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7345215
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Text of a letter from the President to the Speaker of the House and the Honorable Mike Mansfield
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7345215
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document
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Text of a letter from the President to the Speaker of the House and the Honorable Mike Mansfield
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White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
Press Releases
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7345215
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4
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1976-08-04
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8
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1976
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Digitized from Box 29 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 4, 1976
Office of the White House Press Secretary
THE WHITE HOUSE
TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE
PRESIDENT TO THE SPEAKER OF THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AND THE HONORABLE MIKE MANSFIELD
August 4, 1976
Dear Mr. Speaker:
(Senator Mansfield:)
On March 24, 1976, after meeting with a distinguished group
of physicians, scientists and public health experts, I
asked the Congress to appropriate $135 million dollars for
the production of sufficient swine flu vaccine to inoculate
every man, woman and child in the United States. I also
directed the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare
to develop plans that would make this vaccine available to
all Americans. The Congress moved quickly on my appropria-
tion request, and I was pleased to sign it into law April 15.
Since that time HEW, working with the medical profession,
State and local health officials, vaccine manufacturers,
and other groups, have developed extensive plans to see to
it that our original goal of making this vaccine available
to all Americans can be met.
We continue to be faced, however, with a major problem in
meeting our goal. Although experience indicates that there
is a very low risk of untoward reactions to the vaccine,
the drug manufacturers producing this vaccine for HEW need
some form of appropriate liability protection.
On June 16, in anticipation of this situation, I directed HEW
Secretary Mathews to immediately submit legislation to the
Congress to enable the government to assume a proper share
of risks so that this important program might move ahead.
This morning I received a report from the Secretary that
after seven weeks of discussions and negotiations, the Health
and Environment Subcommittee of the House Interstate and
Foreign Commerce Committee acted last night to report legis-
lation that would, if enacted by the House and Senate, correct
this problem, which has unnecessarily delayed this vital
program.
I am writing to you this afternoon to urge that the House
of Representatives (Senate) move quickly to enact this
legislation so that the vaccine can be made available
without further delay.
more
2
In conclusion, let me reiterate a point that I made in March
and again to Chairman Paul Rogers on July 23: The threat
of swine flu is genuine. Data from both the scientific and
medical communities support the need for an inoculation
program. Clinical tests conducted to date show that the
vaccine is both safe and effective. There is no excuse
now to let this program -- a program that could affect the
lives of many, many Americans -- be delayed any longer.
Let's work together to get on with the job.
Sincerely,
GERALD R. FORD
# # #