A lot of you are talking about the news that major drug companies have agreed to significantly reduce their prices for vaccines in developing countries.
The price reduction is part of an effort to provide supplies for the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation.
Despite the assurance of price reduction, there is still funding a shortfall of $3.7 billion in for vaccinations all the way to 2015, and this latest decision is part of the effort to plug that gap.
Miscrosoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda, who are involved in public health through their Foundation, expressed their excitement: "We're particularly excited about the offers for rotavirus vaccine because the shock of learning that more than 500,000 children die each year from a preventable disease that causes severe diarrhea is what drew us to work in global health in the first place".
Some are sceptical though. @fauxstellata ‎tweeted: "#Glaxo have just cut the price of a diarrohea vaccine by 95% and not in an attempt to influence share prices. Finally nice capitalism?"
While others, such as Princeton University academic Donald Light, are objecting to the lack of debate around Gavi's vaccine funding strategy: "I think the taxpayers of affluent countries and their leaders should support saving poor children and reducing global poverty but this is a moment when they could critically review how that money is being spent."
Dr Light argues: "The Gavi model depends on giving more and more money year after year to get vaccines to poor countries in ways that are not self-sustaining and at prices that are unaffordable."
Well, what do you think? We hope to have drug company executives, those affected or benefited by the price reduction and those who are questioning goodwill of this move.
Your comments
Comment sent via unknown: 23129
19:02
113631290
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Abdulai Jalloh texted from Guinea:</div>
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The Saudi authorities should not allow Saleh to return to Yemen or else the entire country will be plunged in to a blood bath.</div>
Comment sent via host
18:49
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We have just finished discussing price cut of vaccines. Now discussing the situation in Yemen. Also, getting updates on Syria, the developing situation in the northwestern town of Jisr al-Shugur where Syrian state TV is claiming at least 120 security personnel have been killed.
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
18:46
117703999
@91Èȱ¬_WHYS With dev countries launching substitutes- This was the time to cut down own drugs to keep market share- don't deserve praise
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
18:28
116027031
@91Èȱ¬_WHYS Help from drug companies is good to improve the health of the poor. But overall health infrastructure still needs improvement.
Comment sent via unknown: 23129
18:25
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<p>
<span lang="EN-GB">Luca comments on Facebook: </span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB">Even if it was some kind of publicity stunt, it wouldn't bother me. In fact, they're helping people, and that's what matters most.</span></p>
Comment sent via unknown: 23129
18:25
113631290
<p>
<span lang="EN-GB">Barbara from Indiana, US commented on Facebook:</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB">I can never quite trust the drug companies--they are all about making money--not keeping people well. </span></p>
On Air now: Vaccine Price Cuts/ Yemen
| Monday, 6 June 2011 | 17:55 - 20:00 GMT
A lot of you are talking about the news that major drug companies have agreed to significantly reduce their prices for vaccines in developing countries.
The price reduction is part of an effort to provide supplies for the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation.
Despite the assurance of price reduction, there is still funding a shortfall of $3.7 billion in for vaccinations all the way to 2015, and this latest decision is part of the effort to plug that gap.
Miscrosoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda, who are involved in public health through their Foundation, expressed their excitement: "We're particularly excited about the offers for rotavirus vaccine because the shock of learning that more than 500,000 children die each year from a preventable disease that causes severe diarrhea is what drew us to work in global health in the first place".
Some are sceptical though. @fauxstellata ‎tweeted: "#Glaxo have just cut the price of a diarrohea vaccine by 95% and not in an attempt to influence share prices. Finally nice capitalism?"
While others, such as Princeton University academic Donald Light, are objecting to the lack of debate around Gavi's vaccine funding strategy: "I think the taxpayers of affluent countries and their leaders should support saving poor children and reducing global poverty but this is a moment when they could critically review how that money is being spent."
Dr Light argues: "The Gavi model depends on giving more and more money year after year to get vaccines to poor countries in ways that are not self-sustaining and at prices that are unaffordable."
Well, what do you think? We hope to have drug company executives, those affected or benefited by the price reduction and those who are questioning goodwill of this move.
Your comments
Comment sent via unknown: 23129
<div class="standout size10" id="msg_50091650"> Abdulai Jalloh texted from Guinea:</div> <div class="standout size10"> The Saudi authorities should not allow Saleh to return to Yemen or else the entire country will be plunged in to a blood bath.</div>
Comment sent via host
We have just finished discussing price cut of vaccines. Now discussing the situation in Yemen. Also, getting updates on Syria, the developing situation in the northwestern town of Jisr al-Shugur where Syrian state TV is claiming at least 120 security personnel have been killed.
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@91Èȱ¬_WHYS With dev countries launching substitutes- This was the time to cut down own drugs to keep market share- don't deserve praise
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@91Èȱ¬_WHYS Help from drug companies is good to improve the health of the poor. But overall health infrastructure still needs improvement.
Comment sent via unknown: 23129
<p> <span lang="EN-GB">Luca comments on Facebook: </span><br /> <span lang="EN-GB">Even if it was some kind of publicity stunt, it wouldn't bother me. In fact, they're helping people, and that's what matters most.</span></p>
Comment sent via unknown: 23129
<p> <span lang="EN-GB">Barbara from Indiana, US commented on Facebook:</span><br /> <span lang="EN-GB">I can never quite trust the drug companies--they are all about making money--not keeping people well. </span></p>