Pharmaceutical companies, governments and civic groups should cooperate to provide more vaccines against various viruses, Dr. John Clemens, director general of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) in Seoul, said.
Civic groups worldwide have called on companies such as Baxter and Novartis _ developers of a vaccine for H1N1 influenza A _ to reduce their prices so that more people can be treated.
Some are asking them to release the formula for the drugs before patents expire, for humanitarian purposes.
However, Clemens says this might not be the best idea. ``It takes five or more years and $500 million or more to develop some drugs and forcing companies to give up profits may discourage them from pursuing the next challenge.''
He said these days global organizations and drug makers often let people in relatively wealthy nations buy the drug first at higher prices to allow the companies to satisfy their shareholders, and then provide it to poorer countries at lower prices. Also, large charity groups such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and others have joined hands with drug companies to reduce prices. ``Fortunately, more and more companies are understanding the need for such policies these days,'' he said.
The awareness, or fear, of a ``virus'' is higher than ever. Some people dread that it will be the virus that puts an end to human life, as seen in novels such as ``I Am Legend'' or movie ``Night of the Living Dead.'' The Ebola virus, SARS, avian influenza and others have become major threats to mankind in less than a decade.
The latest H1N1 influenza A has fueled this fear. The World Health Organization said 44,287 people have been infected with the virus and 180 have died, after recently posting a ``phase 6'' pandemic alert. The Korean government announced that 105 people have been infected here.
On the question of why the prevalence of the virus infection is quite different according to countries or continents _ 44 and 113 died in the United States and Mexico, respectively but none here _ he said it takes time and research to find out. ``A virus is alive and it can evolve in a short period of time. We will have to see whether the virus has changed into a different form on its way to other countries or whether it is more powerful against specific ethnicities,'' he said.
The IVI is a United Nations organization that has its headquarters in Seoul.
The institute was established to provide vaccines to third world countries and is conducting research in 22 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, seeking ways to dispense vaccines at affordable prices. Originally part part of the United Nations Development Program, it was separated off in 1997.
It began vaccinating children in North Korea against Japanese encephalitis and meningitis last year _ 55 out of every 1,000 children in North Korea die before celebrating their fifth birthday, something the United Nations Children's Fund call alarmingly high.
The institute is located on the Seoul National University campus, and the Korean government finances about 30 percent of its operational costs.
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