Chiron's 2003 aquisition of PowderJect, which manufactured the vaccine, is interesting. PowderJect has had a checkered past.

Not long ago it had its license for a tuburculosis vaccine revoked because of problems with production and there was some controversy when the company won a secret UK government smallpox vaccine contract, without it being put out to tender.

There were "allegations of sleaze after it became public that PowderJect's chief executive, Paul Drayson, had previously donated money to the Labour Party".