VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNY #0588/01 2661454
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 231454Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY OSLO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7829
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0338
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1358

UNCLAS OSLO 000588 
 
STATE FOR EUR/NB, IO/HS - BLACKWOOD, OES/IHB - FANTOZZI 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AORC PREL KFLU WHO NO
SUBJECT:  NORWAY'S PLANS TO CONTRIBUTE H1N1 VACCINE 
 
REF:  (A) STATE 97471, (B) OSLO 469 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  Norwegian authorities are eager to cooperate in 
channeling donated H1N1 vaccine to developing countries, though they 
have not yet hammered out the details for how they will deliver 
their in-kind contribution.  The GON would welcome additional 
information on the U.S. approach to many of the practical questions 
arising from the vaccine donation - see ACTION REQUEST in last para. 
 End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) As requested ref A, Deputy PoleconCouns, Econ Specialist and 
Intern met September 23 with representatives of the Norwegian Health 
and Foreign Affairs Ministries to deliver points on the President's 
September 17 H1N1 announcement and to gather information on the 
GON's plans in this area.  From the Norwegian Health Ministry, Else 
Andersen, Deputy Director General for International Cooperation, 
Karl-Olaf Wathne, Special Advisor, and Tone Wroldsen, Senior 
Advisor, attended.  MFA was represented by Assistant Director 
General of the Global Initiatives and Equality Division Lajla 
Jakhelln and Senior Advisor Ine Mareng. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Health and MFA officials thanked us for initiating a 
dialogue on how we can best cooperate in combating the spread of 
H1N1 influenza, and applauded the U.S. decision to distribute 
vaccine through the World Health Organization (WHO).  Wathne 
provided an overview of Norway's vaccination and donation plans, 
making clear that many issues remain to be decided.  The Health 
Ministry contracted with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to provide 9.4 
million doses, enough to provide two for each person in Norway. 
Norway's vaccine differs from the one to be used in the United 
States in that there is a different manufacturer and also because 
Norwegian doses will be smaller, but provided with an adjuvant 
(pharmacological or immunological agents that modify the effect of 
other drugs or vaccines).  Norwegian authorities have not yet 
decided whether a single dose will be sufficient protection, but 
Wathne believes they are likely to take this decision in the near 
future and are comfortable with donating 10 percent of Norway's 
vaccine for use in developing countries.  The GON expects GSK to 
begin delivering vaccine sometime in mid-October.  Wathne told us 
the vaccine would be offered free in Norway, with a 50 NOK 
(approximately USD 8) fee for the medical facilities distributing 
it.  Norway will vaccinate priority groups domestically before 
donating medicine to the WHO; this would likely not begin until 
November at the earliest, though the timing of this is still to be 
determined.  Wathne opined that this should not create a delay in 
WHO's distribution of the vaccine since WHO's program is only now 
being set up.  The GON has not decided whether to make its donation 
in tranches or in one large contribution.  To date, there have been 
approximately 1300 confirmed H1N1 cases in Norway and four deaths 
(this updates numbers last provided in Ref B). 
 
¶4.  (U) Health and MFA representatives identified a number of issues 
surrounding WHO distribution of vaccine: 
 
Liability:  In order to expedite vaccine production, GSK's legal 
liability for side effects has been limited in Norway as part of its 
contract.  Will the WHO take on liability for side effects for 
donated vaccines?   Will a standardized approach be used for all 
donor countries?  GON representatives suggested it would be best if 
donors could jointly negotiate an arrangement with the WHO rather 
than overloading the organization with bilateral agreements. 
 
Ancillary Costs:  Which organizations or donors will finance other 
costs associated with the vaccine, such as needles and 
transportation/distribution costs?  What channels will be used for 
financing?  MFA representatives advised that Norway had budgeted 20 
million NOK (approximately USD 3 million) to the WHO Emergency 
Public Fund, some of which could be used for distribution costs. 
 
¶5.  (U) MFA representatives also suggested that greater long-term 
planning was needed to ensure that developing countries secured 
access to other needed vaccines.  They noted this is high on FM 
Stoere's agenda and urged donors to use the momentum of this crisis 
to develop a better long-term framework. 
 
¶6.  (U) Points of contact: At Embassy Oslo, Deputy Polecon Counselor 
Aldo Sirotic is a POC on H1N1 issues.  He can be reached at tel. 47 
21 30 87 38, Email: siroticaj@state.gov, Fax 47 22 55 43 13.  The 
POC for post's internal preparedness measures for H1N1 is Judith 
Gaasland, tel. 47 2130 8768, email: gaaslandj@state.gov.  Key GON 
contacts include Health Ministry Special Advisor Karl-Olaf Wathne, 
tel. 47 22 24 86 42, email: kow@hod.dep.no and Ine Mareng, tel. 47 
22 24 33 70, email: maar@mfa.no 
 
¶7.  (U) Comment and Action Request:  GON authorities are keenly 
interested in cooperating on the vaccine donation and other USG H1N1 
activities.  Post encourages the Department and other USG agencies 
to provide further information on questions raised in para 4. 
 
HEG