Indonesia to Share Flu Samples Under New Terms

摘要

Indonesia has agreed to resume sharing samples of the H5N1 avian influenza virus with the World Health Organization in return for a promised rewrite of WHO's rules governing the use of donated viral samples. The new "Terms of Reference" for handling viral samples, which will be hammered out over the next several months, may include a clause giving countries that provide flu samples more control over how and whether WHO can pass the virus on to third parties, such as companies making vaccines. Indonesia had halted sharing its samples over concerns that it would not have access to any H5N1 vaccine ultimately produced (Science, 23 February, p. 1065).