VZCZCXRO8878
RR RUEHHM
DE RUEHHI #0890/01 1351037
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 151037Z MAY 07 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5356
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 3026
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1181
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEHSUN/USUN ROME IT
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 1487
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000890 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, IO, G/AIAG AND ISN 
STATE PASS TO HHS/OGHA (STIEGER, BHAT, D. BELL) 
STATE PASS TO CDC (COX, MOHEN, and BLOUNT) 
USDA PASS TO APHIS 
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP (LSTERN) 
ROME FOR FAO 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO AORC PREL PNIR KFLU WHO OTRA VM
SUBJECT: (U) SAMPLE SHARING AND VACCINE ACCESS IN VIETNAM 
(C-TNT-00406) 
 
HANOI 00000890  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
REF: STATE 62177, 62181, and 62185 (all the same cable) 
 
¶1. (U) As requested (reftel), below is the Mission's assessment of 
the position of the Government of Vietnam (GVN) with regard to 
sharing H5N1 avian influenza (AI) samples. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The GVN supports the World Health Organization (WHO) policy 
on sharing of (AI) viral samples and readily shares animal and human 
material. The GVN has not evoked restrictive agreements, such as 
material transfer agreements when sharing with FAO or WHO networks. 
We do not think the GVN believes that countries contributing samples 
of virus are entitled to more than analysis, technical assistance, 
and recommendations.  The GVN has not alluded to compensation 
related to sample sharing. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The GVN seeks to promote approaches to sample sharing that 
are equitable and fair, especially with regard to getting credit as 
further information and knowledge are generated from research and 
development.  GVN officials have suggested that Ministry of Health 
(MOH) staff and scientists could be involved and consulted in 
processes after samples leave the country.  The GVN is considering a 
position that explains the value of sample sharing to Vietnam -- 
beneficial reputation, stronger international cooperation and 
support, capacity building for domestic vaccine manufacture, and 
direct benefits to the people of Vietnam.  This point seems to be 
absent from international level dialogue and may be helpful in 
finding a constructive way forward with less cooperative nations. 
According to the International Cooperation Department of the MOH, 
the GVN will not/not take a stance that allies itself with other 
countries against a country with a different position, such as that 
of Indonesia. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Equitable access to influenza vaccines in Vietnam would 
start with an analysis of sustainability and domestic production. 
Based on its experience with the WHO's Expanded Program on 
Immunization (EPI), the GVN recognizes the balance -- both in terms 
of cost and quality -- between domestic manufacture and the 
importation of vaccines.  It has a tradition of long-term vaccine 
planning, which aims at eventual domestic production.  Human and 
animal AI vaccines are primary targets for domestic production. 
Substantial overseas direct assistance, including from the United 
States, has supported this effort.  International cooperation in 
terms of technical assistance and financial support is valued in 
this light.  Mission does not know the GVN's view on tiered pricing 
of vaccines.  However, the GVN is a regional manufacturer of 
vaccines (e.g., exporting some EPI vaccines to Laos and Cambodia) 
and thus would be subject to both advantages and disadvantages of 
tiered pricing. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The GVN probably does not support regional production 
facilities of commonly needed, larger volume vaccines.  With the 
support of a HHS-CDC cooperative agreement project to build a 
sustainable human influenza (not just to detect AI, but all 
influenza) national sentinel surveillance network, combining both a 
syndromic and laboratory-confirmation approach, the GVN now has a 
greater appreciation for the public health and advocacy value in 
addressing seasonal and routine influenza in AI and pandemic 
influenza prevention efforts.  The GVN is not ready for large scale 
purchase and importation of vaccine products for seasonal influenza 
(due to costs).  Human influenza vaccine commonly available in 
market economies is available in Vietnam in the private sector 
driven by market demand; consumption is very limited. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The GVN understands the influenza vaccine production 
process but does not yet have the capacity to follow it.  Ownership 
of Vietnam's pharmaceutical industry is mixed with both private 
equity companies and government institutes and companies.  There is 
one company and two institutes, all government owned, producing 
vaccines.  There are limited examples of international 
pharmaceutical industry partnerships and a moderate degree of 
international academic collaboration.  Substantial progress in the 
research and development of human and animal AI vaccines has been 
made (including two-way sample sharing through the WHO Influenza 
Collaborating Center Network).  The GVN's main concern about vaccine 
production is cost and efficacy; the GVN has a supportive position 
 
HANOI 00000890  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
that research and development must be staged (small scale followed 
by large scale in-country field evaluation).  There is insufficient 
drug and vaccine regulatory and oversight capacity (including in 
good clinical practice and good manufacturing practice) to evaluate 
new products by international standards.  The MOH is working with 
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to build a sustainable 
training program to address this need. 
 
¶7. (SBU) The GVN established the Partnership for Avian and Human 
Influenza (PAHI) on November 1, 2006, a maturation of ongoing 
multilateral and bilateral collaborative efforts to combat first 
SARS and then AI.  The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 
is the international lead, but works closely with WHO, Food and 
Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Bank and the bilateral 
development agencies to ensure the success of this medium-term 
response to build capacity in the public health sector.  The first 
task was to broadly coordinate donor funding and technical 
assistance.  A PAHI secretariat will be established in a few weeks. 
The Mission expects that issues pertaining to sample sharing and 
vaccine access will be addressed in this forum. 
 
MARINE