UPDATE 2-GSK to donate 50 mln doses of H1N1 vaccine to WHO

Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:12am GMT
 
Email | Print | | Single Page
[-] Text [+]

* Drugmaker sees first shipments to WHO by end of November

* WHO expects to receive all 50 mln doses by late spring

* WHO has list of 95 poorer nations eligible for donations

(Adds WHO spokesman comments, changes dateline to GENEVA)

GENEVA, Nov 10 (Reuters) - British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L) has agreed to donate 50 million doses of pandemic H1N1 vaccine to the World Health Organisation for use in developing countries in coming months, the WHO said on Tuesday.

GSK, which makes the Pandemrix H1N1 vaccine being used in pandemic vaccination programmes in Britain and other European countries, said it expected to prepare the first shipments of vaccine to the WHO by the end of November.

"We expect to start receiving it at the end of the month or early December and that the full 50 million will come by the end of spring," WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl told a news briefing.

"We hope it is the first of many donations," he added.

The WHO said it has a list of 95 developing countries eligible to receive donated vaccines, and aimed to secure enough vaccines to cover 10 percent of their populations. Health care workers are deemed top priority for the first batches.  Continued...

 

Market Update

  • UKUK
  • USUS
  • Europe
  • Asia
  • UK Most Actives

Most Popular Business News on Reuters UK

  • Articles
  • Videos