WHO fails to reach deal on sharing bird flu virus

GENEVA (Reuters) - Health officials have failed to reach agreement on a new system to ensure developing countries benefit more from sharing avian influenza viruses used to develop vaccines, the World Health Organization said on Friday.

"Nobody can fault you for not trying...It is so close yet so far away," WHO director-general Margaret Chan told the final session of a four-day meeting.

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Jonathan Lynn)