DutchNews.nl - Surplus swine flu vaccines unsold

The health ministry has failed in its efforts to sell 19 million unwanted doses of swine flu vaccine to another country and is now seeking to sell them back to the manufacturers.

A spokeswoman for the ministry told Reuters news agency it had approached manufacturers GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis about buying back the doses.

The Netherlands bought 34 doses of the vaccine for H1N1 at the height of the scare, enough for two shots per person.

Unused

But only young children, the elderly and some categories of workers were vaccinated, leaving 19 doses of vaccine million unused.

Other European countries, such as Germany, Britain and Belgium are negotiating with drugs manufacturers to have their orders reduced.

Cyprus and Malta have bought 280,000 doses of the surplus drug, the NRC said on Saturday.

Death toll

By the beginning of March, In total, 58 people in the Netherlands had died of swine flu, or variant H1N1, and 2200 people had been taken to hospital. The government had been expecting up to 10,000 deaths from the virus.

In January, Wolfgang Wodarg, health director at the Council of Europe, accused the makers of flu drugs and vaccines of influencing the World Health Organisation's decision to declare swine flu pandemic.

This led to the pharmaceutical firms ensuring 'enormous gains', with millions being vaccinated against a relatively mild disease, he said.

In the Netherlands, it emerged last year that the country's chief virologist Ab Osterhaus, who advised the government to buy a double dose of the vaccine, has close links to drugs firms. He denied any conflict of interest.

I hope Ab Klink has learnt a lesson from all this ... but, huh!, will he be Minister long enough to benefit from the experience? Hopefully, the next Minister of Health will.

By Gerard | March 8, 2010 11:07 AM

I feel really disappointed that I was convinced by my doctors into having this vaccine. The decision went against many of my belief systems. It is sadly difficult for people with health risks to sift through the controvesrial hype and information to make an informed and appropriate decision.

By Louise | March 8, 2010 3:39 PM

If they don't sell it back do we have to foot the bill?

By AW | March 8, 2010 3:46 PM

this drug is a CON, it isnt safe, look into what its made from

By adhd | March 8, 2010 6:19 PM

The Swine Flu and Bird Flu strategy to defeat the killer diseases through drugs is totally flawed. By the time we get any new antibiotic most of us will be dead. The reason, the Spanish flu did its worst between week 16 and week 26 and where up to 100 million perished. The most recent attempt to get a vaccine quick enough took 6 months (26 weeks) and that was only to create the drug and have its safety tested. No mass production and where with global distribution logistics a nightmare, it would be at least 12 months from the onslaught of any pandemic that 50% received any treatment at best.
Therefore the only thing that will stop the eventual killer pandemic (Margaret Chan the D-G of the WHO says it is only a matter of time not when) is to stop it at source and never let it happen in the first place - the preventative strategy - http://avian-influenza.cirad.fr/content/download/1931/11789/file/Kennedy-F-Shortridge.pdf
(some computers may stop this being downloaded but I can assure that it is perfectly safe. It is the internet explorer settings on your computer that prevents this and no more). Therefore let’s stop fooling ourselves that the drugs strategy will save us, as where in reality, time no matter when the terrible event happens, will be totally against us. Drugs are a complete waste of time but of course make vast fortunes for the powerful pharmaceutical companies and that is why stupid governments listen to them.
Dr David Hill
Executive Director
World Innovation Foundation Charity
Bern, Switzerland

By Dr David Hill | March 10, 2010 9:57 PM