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Australia to buy 10m A(H1N1) flu vaccines

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-05-29 14:50

SYDNEY -- The Australian government plans to purchase 10 million vaccines for the A(H1N1)flu, but the manufacturer said on Friday that the production would not be ready for another eight weeks.

The Melbourne based pharmaceutical company CSL Ltd revealed batches of the vaccine would not roll off the production line until late July, Australian Associated Press reported.

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CSL's biotherapies general manager Mary Sontrop said that the company was preparing a "candidate vaccine" which would be put through clinical trials to determine its optimal formulation and dosage.

The first batches of a matched A(H1N1)flu vaccine were " expected to be manufactured by late July/early August", she said.

Her announcement came after the US government placed a 180 million US dollar order for a CSL-made A(H1N1)flu vaccine.

The Australian government has also ordered enough doses from CSL to provide cover for 10 million Australians - almost half the country's population.

"We are confident of being able to satisfy the needs of Australia and other countries in a timely way," Sonstrop said.

Australia's confirmed cases of A(H1N1)flu jumped to 167 people by Friday morning, according to Australian Health Minister Nicola Roxon.