A meeting of health officials from around the world has failed to reach agreement on a new system to share avian influenza virus samples used to develop vaccines. Developing states like Indonesia want guarantees from richer nations and drug makers that they will have access to cheap vaccines if they share samples.

Sharing samples is deemed vital to see if viruses have mutated, become drug resistant or grown more transmissible.

The next step was not yet clear, but it was likely officials would meet in a smaller working group ahead of the WHO's annual assembly in May, WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said.

Content Updated ( Monday, 26 November 2007 )