Indonesia sent a chill through the WHO recently when it refused to supply any more samples of the avian flu virus that has killed scores of its people. The move, which seemed aimed at gaining access to vaccines at an affordable price, threatens the global effort to track the virus and develop vaccines.

But Indonesia has raised a valid point that needs to be addressed: if a pandemic should strike, poor countries would be left without protection. The WHO relies on a global network of laboratories to provide virus samples so that experts can determine which are most likely to spread. These strains are then used to develop the seed stocks that are given — at no cost — to manufacturers for use in making vaccines. This move may be good for Indonesia but could be harmful to global health. If a pandemic struck, the current vaccine makers could produce only 500 million doses of vaccine per year if they ran 24 hours a day. That is far short of what would be needed to vaccinate all 6.7 billion people in the world.

The WHO needs to work much harder to encourage the transfer of vaccine production technology to countries, like Indonesia, that have the technical ability to use it. That will increase the supply of vaccine and presumably bring prices down. Even then, we fear, there still won’t be enough.