WHO: Pandemic flu vaccine production to fall short

[Guest guest]

Aww, too bad. Now they won't have enough to force on everyone, especially if

we're donating 10% of our stock to developing countries as reported elsewhere.

And WHO's statistics today say 3,205 swine flu deaths, not " some 3,500. "

Winnie

(http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20090918/UPDATES01/90918011/WHO++Pandemic+fl\

u+vaccine+production+to+fall+short+)

September 18, 2009

WHO: Pandemic flu vaccine production to fall short

GENEVA (AP) — Global production of swine flu vaccines will be " substantially

less " than the previous maximum forecast of 94 million doses a week, the World

Health Organization said Friday.

The number of doses produced in a year will therefore fall short of the 4.9

billion doses the global health body previously hoped could be available for the

pandemic, WHO spokesman Hartl told reporters in Geneva.

Production will be lower because some manufacturers are still turning out

vaccines for seasonal flu — an illness that can be serious in sick and elderly

people, Hartl said.

Production problems also have reduced the weekly output of pandemic vaccine, he

said.

The United States, France, Britain and six other countries announced Thursday

that they will share part of their vaccine supply with poorer countries.

WHO welcomed the move Friday, saying it " demonstrates the commitment of these

countries to fairness in sharing of scare resources. "

" Current supplies of pandemic vaccine are inadequate for a world population in

which virtually everyone is susceptible to infection by a new and readily

contagious virus, " it said.

WHO says that in theory all the world's 6.3 billion people should receive at

least one dose of vaccine against the pandemic strain of H1N1 — also known as

swine flu — to ensure comprehensive protection against the disease, which has so

far killed some 3,500 people.