The vaccines, imported to Azerbaijan within the campaign on mass immunization against measles and rubella, were produced by Serum Institute of India, one of three world producers of the vaccine. UNICEF purchases only the vaccines, which were previously tested for conformity with technical terms of WHO and international standards, Trend reports quoting Hana Singer, the representative of UNICEF in Azerbaijan.
According to Singer, over the last years the vaccines from India were used in some countries such as Kyrgyzstan (2002), Tajikistan (2005), Kazakhstan (2005), Moldova (2002), Sri-Lanka, Tunis, Nicaragua, South Korea, Iran (2003 - during the big campaign on immunization, when 30m people were vaccinated).
UNICEF purchases vaccines both from developed and developing countries.
Nevertheless, any product must meet first the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. WHO and UNICEF buy vaccines over 30 years, including, 10 years from developing countries, Singer stressed. She noted that a whole series of successful campaigns on immunization were held under the support of the international organizations WHO and UNICEF in Azerbaijan after the declaration of independence.
According to Singer, UNICEF acquires around 40% of vaccines for $2.5m for developing countries. Thus, Azerbaijan succeeded to extirpate poliomyelitis in 2002.
It should be mentioned that around 3m children and young people at the age from 7 to 29 will be vaccinated in Baku within the campaign on mass immunization, which will last in Azerbaijan from 27 February to 13 March.
The campaign, organized under the support of Vishnesky-Rostropovich Foundation, WHO, UNICEF and the Azerbaijani Health Ministry, is the integral part of the strategy on liquidation of measles and rubella at the territory of the European region by 2010.