S. Korea to spend nearly 200 bln won to secure flu vaccines

By Koh Byung-joon
SEOUL, July 3 (Yonhap) - South Korea's government said Friday that it will spend
nearly 200 billion won (US$157 million) to secure vaccines for the new H1N1 flu
virus in an effort to brace for a wider spread of the contagious disease.

Global efforts are intensifying to develop preventive drugs for the new flu,
which has claimed more than 300 lives worldwide since it was first reported in
April. No deaths have been confirmed here.
South Korea also began work on developing prototypes for a flu vaccine this week
to accelerate the development of preventive drugs.
"We will push to secure enough vaccines to treat 13 million people or 27 percent
of the nation's total population in a bid to brace for a fast spread of the
disease during the upcoming fall season," the Ministry for Health, Welfare and
Family Affairs said in a statement. "To stockpile the vaccines, we will spend 193
billion won."
The ministry added that it will do its best to stockpile the targeted amount by
holding close consultations with both local and foreign pharmaceutical companies.
The move comes one day after an elementary school here was closed temporarily in
a precautionary measure to stem the spread of the H1N1 flu virus after a student
was confirmed to have been infected with the disease.
South Korea has been relatively insulated from the global pandemic, but concerns
are growing that infection rate could accelerate as Koreans studying abroad in
hard-hit countries such as the United Sates and Australia return home for summer
vacation.
As of Friday morning, South Korea has reported that a total of 238 people were
infected with the flu. Of them, 45 people were being treated at state-designated
hospitals, with other suspected and confirmed patients having been discharged
from hospitals after showing no further symptoms.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
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