Italian auditor criticises contract for H1N1 vaccine

The contract between the drug firm Novartis and Italy’s health ministry over the purchase of 24 million doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine Focetria raises “many perplexities,” a report from the Italian Court of Audit (Corte dei Conti) has said.

The court is an autonomous and independent judicial body charged with conducting financial and legislative audits of most public institutions, including the government.

The contract for the swine flu vaccine, worth €187m (£154m; $234m), was signed in August 2009. It was submitted for approval …