Global Security Newswire
Daily News on Nuclear, Biological & Chemical Weapons, Terrorism and Related Issues
Australia Stockpiles Biodefense Drugs
Australia is moving to stockpile greater amounts of smallpox vaccine and anthrax antibiotics in preparation for a potential bioterrorist event, the Australian Financial Review reported today (see GSN, May 12).
Emergency government regulations put through earlier this month allow for the expedited import of 200,000 doses of a smallpox vaccine produced by the U.S. company Acambis, as well as the purchase of 400,000 packets of doxycycline antibiotic tablets for prevention and treatment of anthrax in humans from the Australian manufacturer Hexal.
Australia purchased 50,000 initial doses of smallpox vaccine in 2002 from the French company Aventis (Mark Davis, Australian Financial Review, June 15).
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NTI Analysis
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Between Publishing and Perishing? H5N1 Research Unleashes Unprecedented Dual-Use Research Controversy
May 3, 2012
Recently, researchers in the Netherlands and the United States identified genetic mutations that could enable H5N1 bird flu to become easily transmissible from one human to another. Controversy has emerged about whether the details of these two particularly sensitive H5N1 studies should be openly published to aid global pandemic preparedness or withheld in the interests of national security. Because similar trade-offs will emerge frequently in the field of biotechnology, the task of devising effective management strategies for so-called "dual-use research of concern" will continue to increase in both complexity and importance.
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Talking Points: Ten Years of GSN's Quote of the Day
Oct. 4, 2011
An anthology of quotes from the "Quote of Day" feature in Global Security Newswire.
Country Profile
Australia
Australia ranked at the top of the NTI Index. Learn more about its policies relating to nuclear, chemical, biological and missile proliferation.
