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Both the World Health organization and South Africa's health advisory board have recommended adding a new vaccine by the pharmaceutical company Wyeth to its national immunization regime for children. The vaccine protects children from seven potentially deadly strains of pneumoccoal bacteria.
Doctor's group say, that although they agree that the vaccine has merit, they do not have either the infrastructure, or the manpower to add another vaccination to the national immunization program. Doctors stress that adding a new vaccine is a complex process, as staff need to be trained in correct procedures, cold chain management systems designed and data collected on adverse reactions.
Doctor's also wonder if national resources are best spent on the vaccine, which is quite expensive at 1800rand for the three dose program. The vaccine is already available at the private sector level for parents with the means to pay for the immunization.
While pneumoccoal bacteria can be a major killer of small children, the health department has asked the National Advisory Group to evaluate the cost effectiveness of introducing the new vaccination regime.
South Africa is also currently evaluating the benefits of adding the rotavirus vaccine, which protects against diarrhea and a vaccine for HPV, the primary cause of cervical cancer.
The purchase price and implementation cost of the drug by Wyleff could prove too high for a lower income country such as South Africa; and doctors groups are careful to evaluate how best to designate the relatively meager resources that they have at their disposal. Observers speculate that health groups will ultimately recommend keeping the drug available at the private sector level while saving sparse health dollars for other uses
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