UK
UK steps up preparedness for a flu pandemic
By Department of Health, UK
Oct 24, 2005, 16:35

Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson on Wednesday 19 October 2005 announced that the Department of Health is inviting manufacturers to tender for a contract to supply pandemic flu vaccine once the pandemic strain is known. The UK will need approximately 120 million doses to be available as soon as possible. The move comes alongside the publication of an updated version of the Pandemic Influenza Contingency plan.

Influenza pandemics are caused when a new flu virus emerges to which people have no immunity. Because it is new, annual seasonal flu vaccine will not be effective and a new vaccine against the exact strain needs to be made at the time it emerges. The proposal to purchase in advance the capacity needed to make pandemic flu vaccine will make sure that an effective vaccine is available for use in the UK as quickly as possible after a flu pandemic starts.

Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson said:

"We can't prevent a flu pandemic, but we can reduce its impact.

"We are constantly reviewing and improving our pandemic plans. Today we have published an updated version of our influenza pandemic contingency plan. This takes into account feedback and further work carried out since the publication of the flu pandemic plan earlier this year.

"One of the most effective countermeasures we can take against a flu pandemic is to make sure we develop and manufacture a vaccine as quickly as possible.

"A vaccine to protect against pandemic flu can not be made until the new virus is known. However, there are steps we can take to reduce the time before manufacturing starts.

"Today we are inviting manufactures to tender for a contract to supply future requirements for around 120 million doses of a pandemic vaccine. We will use this vaccine to immunise the UK population and reduce the impact of a pandemic on society.

"We also need to make sure that the NHS is ready to respond to a flu pandemic. We are asking the primary care community, including asking GPs to draw up plans setting out how they will respond to a flu pandemic and an information pack is being sent to every GP practice to help them answer patients' concerns.

“Planning to combat pandemic flu is our number one priority. We regard pandemic flu as public health enemy number one and we are on the march against it. With good planning and preparation we can reduce the impact of pandemic flu on the health of our population.”

The revised contingency plan includes new and updated information on the latest science and advice to the NHS.


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