GENEVA - The shortage in influenza vaccines in the event of a pandemic is expected to last for at least another five years, according to David Heymann, the chief of communicable diseases for the World Health Organization (WHO). He added manufacturers of these vaccines are able to produce only 1.5 billion doses at present as opposed to the demand for at least 6.2 billion doses.
This means that some three-quarters of the global population will be left defenseless against the pandemic if it were to occur. "The world is not prepared for a pandemic should it occur today. We don't have enough vaccine," Heymann admitted adding that it would be at least ""a five year maximum before we believe we will have enough vaccine to begin to talk about equitable sharing."
The WHO is working hard to provide H5N1 samples to various vaccine makers so they are able to manufacture various vaccines suited to the different strains available. Last month Indonesia resumed sending bird flu virus samples to the WHO following a five month break due to what is called exploitation of smaller nations.
Meanwhile a 5-year-old Indonesia girl has succumbed to bird flu, while Vietnam has reported that it might have had its first case of human bird flu in the last two years.
According to the WHO at least 186 people have so far died of bird flu, with the maximum human deaths being reported from Indonesia.
