Ireland bought same strain of smallpox vaccine as UK

Ireland has stocked the same strain of the smallpox vaccine that has been called into question in the UK, writes Frank McNally.

An expert committee set up after the September 11th attacks bought 600,000 doses of the Lister strain of the vaccine, as part of the Department of Health's response to the threat of bioterrorism.

A report in the London Times yesterday questioned the potential effectiveness of the Lister strain in the event of smallpox being used as a weapon by Iraq.

It quoted a US expert, Mr Steve Prior, who described as "indefensible" Britain's decision to stock it, rather than a type developed by the New York City Board of Health, which is known to be effective against the "battle-strain" believed to be in Iraq's possession.

The British Department of Health stood over its choice yesterday, however, and the medical director of the Irish Medicines Board said she had "no doubts" about the Lister strain's effectiveness.

Controversy arose when it emerged that the chief executive of the company awarded the contract for the vaccine in the UK had donated money to Britain's Labour Party.

The British government was accused of favouritism in April when it awarded the multimillion pound contract for smallpox vaccine to British biotechnology firm PowderJect Pharmaceuticals Plc, without putting it out to tender first. PowderJect chief executive Mr Paul Drayson made a £50,000 (€80,000) donation to Labour in 2001.

It later emerged he made a second donation of the same amount just 10 weeks before the contract was awarded.

The US, in contrast, bought a different smallpox vaccine from rival British biotech firm Acambis. Dr Joan Gilvarry, who is also a member of Ireland's expert committee and was responsible for ordering the State's supply, added that Ireland was "very lucky" to get the stocks because smallpox vaccine was very scarce internationally.

She said that as new products were produced abroad and information on them became available, the position would be reviewed. But if further supplies were sourced, it would be with a view to "getting a safer vaccine, with fewer side effects, rather than a more effective one".

Ireland's supply was bought from Berna Biotech, based in Berne, Switzerland.

The US and Russia keep the only official supplies of the variola virus that causes smallpox, which was declared eradicated in 1980. But experts fear other countries or groups may have access to the agent and could unleash it as a weapon.

- (Additional reporting Reuters)