WHO: Swine Flu 'Unstoppable', Vaccine Access Needs to be Global

The head of the World Health Organization today called the global spread of the H1N1, 'swine flu', virus "unstoppable", noting that over 100 countries have are now reporting instances of the virus.

Margaret Chan, the United Nation's highest health official, spoke about the state of the pandemic at a summit in Mexico, where it is widely believed to have first infected humans and which has been hard hit by the virus. While the WHO stresses that most cases are mild, Chan declared that "As we see today, with well over 100 countries reporting cases, once a fully fit pandemic virus emerges, its further international spread is unstoppable." Her statements came one day after she and developing countries urged global access to a swine flu vaccine. There are widespread worries that vaccines for H1N1 will be hoarded by richer, developed nations leaving developing nations more vulnerable to the pandemic. Jon Kim Andrus, of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) declared that "The producers of the vaccine have already committed 90 percent to high income countries, where some 893 million people live, and 10 percent to countries like China and Russia, which have some capacity to produce some of the vaccines." While Chan noted that 250 million doses will be available to developing nations, it is "is obviously not enough." The virus has been deadly in dozens of countries around the world and the numbers seem to support Chan's assertion of the pandemic's global pervasiveness. In Canada, the death toll increased to 33 after three recent virus-related fatalities. The United States has reported some 170 deaths, while in Mexico, about 120 deaths have been linked to the virus. The United Kingdom alone is estimating 100,000 new cases of infection before the end of summer. Worldwide, the virus is inching towards 400 deaths and tens of thousands of infected case. In June the WHO declared the swine flu outbreak a pandemic. Almost immediately the organization declared that its "primary concern is to strengthen and support health systems in countries with less resources," and declared that developing nations "will be the frontline of their battle against pandemic flu."