WHO and Schering to provide poor countries with bird flu vaccines technology

Published Tuesday, February 24, 2009

By AP

The World Health Organization says a deal with US company Schering-Plough will allow it to provide poor countries with vaccine-making technology to prepare for a possible flu pandemic.

WHO says the technology will be licensed free of charge to vaccine manufacturers in developing countries who take part in a UN action plan to stop a global outbreak of the deadly H5N1 flu strain.

The UN health agency told reporters in Geneva that manufacturers would likely need four years to meet global demand if a pandemic outbreak occurred today. The estimate is based on a study by pharmaceutical association IFPMA. The study found that even with capacity increases planned by 2014 it would take up to two-and-a-half years to meet global demand after an outbreak.

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