THE SMART NEWS SOURCE | Sep 06 2010 04:07 | LAST UPDATED Sep 06 2010 04:07

ADVERTISE WITH US | CONTACT US | STORY TIP-OFFS | M&G NEWSLETTER

News \| National \| Health

SA aims to produce own H1N1 flu vaccine

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA Aug 26 2009 18:38

2 comments | Post your comment

South Africa has no choice but to develop its own H1N1 flu vaccine, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said on Wednesday, citing concerns treatment will not be available to poorer nations.

"South Africa has arrived at a situation where we have no option but to start developing our own vaccine capacity, not only for H1N1, but generally," Motsoaledi told Parliament.

"The disturbing feature about today's world ... has been expressed by the minister of health for Cambodia ... who noted that the developed world, after producing the vaccine, may want to cover their own population first before thinking about the developing world," Motsoaledi said.

South Africa does have a growing vaccine industry, but is considered by experts to be unlikely to be able to produce a swine flu vaccine any time soon.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared swine flu a pandemic in June. It has killed about 1 800 people after spreading to nearly 180 countries, 25 of them in Africa.

Latest figures from South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases show 15 people have died from the virus and more than 5 000 cases have been reported.

Swine flu, which mostly hits pregnant women and young children, has infected about 182 000 people worldwide, according to official figures, although health experts and scientists say the real tally is probably in the millions.

It is largely treatable using oseltamivir, but vaccines are recommended as a population-wide method of prevention.

Motsoaledi, citing WHO statistics, said potential H1N1 vaccines were unlikely to be developed before November at the earliest or by April next year.

CONTINUES BELOW

"Unfortunately ... there is no capacity in developing countries to produce their own vaccines and at the moment all the vaccine production is being processed in Europe and America, with China also in the process of doing so," he said.

Companies making vaccines include AstraZeneca's MedImmune unit, CSL, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Novartis AG and Sanofi-Aventis SA.

Roche AG and Gilead Sciences Inc's Tamiflu and Glaxo's Relenza can treat influenza, and were recommended for people with a risk of complications or death. -- Reuters

TOPICS IN THIS ARTICLE

Tags

swine-flu

Comments

What, an African Health Minister is actually committing to making our own vaccines, "not only for H1N1, but generally" ? Wow, Zuma's government may be made of some other stuff after all ! If they continue on this progressive and responsive path, they may blindsight all the naysayers, and sneak up on the framework for a modern 21st century government. I love this ! I really love it. Bravo, Cde Minister, Sir ! It's about goddamn time !

Kholekile Tshunungwa on August 27, 2009, 2:47 am

I hope the above comment is made tongue in cheek. relatively speaking the number of tested producers of these vaccines is small. The producers work in close co0operation with WHO and other healh organisations. for the minister to faill in line with the apparent new policy of blaming the west/north/whites? for failing to assist the developin world is quite naive in my view. these producers work on contracts given by governments. South Africa knows very well when to find internationals organisations for financial ande other assistance and perhaps in the case of H1N1 vaccine production the SA govenrment's timing for placing orders needs to be questioned. Suggest to check out the WHO website on time frame for vaccine production; if SA hass to start now it would be hopelessly too late for many prospect patiens. HIV may sound familiar.
JA Morren (sorry, of north/west/white origin)

jan aalt on August 27, 2009, 6:17 am