In the wake of the 2004 shortage, the current system of influenza vaccine development, supply, and distribution has been called into question, as has been the management of the process by federal, state, and municipal government agencies. There are increasing calls for heightened government scrutiny of the process emanating from many quarters, although some conservatives regard the issue as evidence that fear of lawsuits has stymied the otherwise natural functionality of the free market. At the current juncture, although it remains unclear what the exact policy implications of the vaccine shortage will be in the long-term, it is abundantly clear that this issue, recently thrust into the public discourse, requires significant remediation.Master of Public Healt
