Health experts warn that poor countries may not get enough supply of the swine flu vaccine as rich nations are scrambling to buy up hundreds of millions of doses of the drug.

Supplies are limited because the world’s labs may only be able to produce around 900 million doses for the A(H1N1) strain per year, according to the World Health Organization. The world population is currently pegged at 6.8 billion.

“The lion’s share of these limited supplies will go to wealthy countries. Again we see the advantage of affluence. Again we see access denied by an inability to pay,” WHO director Margaret Chan said last week.

France has already placed a firm order for 94 million doses of vaccine and an option for 36 million more. The United States has set aside at least a billion dollars to buy vaccine, and Britain hopes to protect at least half of its 60 million population by the start of next year and the other half as soon as possible afterwards. Australia has also ordered enough vaccine for its 21 million citizens, and as more rich countries follow suit, the world’s potential stock of the drug will soon run out, while prices are set to rise.

Pharmaceutical firms are racing to increase their capacity to produce an A(H1N1) vaccine, once tests confirm that one has been developed, and hope to begin releasing stocks in late September or early October.

To help poor countries, the WHO is asking vaccine producers to donate or sell doses at lower prices to developing nations. Richer nations are also being asked to donate some of their vaccine stocks.

(via AFP)