Geneva:
While the UK gets clearance to use the swine flu vaccine, the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday said that much less will be available to the rest of the world.
With most of the rich countries buying the early batches of the vaccine, there is a worry about how it will reach the needy poorer countries. Manufacturers will be able to produce only 3 billion doses a year, contrary to earlier estimates of 5 billion.
UK has already bought 60 million doses and depending on how fast manufacturers are able to deliver, UK will stockpile 132 million doses - enough to vaccinate every person of the population. In fact, the bulk of the early production has been cornered by rich countries.
The good news is that 9 countries have promised to donate some of their supply and the virus is spreading less quickly than was feared earlier.
The WHO also admits that not everyone may need vaccination. Speaking in Geneva on Thursday, WHO vaccine chief Marie-Paule Kieny said "most people will do well without vaccine." Kieny said most people infected with the pandemic strain of the H1N1 virus have a mild illness and recover by themselves.
But in the long term, the H1N1 virus, which has caused the pandemic, will evolve, Kieny said, requiring adjustments to the vaccine.