Immunization Newsbriefs (c) Copyright Information Inc., Bethesda, MD. Brought to you by the National Network for Immunization Information (NNii). Visit NNii's new website at http://www.immunizationinfo.org.
------------------------------------------------------------
November 22, 2002
U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"International Vaccination Group to Start Stockpiling Yellow Fever Vaccine" Associated Press (www.ap.org) (11/21/02); Harris, Edward
The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) has built a stockpile of millions of doses of the yellow fever vaccine using $3 million per year in funding over the last two years; the vaccines are set for rapid deployment if an outbreak should occur. About 200,000 people, mostly in Africa and South America, contract yellow fever, and 30,000 of those people die due to the disease. An outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease is now possible due to previous relaxation in immunizations against the disease that led to manufacturers abandoning the unprofitable product to concentrate on newer vaccines. An outbreak in Guinea was particularly bad in 2000 due to lack of available vaccine doses, which is the reason for GAVI's current stockpile.
ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND
MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION
PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS
OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR
LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND
COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH
YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.