BRAZIL: FOLLOW-UP ON PRESIDENT'S ANNOUNCEMENT TO EXPAND

UNCLAS BRASILIA 001191 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR OES/IHB - D.FANTOZZI, IO/HS - A.BLACKWOOD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC PREL KFLU WHO BR SUBJECT: BRAZIL: FOLLOW-UP ON PRESIDENT'S ANNOUNCEMENT TO EXPAND FIGHT AGAINST GLOBAL H1N1 PANDEMIC REF: STATE 97471 (U) THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED AND NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. ¶1. (SBU) On September 23, Science Officer met with officials from the Brazilian Ministry of Health's International Affairs Office to discuss REFTEL, which concerns an agreement by Brazil and certain other countires to work in concert with the United States and the World Health Organization to make 10% of their H1N1 vaccine supplies available to vulnerable countries. These Ministry of Health officials normally would be familiar with such an international arrangement. In this case, however, they were not aware that the Government of Brazil had signed on to such an agreement. They promised to follow-up within the Ministry and through their interagency process and report back to the Embassy. ¶2. (SBU) The Embassy will report any new information as soon as it is received. KUBISKE