Faced with a shortage of the best available antiviral drug against bird flu, Tamiflu, and other influenza vaccines, experts say Thailand should look for alternatives in preparing for a possible bird flu pandemic. At present, the country has in stock around 660,000 tablets of the anti-viral drug oseltamivir, the generic name for Tamiflu, and around 170,000 doses of flu vaccine.

The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) plans to produce around one million capsules of the generic version of Tamiflu by next year. The Thai version would reduce the price per capsule from 120 baht to 70 baht.

The GPO is also negotiating with French and Chinese pharmaceutical firms to produce influenza vaccines in Thailand.

Mongkol Jivasantikarn, GPO's managing director, said cooperation with China's Sinovac Biotech was possible.

A team of health officials from the GPO and the Medical Science Department would visit China on Nov 16 to talk to the company, he said. Dr Mongkol admitted it would take at least three years for an influenza vaccine to be made here.