The World Health Organisation said Thursday that scientists have yet to decide whether to start mass production of vaccines against the swine flu virus or not.
The annual World Health Assembly in Geneva was due to run from May 18-27 but is now likely to last five days so health ministers can get home to deal with the affects of the virus.
Acting assistant director-general Keiji Fukuda told journalists there have been "no big decisions" from a meeting of experts on Thursday on an A(H1N1) vaccine.
He stressed that future meetings were imminent to examine the technical process for manufacturers to ready themselves to go into mass production, which will "require several weeks."
"It's not possible to say that there will be a decision by this date, really it's a painstaking and difficult process," said Fukuda.
At least 20 companies worldwide make flu vaccines, namely, Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis, Baxter International, Australia's CSL, and nasal spray maker MedImmune, now part of AstraZeneca.
I think they should because the swine flu was labeled a pandemic disease and, not to mention, several people died from it.
Also, when the disease first became widespread, a few weeks ago, people panicked and started hoarding common flu shots that did nothing for them. So it would make sense to create a mass production of the swine flu vaccine.
I think they should too, though swine flu is relatively mild, there are vaccines for everything and if people want to take more preventative measures to not get ill, they should be enabled to.
Why don't they just do it? I know most people are not affected, and those that are are most likely not in serious danger, but, like any flu, it can be deadly to small children and old people. What if they get sued by someone who's kid died?
Also, when the disease first became widespread, a few weeks ago, people panicked and started hoarding common flu shots that did nothing for them. So it would make sense to create a mass production of the swine flu vaccine.