Costa Rica
Chosen For Testing AH1N1 Vaccine
Costa Ricans may be one of the first to try
the vaccine being developed to combat the
AH1N1 flu virus. A group of 784 Ticos will
form part of a world study, which will be
under the charge of the Instituto de
Atención Pediátrica (IPED) headed by
infectologist Adriano Arguedas Mohs.
The IPED was chosen by the Swiss
pharmaceutical Novartis to conduct a study
of the various vaccines being developed
around the world.
At least five laboratories are working on a
vaccine which is expected to be approved
either in September and October for mass
distribution.
Arguedas said that the prototype vaccine,
which we will be studied in Costa Rica will
also be tested in the United States and
Mexico.
Person between the age of 3 and 64 from all
over Costa Rica will participate in the
study, according to Arguedas, after
receiving accreditation from the science and
ethic committee of the Universidad de
Ciencias Médicas (Ucimed) in San José and
the Consejo Nacional de Investigación en
Salud (Conis) of the Ministerio de Salud.
The viceministra de Salud, Ana Morice, said
that the choice of Costa Rica is a
recognition of the highest level of research
in the country.
Morice was emphatic that the government will
not negotiate with Novartis for the purchase
of the vaccine, which purchase will be
negotiated by the World Health Organization
and all purchases made by way of the
Organización Panamericana de la Salud, which
will negotiate the best price for Latin
American countries from the vaccine
manufacturers.
The IPED will in the coming days offer an
invitation to Costa Ricans to participate in
the study.
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