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COSTA RICA |
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Novartis To Donate To Costa Rica 100.00
Doses Of The AH1N1 Vaccine
The pharmaceutical Novartis said it will be
donating between 50.000 and 100.000 doses of
the AH1N1 vaccine to Costa Rica. The
donation was confirmed by the vice-ministra
de Salud, Ana Morice.
Morice said that the ministra de Salud,
Salud, María Luisa Ávila, has had meetings
with Novartis executives in Washington and
was told that the company would donate the
doses of the vaccine following a request by
the ministra for such.
The donation, accoriding to Morica, is a
private deal between the company and the
ministerio de Salud and does not affect the
purchase of 1.8 million doses from the
Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS)
- Panamerican Health Organization -
which is negotiating with the drug firms on
behalf of Latin countries for the best
purchase price.
The ministerio de Salud has said that only
those in high risk groups - the pregnant,
those with respiratory problems and the
hypertense and the obese will all be
evaluated to receive the vaccine first.
Also to receive the vaccines ahead of the
general population are medical workers at
the country's hospitals and clinics and
police and fire and Red Cross workers.
The vaccine, which is expected to be in
Costa Rica by possibly next month or the end
of the year at the latest, will be
distributed free of charge and the
ministerio de Salud has said it will be
issuing a decree to restrict the importation
and sale of the vaccine to avoid
speculation. |
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