of vaccines and other medical treatment. The CB-UPMC researchers have examined the medical and public health officials that stood over critical negotiations and policy decisions to the unabated and unforeseen shortage of anti-flu vaccines.
A fact-finding examination has been conducted in one of the hospitals in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to simulate the situation and how alternative responses have been handled (Spana et. al, 2005). The personal, organizational and external forces As accounted by the CB-UPMC finding, the earlier period of the anti-flu vaccine deficiency have initially drawn uncertainty and confusion whether whose “authority” should be dealing with the discharge of supplementary vaccines, system of provision or rationing and prioritization, in which an authority and a system procedure must be in placed due insufficiency of vaccines.
To cite, one that highlights the organizational effort in dealing with the anti-flu vaccine shortage was the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), being the biggest integrated healthcare and finance delivery system in Pennsylvania. Prior to Chiron’s suspension of supply license towards October 2004, UPMC has able to store 145,000 doses of anti-flu vaccine which was ordered earlier in the first quarter. The earlier placement of order and supplying to UPMC has eased the rationing program during the flu outbreak (Spana et. al, 2005).
Likewise, the supplying of Aventis Pasteur vaccines has subsequently added to the rationing, but the price was a little higher than with Chiron’s. It may be reflected that the personal and organizational effort of UPMC in the early placement of orders and storing of vaccines has enabled the circumstantial responding to the emergency at the height of the shortage and outbreak of the pandemic disease. Although it could be said that UPMC’s personal and organizational efforts were circumstantial to the emergency situation, the “external forces” could have been organizationally addressed by UPMC.
This means that the external forces, as represented or indicative by the possible outbreak of a disease during the cycle of season, have been anticipated by UPMC. On the contrary, the external forces that aggravated the expected cycle of season for a possible outbreak of disease was obviously resulted by the sudden suspension of Chiron’s supply license, and it was also with Chiron’s who could have incidentally uncontrolled the possible flaws in packaging of its products, as brought about by the rushing demand of the market.
It may be reflected that Chiron has been doubling the production but could have underestimated the quality controlling system, wherein it failed to properly manage the sterilization process of the vials for vaccines. In which case, the flaws in manufacturing were claimed by the British Medicines and Healthcare Product Regulatory Agency (Spana et. al, 2005).