Recently, severe cases of meningitis have spread across the united states, leaving its victims in varying degrees of alteration. Aaron Loy, a college student at UCSB, was at the height of his life as a promising lacrosse and soccer player, had to have both legs removed to prevent the spread of the disease. And at least eight students at Princeton suffered from the very same ailment. However Princeton, unlike UCSB, was granted permission to use a pending vaccine to halt the further spread on its campus. The vaccine, distributed by Novaritis, a Swiss company, has already been approved by Australia, the European Union and Canada, though the FDA is still prohibiting its distribution. Many hope the recent outbreak and success in other countries will inspire the FDA to make an accelerated approval, though the FDA has not indicated any legitimacy in this. One former scientist for the FDA claims their demands are excessive, while the FDA insists they are only ensuring the safety of Americans.
The recent outbreak warrants consideration by the FDA and should be a factor in determining the status of the new vaccine. Furthermore, Princeton's trial proved successful, just as the use in other countries have been. The vaccine works, and if the FDA is truly concerned about safety, shouldn't their primary ambition be prevention at this point? Every new case is one that could've been stopped, and it is almost a blatant disregard towards the needs of the public on the FDA's part. I understand the need to test and ensure safety, but the vaccine has been tested and proven its worth.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/19/health/meningitis-vaccine-delay/index.html?hpt=us_c2
i hope that this vaccine is approved quickly so less people are impacted by meningitis...i agree that it should be tested to ensure its safety but i hope it is done quickly.
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