Greece Cancels a Third of Swine Flu Vaccine Orders

Greece cancelled Monday a third of its swine flu vaccination orders and sought compensation for the advances it paid to the big companies that provide them, the health ministry said.

Meanwhile, Norway agreed a deal with British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to reduce its number of vaccines by 30 percent according to its health ministry.

"We will pay only for the deliveries we have received", Greece's health minister said at a press conference, adding "the country demands the refund of the advance orders", from GSK, and two other pharmaceutical firms Novartis and Sanofis.

The socialist government cancelled 12.3 million of its flu vaccine orders, from a total of 16 million originally destined for the 11 million Greek population.

So far 3.6 million vaccines have been delivered and just 360,000 Greeks have received the vaccination.

In Norway the ministry of health announced a deal with GSK, identical to one the pharmaceutical giant signed with Germany and Belgium, allowing the country to save around 24.6 million euros (35.4 million dollars).

Last year Norway had ordered 9.4 million vaccinations from GSK, foreseeing two doses for each of its 4.8 million citizens, in accordance with the recommendations at the time from health authorities.

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The authorities later revised the recommendation to a single dose.

Norway has received around 4.3 million of the vaccinations ordered, according to the agency NTB, and some 60 percent of the population has been vaccinated.

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A total of 97 people have died in Greece for reasons linked to swine flu and in Norway 29 people have died from virus.

Source-AFP
SRM