Following an October 17th, 2022 GAO report that concluded HHS needs to address the risks posed by shortages and expired products in the Strategic National Stockpile, Endpoint News reached out to the Coalition to Stop Flu for comment on the report.

Below are Sen. Tom Daschle’s comments for Tyler Patchen’s October 20th article:

“In an email to Endpoints News, Sen. Tom Daschle, the chairman of the Coalition to Stop Flu said that the report is important and long overdue, and highlights the fact that the process for deciding what and how much to stockpile is not as transparent as it should be.

‘The SNS was deployed to respond to the H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2009 using products purchased through emergency supplemental appropriations. While the stockpile holds influenza antivirals, most of these products are more than 15 years past the date of manufacture.  In light of rising public distrust in public health, distributing 15-year-old product during a pandemic gives us real concern. For this reason, we have urged Congress and HHS to replenish and diversify the antiviral stockpile to ensure the US has multiple treatment options in the event of an influenza pandemic,’ Sen. Daschle said.”