JORDAN REQUESTS SLIGHTLY LARGER QUANTITIES OF

S E C R E T AMMAN 001192 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2013 TAGS: TBIO PREL JO SUBJECT: JORDAN REQUESTS SLIGHTLY LARGER QUANTITIES OF SMALLPOX AND ANTHRAX VACCINES, AND ASKS FOR THE PRICE REF: A. STATE 41006 ¶B. AMMAN 1021 Classified By: PolCouns Doug Silliman for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D) ¶1. (U) This is an action request for the Department. See paras 4-5 below. -------------- GOJ WANTS VACCINES FOR CIVILIAN USE... -------------- ¶2. (S) Following up on ref b demarches to the MFA and Jordan Armed Forces (JAF),Ambassador on February 23 called on Health Minister Walid Maani and reiterated the U.S. offer to provide -- on a reimbursable basis -- limited quantities of smallpox and anthrax vaccines to Jordan. Prime Minister Ali Abul Ragheb called the Ambassador February 23 and noted that the GOJ would like to acquire 1,000 doses of smallpox vaccine and 3,000 doses of anthrax vaccine to for use for civilian health and emergency workers in the eastern regions of the country (nearest to the Iraqi border). The PM said the GOJ would try to find the funds to pay for these purchases, and asked for the cost of the vaccines. -------------- ...AND FOR THE MILITARY AS WELL -------------- ¶3. (S) Concurrently, senior JAF officers indicated to the DATT that the JAF would like to get from the U.S. 9,000 doses of anthrax vaccine and 15,000 doses of smallpox vaccine. The JAF asked for the cost of the vaccines before deciding if they would use ACSA or FMF to pay for the vaccines. -------------- ACTION REQUEST -------------- ¶4. (S) The GOJ has indicated to us that it would like access to a total of 12,000 doses of anthrax vaccine and 16,000 doses of smallpox vaccine -- somewhat more than offered in ref a. Embassy therefore requests that the Department consider increasing the amounts of anthrax and smallpox vaccines offered to Jordan to accommodate the requests for both civilian an military use (i.e. 12,000 doses of anthrax vaccine and 16,000 doses of smallpox vaccine). ¶5. (S) In addition, the Embassy also requests that Washington provide separately the cost for the vaccines requested for civilian use and those requested for military use. GNEHM