There’s a report that South Korea has been encouraging Canada to join a global body affiliated with the United Nations that designs vaccinations for the world’s poorest nations.

Ottawa has spent the past three years deciding whether to join the International Vaccine Institute, which does research on vaccines for diseases that are given less attention by pharmaceutical companies.

The institute also looks at how to tweak immunizations to make them work better in rural parts of poor countries.

Paul Hodgson, operations director with the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, says Canada would be a natural fit since we already support low-and-medium income countries with a variety of health initiatives.

Global Affairs says details are still being worked out and there might not be any news until next summer.