CSL adds 100,000 effective flu doses to NZ

CSL adds to fully effective flu doses available to NZers.

Australian pharmaceutical company Commonwealth Serum Laboratories (CSL) has agreed to supply 100,000 doses of a fully-effective influenza vaccine to New Zealanders.

The 100,000 doses add to 50,000 already secured from another company Solvay, and will be available to patients from April 2005. Two lots of 50,000 have been secured, one to arrive in April 2005, and the second in May.

PHARMAC Medical Director Dr Peter Moodie says the CSL offer is great news, and brings the stocks of fully effective influenza vaccine up to 150,000 doses.

“We are delighted that CSL has been able to make this stock available to New Zealand,” Dr Moodie says.

“We will continue to work with the Ministry of Health to determine how these fully effective doses can best be targeted at New Zealanders who are most at risk.” Dr Moodie says.

PHARMAC is also continuing to work with other suppliers to determine what stock is available.

The stocks of vaccines that are fully effective against the three influenza strains required for the 2005 flu season add to the 1.3 million doses of vaccine to be supplied by Sanofi-Pasteur. The Sanofi-Pasteur vaccine is effective against two of the three strains, and partially effective against a third.

© Scoop Media