There was a time when UNICEF had a very bad image among many of us. UNICEF
was opposed to all intercountry adoptions and they manipulated in every
country in which they operated, to keep children in orphanages and to
prevent their being adopted. In retrospect, I think perhaps they knew some
things about the adoption processes that we didn't. However, at the time, we
wondered about their motives.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2016 10:20 AM
To: blind-democracy
Subject: [blind-democracy] The United Nations Children's Fund has made a
deal with six vaccine manufacturers that will cut in half the price of a
shot that protects children against five diseases...
Exciting news...for a change.
Anyone questing the value of UNICEF will have a major change of heart when
they read this report. And by the way, this also speaks to our collective
power...should we ever get together and use it.
Carl Jarvis
***
The United Nations Children's Fund has made a deal with six vaccine
manufacturers that will cut in half the price of a shot that protects
children against five diseases, the fund announced last week.
The deal will mean three years' worth of vaccine at an average price of 84
cents a dose; buyers currently pay about $1.84, according to Unicef.
Unicef will buy about 450 million doses for 80 of the world's poorest
countries. Low- and middle-income countries purchasing vaccine for
themselves can also qualify for the lower prices, Unicef said.
The vaccine protects against
diphtheria,
tetanus,
whooping cough,
hepatitis B
and Haemophilus influenzae Type B (known as Hib). Gavi, the Vaccine
Alliance, estimates that the shots will prevent more than five million
deaths by the year 2020.
In 2001, only one company made the so-called pentavalent vaccine. As more
companies have started offering it, Unicef has forced them to compete by
holding several rounds of bidding for large contracts and publishing all of
the prices that were offered.
Another advantage of an expanded market is that vaccine plants can develop
sterility problems that force them to shut down for cleaning and repairs.
Having multiple manufacturers ensures against shortages, which can be
disastrous during epidemics.
Measles
shots and doses of vitamin A are among the chief reasons t the number of
children who die before reaching age 5 has dropped sharply. The number was
about 10 million a year 10 years ago ; it is now approaching five million a
year.
But the diseases prevented by the pentavalent vaccine kill many of the
youngest infants. Progress saving those lives has been slower. The Hib
bacterium alone, for example, kills about 350,000 children a year.
The pentavalent shot is typically given to each baby three times - at
6 weeks, 10 weeks and 14 weeks.
Measles vaccine
and vitamin A are usually not given until about 9 months.
