The Indonesian government aggravated the World Health Organization (WHO) three years ago by refusing to hand over samples of the deadly H5N1 "bird flu" virus. The Indonesians argued that the samples would be used to produce medicines priced beyond the means of its poorer citizens. Jakarta's stance raised concerns that countries with confirmed cases of SARS might abstain in a similar fashion. Such global recalcitrance never materialized, and last year Indonesia relented by handing over 12 samples to the WHO after being assured of access to medicines in the event of a pandemic. According to a GlaxoSmithKline press release, H5N1 virus samples from Vietnam have been used to produce a viable pre-pandemic vaccine. Bird flu made its way back into the news after a recent death from the illness in China.