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ViewsofMars
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Here is some good news that links back to what I presented about WHO. Let's not forget the importance of pharmaceutical and healthcare companies.
Another article of interest from REUTERS.
GlaxoSmithKline update: Government orders for pandemic (H1N1) 2009 vaccine
Issued: Tuesday 06 October 2009, London, UK
GSK is committed to supporting governments and health authorities around the world respond to the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza strain.
The company today provided an update on orders received for its pandemic (H1N1) adjuvanted vaccine.
On the 4th August, GSK confirmed that it had contracts in place to supply 291 million doses of the vaccine and had a variety of agreements in place with the US Government to supply pandemic products worth $250 million.
Since that date, 22 government orders have been agreed to supply a further 149 million doses of the vaccine. This now brings the total number of doses ordered for GSK’s pandemic vaccines to 440 million. Discussions continue with governments for further supplies.
First supplies of the vaccine will be shipped to governments during the week commencing 5th October. Shipments of the vaccine will be delivered in both the fourth quarter of 2009 and the first half of 2010.
The vaccine deliveries are contingent on a number of factors including government import/export regulations, regulatory approvals, approvals for outsourced packaging and filling as well as testing required by reference laboratories.
GSK will continue to provide regular updates to governments relating to delivery schedules to support them in planning their vaccination programmes.
Further information on GSK’s development of vaccines to protect against pandemic (H1N1) 2009, including explanation of the development process and background information on adjuvants is available on: www.gsk.com/media/pandemic-flu.htm[/URL]
GlaxoSmithKline – one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies – is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For further information please visit [url]www.gsk.com[/url]
[PLAIN]http://www.gsk.com/media/pressreleases/2009/2009_pressrelease_10104.htm
Another article of interest from REUTERS.
WHO says H1N1 vaccine safe, urges mass take-up
Tue Oct 6, 2009 6:47am EDT
EDTGENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) restated its confidence in the H1N1 flu vaccine on Tuesday, calling it the most important tool against the pandemic.
Mild adverse side effects such as muscle cramps or headache are to be expected in some cases, but everyone who has access to the vaccine should be inoculated, it said.
Mass vaccination campaigns against the swine flu virus are underway in China and Australia and will be starting soon in the United States and parts of Europe, WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said.
"It is important to remember that the vaccines, which have already been approved, have been used for years and years and years in their seasonal vaccine formulation and have been shown to be among the safest vaccines that exist," he told a news briefing.
Hartl, asked whether WHO was concerned by reports that some people were reluctant to be injected with the new vaccine, said:
"Certainly we have seen the reports. Again, we would restate that the most important tool that we have to fight this pandemic is the vaccine."
It was doubly important that health care workers be vaccinated, as it protects them as well as patients, he added.
"We would hope that everyone who has a chance to get vaccinated does get vaccinated," Hartl told Reuters.
The United Nations agency declared in June that the H1N1 virus was causing an influenza pandemic and its collaborating laboratories have provided seed virus to drug makers worldwide to develop vaccines.
GlaxoSmithKline won a further 22 government orders for its H1N1 swine flu vaccine in the last two months, taking the total number of doses ordered to 440 million worth some $3.5 billion. Rivals in flu vaccines include Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis, Baxter, AstraZeneca and CSL.
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSL626045720091006
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