AUSTRIAN RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE TO FIGHT GLOBAL H1N1

UNCLAS VIENNA 001361 SIPDIS STATE FOR OES/IHB (JONES) AND IO/HS (BLACKWOOD) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC PREL KFLU WHO AU SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE TO FIGHT GLOBAL H1N1 PANDEMIC REF: STATE 99707 ¶1. Econpoloff delivered reftel demarche requesting assistance to Hubert Hrabcik, Director of Public Health. Hrabcik's office had no substantive response. However, Clemens-Martin Auer for the Ministry of Health told Austrian national television on October 12 that, in the event Austria does not use its full allotment of 8 million vaccine doses, the GOA will allow neighboring countries to purchase its option, and he did not rule out donating any excess vaccines to developing countries. The Ministry would wait for a decision until after getting a better idea of how many Austrians will actually be vaccinated. Currently Austria has 500,000 vaccines with the option to purchase 7.5 million more, though it appears likely it will only use a fraction of this amount. ¶2. Primary contact information: Dr. Hubert Hrabcik, General Director for Public Health and Head of the Department for Public Health and Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Health Phone: 43-1-71100-4717 E-mail: hubert.hrabcik@bmg.gv.at EACHO