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The Arab emirate of Qatar has announced their plans to purchase a quantity of H5N1 pre-pandemic vaccine, and at the same time, increase and update their stockpile of antivirals in anticipation of a possible pandemic.
Qatar would join a handful of nations, including the United States, Japan, the UK, Switzerland, Denmark, and New Zealand who have, or are in the process of obtaining, a limited stockpile of pre-pandemic vaccine.
Any vaccine made before a pandemic strain erupts is not expected to provide much immunity, but may help reduce morbidity and mortality. It is also believed that a pre-pandemic vaccine can help `prime' the recipient's immune system, to make it respond much faster to a booster shot in the future.
Dr Abdulatif al-Khal, speaking at an avian flu forum at Qatar University also indicated that the standard 10-pill dose of antivirals might be insufficient, and that a larger stockpile than originally anticipated may be needed.
This from the Gulf Times.
Govt Seeks To Buy Bird Flu Vaccine
Thursday20/11/2008November, 2008
By Bonnie James
QATAR intends to purchase avian influenza vaccine and update its antiviral drug stocks as part of the ongoing preparedness against the disease which may become a pandemic.
“We are awaiting evaluation from the US Food and Drug Administration about the safety of the vaccine we have in mind,” national task force co-ordinator Dr Sheikh Mohamed H al-Thani told Gulf Times yesterday.
The quantity of the vaccine and the antiviral drugs against the H5N1 virus that causes the disease has to be determined after considering various factors, he explained on the sidelines of an Avian Flu Forum at Qatar University.
“We would procure enough quantity to cover the entire population of the country, in keeping with the international standards or even more,” stated Dr Sheikh Mohamed al-Thani, who is also National Health Authority’s medical adviser.
Qatar had earlier purchased stocks of two antiviral drugs, Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and Zanamivir (Relenza), in capsule and powder form, respectively, as a precautionary measure.
“If these drugs had a validity of three years, we plan to get new versions with seven-year validity,” he said.
Dr Sheikh Mohamed al-Thani, in his presentation at the forum, stated that Qatar was constantly updating its preparedness against bird flu. A national drill was held this year and in 2007.
Hamad Medical Corporation’s Department of Medicine chairman Dr Abdulatif al-Khal, speaking at the forum, recalled that at the time of purchasing the antiviral drugs, Qatar’s population was only 900,000 and they were supposed to cover 30%.
“Given the current population of 1.5mn, these drugs would suffice only for 20% on a single dose basis, but would cover only 10% if the recommended double dose has to be given,” he observed while hinting at the need for a recalculation of the requirement.
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