Thu, Feb 08, 2007 - Page 5 News List

Jakarta's vaccine deal worries WHO

SELLERS' MARKET?The deal with Baxter Healthcare could throw a monkey wrench into the process by which flu vaccines are made if Indonesia decides to sell virus samples

NY TIMES NEWS SERVICE AND AFP , NEW YORK AND JAKARTA

Some leading flu experts said they believed that Indonesia was acting on its own, not understanding the ramifications.

"This is counterproductive -- it will hurt Indonesia more than it hurts other countries," said Arnold Monto, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan. "The WHO should be their biggest friend. Indonesia has a virus with a 70 percent case fatality, and we don't know why. If they want to work with the best laboratories in the world, they should make sure that virus samples can get out."

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