SCOTTSDALE – The World Health Organization is seeking swine flu vaccine for poor countries, but received few offers as experts disclosed that an effective flu shot is still months away. Swine flu has been confirmed in more than 9,830 people in at least 40 countries.  Most of the cases in Mexico and the U.S. The global death toll was at least 83 — 74 in Mexico, seven in the U.S., one in Canada and one in Costa Rica (Source: Yahoo News).

The U.N. head Ban Ki-moon and WHO chief Margaret Chan appealed to drugmakers on Tuesday to save some of their vaccines for poor nations. The only major drugmaker so far to publicly agree with the WHO request on Tuesday was GlaxoSmithKline, which said it would donate 50 million doses in a pandemic. They offered that WHO could buy at a discount for poor countries.

“I can reassure you I have received very serious commitments,” WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan told reporters after meeting with the drugmakers. Smaller vaccine makers in developing countries also offered to share some of their vaccines, although current productivity is limited.