WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- Three U.S. government bodies are investigating why the United States is lacking about half the flu vaccines it needs this winter.
Congress, the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission are probing what could have been done -- or was not done -- prior to Britain's Oct. 4 closure of Chiron's flu vaccine production, USA Today reported Friday.
In particular, the three groups want to know why Food and Drug Administration inspectors did not travel to Britain immediately after Chiron reported a contamination problem in late August.
Congressional investigators have summoned key players to Washington for hearings on Wednesday and Thursday.
Some say the FDA trusted Chiron too much.
"The FDA should have been on the ground" the day after the contamination was announced, says David Webster of the Webster Consulting Group, a consultant to the pharmaceutical industry.
"It's cause for concern ... that the FDA was relying strictly on the company ... instead of independently verifying compliance," he said.
But industry consultants and regulators say the fact that the vaccine did not get to consumers is testament to a safety process that worked.
