Science Saturday: Shamiflu

That's the name physicist Robert Park has given to the flu vaccine being hoarded by the federal government. Tamiflu is owned by Gilead Sciences. Not too long ago, Gilead's chairman was none other than Donald Rumsfeld, who still owns millions in company stock. So the administration has managed to find a way to benefit one of their own again as demand soars and Gilead's stock price climbs.

But at least we've got a mound of effective flu vaccine, right? Not really.

Park writes in his latest newsletter:

We said earlier that there is little evidence that Tamiflu can stop a pandemic. A study published yesterday in the medical journal Lancet comes to the same conclusion. However, according to the Wall Street Journal, demand continues to soar as nations stockpile the drug. The Defense Department has also stockpiled Tamiflu.

The Defense Department? Isn't that the operation Rummy's in charge of?