Bird Flu Problem More Complicated Than Thought

An interesting report has been released from Indonesia, by far the worst hit country from H5N1 or Avian Bird Flu. The report admits the governments handling of bird flu as “unsatisfactory”. Lack of funds and lack of cooperation from the public were called into focus. What was omitted was Jakarta’s fight with the World Health Organization (WHO) over how an avian flu vaccine should be developed and distributed. Here is the report:

For 50 years, countries around the world have shared new flu strains with the WHO. This is done to help scientists track genetic changes in virus as it mutates. Last year, Indonesia suddenly stopped sharing virus samples and instead signed an agreement with the U.S. drug company Baxter to provide virus strains in exchange for help in eventually producing its own vaccine. Officials in Jakarta were worried, they said, that they would not be able to afford a vaccine and thus they should control the price their way.

This seems an unrealistic argument since it is in everyone’s best interests to get a vaccine out to the whole world. Should H5N1 mutate in Indonesia, it is clear that South Africa and Canada and everyone else would need and want Indonesia cured regardless of the costs. So while Jakarta says the development and distribution of a bird flu vaccine is unfair, I see it as unfair to try to hide the sharing of virus samples and trying to corner a market with Baxter or any other drug company.

Although Indonesia did reach a temporary compromise with the WHO which states it would resume sharing virus samples but not allow the drug industry access to that data without Indonesia’s express permission. In other words, scientists can track the virus but drug companies are not allowed to develop a vaccine based on that information. That should be fair? Governments and drug companies such as Baxter should be more concerned to help instead of just in a race to make more money. It’s not that complicated.

Indonesia

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