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| WHO reaches bird flu vaccine deal | WHO reaches bird flu vaccine deal |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| The World Health Organisation says it has reached a framework agreement to ensure all countries share samples of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu. | The World Health Organisation says it has reached a framework agreement to ensure all countries share samples of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu. |
| Indonesia and China have been reluctant to provide samples, fearing the vaccines produced may be too expensive. | Indonesia and China have been reluctant to provide samples, fearing the vaccines produced may be too expensive. |
| The agreement aims to ensure that an up-to-date vaccine can be produced and that affected countries can afford it. | The agreement aims to ensure that an up-to-date vaccine can be produced and that affected countries can afford it. |
| A WHO official said the agreement, due to be adopted on Wednesday was "a big step forward in virus sharing". | |
| News of the deal came as Vietnam announced the first human case of the H5N1 virus since November 2005. | |
| A WHO representative in Vietnam said samples of the virus strain would be sent to its associated labs for analysis | |
| Although experimental vaccines based on the H5N1 virus exist, in order to ensure that any new vaccine would work, it must be based on the latest strain of the virus. | Although experimental vaccines based on the H5N1 virus exist, in order to ensure that any new vaccine would work, it must be based on the latest strain of the virus. |
| Vaccine dispute | Vaccine dispute |
| Indonesia - one of the countries most affected by the avian influenza outbreak - only recently began sharing its latest strain samples again, having blocked them since December. | Indonesia - one of the countries most affected by the avian influenza outbreak - only recently began sharing its latest strain samples again, having blocked them since December. |
| It had argued that the pharmaceutical companies would use the samples to produce a commercial vaccine that was beyond the country's economic reach. | It had argued that the pharmaceutical companies would use the samples to produce a commercial vaccine that was beyond the country's economic reach. |
| Health minister Siti Fadillah Supari said last week that developing countries sought a fair share of the commercial benefits derived from the H5N1 samples they provide. | Health minister Siti Fadillah Supari said last week that developing countries sought a fair share of the commercial benefits derived from the H5N1 samples they provide. |
| But WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan has accused countries that refused to provide timely samples of crippling the fight against a possible flu pandemic. | But WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan has accused countries that refused to provide timely samples of crippling the fight against a possible flu pandemic. |
| On Tuesday, Ghana reported that it had found a second confirmed case of the H5N1 virus in the centre of the country, some distance from the first case, discovered at the beginning of May. | |
| Since the H5N1 virus emerged in South East Asia in late 2003, it has claimed more than 180 lives around the world. | Since the H5N1 virus emerged in South East Asia in late 2003, it has claimed more than 180 lives around the world. |
| Indonesia has been hardest hit, with more than 70 deaths. | Indonesia has been hardest hit, with more than 70 deaths. |
| Scientists fear the virus could mutate to a form which could be easily passed from human to human, triggering a pandemic. | Scientists fear the virus could mutate to a form which could be easily passed from human to human, triggering a pandemic. |