"Kerry Opposed HEALTH Act Of 2003, Which Would Encourage Vaccine Production. The HEALTH Act of 2003, which President Bush supports, contains a provision immunizing vaccine manufacturers from punitive damages for products that are approved as safe by the FDA. Because profit margins on vaccines are low, such a provision is critical to encouraging the development and manufacture of vaccines. (H.R. 5, The HEALTH Act Of 2003, Section 7; "But incentive-stifling price controls, liability fears, and greener pastures elsewhere finally prompted a massive flight of big drug companies out of vaccines. The figures tell the story: In 1967 there were 26. By 1996, that number had shrunk to eight. Today, only four big players survive.
Biotech's Babies," Business Week,1/14/04