GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is to donate 50 million doses of pandemic to WHO 11/12/09 6:21am

Agreement for donation of pandemic H1N1 vaccine signed

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is to donate 50 million doses of pandemic h1N1 vaccine to the World Health Organization (WHO) under an agreement signed at WHO headquarters in Geneva by the WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, and the Chief Executive Officer of GlaxoSmithKline, Mr Andrew Witty.

"We welcome this very generous donation by GlaxoSmithKline, which will go to protect the health of the world's poorest people. This is a real gesture of global solidarity towards those who would not be otherwise able to have access to the vaccine," said Dr. Margaret Chan. "WHO will now work to see that these vaccines are distributed to those who need them."

GSK expects to prepare the first shipments of vaccine to the WHO by the end of November. The WHO has a list of 95 developing countries that are eligible to receive donated vaccines, and aims to secure enough vaccines to cover 10 percent of the population of these countries.