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WHO assures fair access to A(H1N1) vaccines
September 6, 2009 3:12 pm
MANILA, Sept. 6 ? Though it is not yet ready for use, the World Health Organization (WHO) is working to ensure that developing countries will have access to the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 vaccine when it is available.
Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny, director of the Initiative for Vaccine Research at the WHO, said although some manufacturers announced in July that vaccine is already available, it is still not ready for use as it needs regulatory approval.
?Regulatory authorities are considering the best way to register these vaccines as quickly as possible. The consensus is that the first doses will be available to governments for use in September,? Kieny said.
She said the vaccines were produced by injecting seed virus into embryonic chicken eggs and harvesting the fluid after several days and purifying it.
?There are two technologies. More than 90% of influenza vaccines available are known as inactivated vaccines, which means you kill the virus to produce the vaccine. Less common are live attenuated vaccines, which are derived from a weakened form of the virus that is not killed,? she said.
Kieny said the vaccines will not be available on the private market and governments will decide who gets vaccinated first.
The WHO recommends that health workers will be the first candidates for the vaccines to protect the health system and allow them to care for influenza and other patients.
Kieny said the WHO is working hard with manufacturers, governments and donors to ensure that developing countries can access vaccine as soon as possible to immunize their health workers, and when more vaccine becomes available, other groups will be immunized.
Stating ballpark figures, she said the industry will use tiered pricing so high-income countries might pay between US$ 10?20 per dose, middle-income countries may pay about half and low-income half of the latter.
Kieny said the vast majority of cases of pandemic (H1N1) have been mild so far with few deaths. It remains to be seen whether the virus will mutate into a more virulent strain.
?Although the virus can mutate, we hope that there will be enough cross-protection through recognition of the new virus. But if the virus changes too much, we will need new vaccines,? she said.
The WHO has a cross-organizational operation that is in place to secure vaccines for developing countries. The body is now engaged in activities to negotiate donations with manufacturers. There are already two have been announced ? 100 million doses by Sanofi-aventis and 50 million doses from GlaxoSmithKline.
It is also working with other manufacturers to reserve a portion of their vaccine production for WHO at a reduced price. Lastly, the WHO is working with governments to raise funds to purchase vaccines.
?We are also working with 11 vaccine manufacturers based in developing countries, providing them with seed financing and technical expertise to help them produce influenza vaccine domestically. These 11 companies will be manufacturing some of the 30 different expected vaccines,? Kieny said.
The Who director, meanwhile, advised the public not to be ?hypnotized? by the upcoming vaccines.
?There are other measures, such as social distancing, school closure, avoidance of large gatherings, antibiotics and personal hygiene. This is not like rabies, which is 100% fatal. We are talking about a disease from which most people recover very well,? she said. (PNA)
September 6, 2009 3:12 pm
MANILA, Sept. 6 ? Though it is not yet ready for use, the World Health Organization (WHO) is working to ensure that developing countries will have access to the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 vaccine when it is available.
Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny, director of the Initiative for Vaccine Research at the WHO, said although some manufacturers announced in July that vaccine is already available, it is still not ready for use as it needs regulatory approval.
?Regulatory authorities are considering the best way to register these vaccines as quickly as possible. The consensus is that the first doses will be available to governments for use in September,? Kieny said.
She said the vaccines were produced by injecting seed virus into embryonic chicken eggs and harvesting the fluid after several days and purifying it.
?There are two technologies. More than 90% of influenza vaccines available are known as inactivated vaccines, which means you kill the virus to produce the vaccine. Less common are live attenuated vaccines, which are derived from a weakened form of the virus that is not killed,? she said.
Kieny said the vaccines will not be available on the private market and governments will decide who gets vaccinated first.
The WHO recommends that health workers will be the first candidates for the vaccines to protect the health system and allow them to care for influenza and other patients.
Kieny said the WHO is working hard with manufacturers, governments and donors to ensure that developing countries can access vaccine as soon as possible to immunize their health workers, and when more vaccine becomes available, other groups will be immunized.
Stating ballpark figures, she said the industry will use tiered pricing so high-income countries might pay between US$ 10?20 per dose, middle-income countries may pay about half and low-income half of the latter.
Kieny said the vast majority of cases of pandemic (H1N1) have been mild so far with few deaths. It remains to be seen whether the virus will mutate into a more virulent strain.
?Although the virus can mutate, we hope that there will be enough cross-protection through recognition of the new virus. But if the virus changes too much, we will need new vaccines,? she said.
The WHO has a cross-organizational operation that is in place to secure vaccines for developing countries. The body is now engaged in activities to negotiate donations with manufacturers. There are already two have been announced ? 100 million doses by Sanofi-aventis and 50 million doses from GlaxoSmithKline.
It is also working with other manufacturers to reserve a portion of their vaccine production for WHO at a reduced price. Lastly, the WHO is working with governments to raise funds to purchase vaccines.
?We are also working with 11 vaccine manufacturers based in developing countries, providing them with seed financing and technical expertise to help them produce influenza vaccine domestically. These 11 companies will be manufacturing some of the 30 different expected vaccines,? Kieny said.
The Who director, meanwhile, advised the public not to be ?hypnotized? by the upcoming vaccines.
?There are other measures, such as social distancing, school closure, avoidance of large gatherings, antibiotics and personal hygiene. This is not like rabies, which is 100% fatal. We are talking about a disease from which most people recover very well,? she said. (PNA)
