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April 12, 2002

INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Vaccine Shortage Threatens World's Immunization Programs"

Dow Jones Newswire (www.djnewswires.com) (04/11/02)

UNICEF director Carol Bellamy warned Thursday that the current shortage of vaccines threatens the status of child immunization programs all over the world.  While it takes nearly two years for manufacturers to produce a vaccine, most backers only commit funds for one year, which means that developing nations are left without the means to enter into long-term relationships with vaccine suppliers.  Ten of 14 vaccine manufacturers either partially or completely stopped producing standard childhood vaccines between 1998 and 2001.  Bellamy, who noted that industrialized nations were also experiencing shortages, called for long-term financial commitments from donors to halt the erosion of global production capacity.

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