Copyright 2000 Gannett Company, Inc.
USA TODAY
March 2, 2000, Thursday, FINAL EDITION
SECTION: LIFE; Pg. 10D
LENGTH: 335 words
HEADLINE:
Drug firms boost vaccine donations
BYLINE: Steve
Sternberg
BODY:
Several of the world's largest
vaccine makers will pledge today
to donate millions of doses of vaccines to
people in needy countries,
government officials say.
The drug
firms are to make the announcements today at a White
House session called by
President Clinton to urge vaccine makers,
health groups and other
organizations to join forces to save the
lives of needy people worldwide.
The meeting follows last month's launch of Clinton's Millennium
Vaccine Initiative, which calls for a major boost in vaccine research
efforts, new funding for the purchase and delivery of existing
vaccines, and a $ 1 billion tax credit for
drug firms that invest
in vaccine development.
Three million children die of vaccine-preventable illnesses each
year worldwide. The firms announced:
* Merck & Co. will
donate 1 million doses of hepatitis
B vaccine over five years and enhance
efforts to develop vaccines
including one against HIV, the AIDS virus.
* American Home Products Corp. will contribute 10 million
doses
of Haemophilus influenza B to UNICEF to prevent pneumonia
and meningitis.
* SmithKline Beecham will expand its malaria vaccine program
and
begin a trial in Gambia this fall.
* Aventis Pasteur will donate
about 50 million doses of
polio vaccine to Africa and will continue to work
on an AIDS vaccine.
"We're very excited about what can be done in
next decade to
accelerate the development of new vaccines to address
critical
diseases killing millions today," says Patty Stonesifer, president
of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The foundation recently
gave $
750 million to support the Global Alliance for Vaccines
and Immunization
(GAVI), a public and private partnership that
aims to get existing vaccines
to poor people as well as develop
new ones.
"This is really good
news," says Tore Godal, GAVI's director.
He urged the drug firms to develop
combination vaccines to enhance
coverage of poor populations efficiently and
at low cost.
LOAD-DATE: March 02, 2000
