Vaccine-gate?

According to British health officials, the Bush administration has known since mid-September that the supply of flu vaccine was going to be seriously compromised. They did nothing. Instead, they were acting last week as though this were the biggest surprise imaginable. Their solution took the form of advice: don't get sick. 'Cause chances are very good that half of us are not going to get the vaccine.

Yesterday, John Kerry spoke about this on the campaign trail, as well he should: "The administration, we've learned today, is playing fast and loose again with the facts and the truth to the American people because they pretended and they've acted surprised that we didn't have the vaccines," Kerry said at a nursing school.

"Rather than tell the truth to the American people, they've acted surprised and pretended it just sort of happened on their watch."

At the least, many more Americans are going to get sick this winter. It's an ineptitude that will keep on giving.