TORONTO (CP) - When President George W. Bush spoke of importing Canadian flu vaccine during Wednesday's election debate,Maritimes - canada.com network

Maritimes - canada.com networkTORONTO (CP) - When President George W. Bush spoke of importing Canadian flu vaccine during Wednesday's election debate, many in the U.S. public health community were struck by the irony of an administration that slams the door on cheaper Canadian drugs, but looks north for help with an embarrassing vaccine shortage.

It seemed ironic to many of us who were watching that the president had kind of disparaged the importation of Canadian (prescription) drugs but seemed to be interested in exploring the possibility of importing Canadian vaccine," Dr. William Schaffner, a member of the U.S. advisory committee on immunization practices, said in an interview Thursday.

Schaffner and others took as hopeful Bush's comment that the administration was looking into the possibility of purchasing flu shots from Canada's major influenza vaccine manufacturer, ID Biomedical of Vancouver.

The company has between one million and 1.5 million surplus doses it has offered to sell to American authorities who have been scrambling since vaccine giant Chiron Corp. revealed it could not provide the up to 48 million doses it had contracted to supply to the U.S. market.

Their hopes may have been dampened later in the day, though, when Tommy Thompson, the U.S. secretary of health, said it was doubtful that vaccine from producers not currently licensed in the United States could be imported to help with this year's massive shortage.

"It doesn't look promising," Thompson said in Washington.

Helen Branswell
Canadian Press