Bird Flu Genetic Samples Stolen
Thursday, 08 February, 2007 | 16:46 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Siti Fadilah Supari, the Health Minister, has said she is angry at countries that produce avian influenza vaccine based on Indonesian strains.

This is because Indonesia has never issued any license for producing vaccine based on the specimens sent to the World Health Organization (WHO).

“We only allow specimens (genetic sample) to be diagnosed, not to be commercialized,” she said at a press conference at Health Department Building, yesterday (7/2).

Siti Fadilah cited Australia, which is already ready to produce vaccine based on the strains from Indonesia.

She took no notice of the WHO's evaluation that Indonesia was not cooperative in sending its specimens of the H5N1 virus, which is flourishing in Indonesia.

The reason for this was that she was concerned other countries would later produce vaccine based on Indonesian strains and later Indonesia must buy from those countries.

“This isn't fair,” she said.

This is similar to when the smallpox epidemic hit the world, explained Siti.

Siti said she does not want to be dictated to by other countries or the WHO.

Therefore, the government is preparing a material transfer agreement for parties that ask for Indonesia specimens.

The agreement will regulate that specimens must not be used for making viruses, only for diagnostic purposes.

When asked about the possibility of suing countries which make vaccines based on Indonesia's strains, Siti said she will first study this.

Earlier, she witnessed the signing of a MoU between the Health Department's Head of Research and Development, Triono Soendoro, and Baxter Healthcare SA's President, Kim Bush.

The pharmaceutical company from the United States, whose office is in Switzerland, will produce bird flu vaccine for human based on Indonesian strains.

Baxter, said Siti, is the only company that has proposed cooperating with Indonesia to produce vaccines.

PRAMONO