WHO facilitates flu vaccine technology transfer to developing countries

As part of a concerted effort to ensure more equitable access to a potential pandemic influenza vaccine, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Thailand and Viet Nam are being awarded grants to establish in-country manufacturing capacity.

Each of the six countries will receive up to US$2.5m from the governments of Japan and the US for as immediate funding for the acquisition of the necessary technology. Japan has provided $8m and the US $10m for technology transfer.

The grants are part of the implementation of the Global Pandemic Influenza Action Plan, which aims to close the influenza vaccine production gap of several billion doses.

'It is imperative that the global community works collectively to ensure more equitable access to a vaccine and other health measures in the event of an influenza pandemic,' said Dr David L. Heymann, WHO Assistant Director-General for Communicable Diseases. 'Global public health security can be realised only if developing countries are assisted in developing the capabilities to access pandemic vaccines and protect their populations.'

'The current global influenza vaccine manufacturing capacity is far short of the capacity needed to protect the world's six billion people in the event of an influenza pandemic,' said US Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt. 'These grants are an important step forward in the global effort to prepare for an influenza pandemic, but much more needs to be done by all of us as global partners to ensure we are better prepared tomorrow than we are today.'

It will take a minimum of three to five years for the grant recipient countries to begin producing vaccine locally.