Rich countries corner supplies of swine flu vaccine

Source: AFP

Governments are scrambling to buy up hundreds of millions of doses of swine flu vaccine but health experts warn the poor may lose out as wealthy countries corner strictly limited supplies. The World Health Organisation has unofficially estimated that the world's labs may only be able to produce around 900 million doses for the A(H1N1) strain per year, for a planet that is home to 6.8 billion people.

Global pharmaceutical companies are more optimistic about how much of the drug they can produce but, since each potential victim needs two doses, most of the world's population will inevitably miss out. And there are already signs that the wealthiest countries will snap up more than their fair share in the rush to halt the outbreak, while Africa, Asia and Latin American will struggle to secure adequate amounts of vaccine.

"The lion's share of these limited supplies will go to wealthy countries. Again we see the advantage of affluence. Again we see access denied by an inability to pay," WHO director Margaret Chan said last week. France, for example, placed a firm order for 94 million doses of vaccine doses and an option for 36 million more. Starting in October, it hopes to be able to protect each and every member of its population of 64 million.

The United States has set aside at least a billion dollars to buy vaccine, and Britain hopes to protect at least half of its 60 million population by the start of next year and the other half as soon as possible afterwards. Australia has also ordered enough vaccine for its 21 million population, and as more rich world countries follow suit the world's potential stock of the drug will soon run out, while prices are set to rise.

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If it were dangerous, we'd be giving it all away to the poor countries.

Build up your immune system now as always.