The World Health Organization (WHO) announced Thursday that it is working with vaccine manufacturers to move ahead on plans to create a global stockpile of vaccine for the H5N1 avian influenza virus.
The announcement follows a request by the World Health Assembly in May for WHO to establish an international stockpile of H5N1 vaccine.
On Wednesday, WHO welcomed the announcement by GlaxoSmithKline that it will contribute to the H5N1 global vaccine stockpile. Omninvest of Hungary, Baxter and Sanofi pasteur have also indicated their willingness to make some of their H5N1 vaccine available.
“This is another significant step towards creating a global resource to help the world and especially to help developing countries in case of a major outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza,” said Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General.
“WHO welcomes this contribution from the vaccines industry and is also working with countries to develop capacity for the production of influenza vaccines.”
Further work is needed on detailed operational planning for the stockpile, including how and under which conditions it will be deployed, as well as regulatory aspects of the vaccine.
As well as developing a stockpile of H5N1 vaccine, other measures being taken by WHO to prepare for a potential influenza pandemic include:
– rapid containment plans to stop a pandemic using public health measures (isolation, quarantine of contacts, personal hygiene and social distancing) and anti-virals
– assistance to countries to increase vaccine production capacity, including research and promoting the transfer of technology to developing countries.
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— Sanofi pasteur supports WHO initiative
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Sanofi pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group, announced that it is ready to supply a significant number of doses of H5N1 vaccine for the establishment of an international stockpile through a WHO partnership. Part of this supply could be made available immediately, in bulk form.
“We have been part of the influenza vaccine history for half of a century and are pleased to continue to partner with WHO to combat one of the world’s critical public health threats” said Jean-Francois Dehecq, Chairman of sanofi-aventis. “We are actively pursuing further moves that are intended to increase influenza vaccine supply for countries in the developing world, enabling us to provide a meaningful contribution to global pandemic preparedness”.
— Pandemic influenza overview
Influenza is a disease caused by a highly infectious virus that spreads easily from person to person, primarily when an infected individual coughs or sneezes. An influenza pandemic is a global epidemic of an especially virulent virus, newly infectious for humans, and for which there is no preexisting immunity. This is why pandemic strains have such potential to cause severe morbidity and mortality. According to the WHO, the next pandemic is likely to result in 1-2.3 mln hospitalizations and 280,000 to 650,000 deaths in industrialized nations alone. Its impact is expected to be even more devastating in developing countries.
In an attempt to minimize the impact of a pandemic, many countries are developing national and transnational plans against a possible influenza pandemic situation.
Sanofi pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group, provided more than a billion doses of vaccine in 2006, making it possible to immunize more than 500 mln people across the globe.
A world leader in the vaccine industry, sanofi pasteur offers the broadest range of vaccines protecting against 20 infectious diseases. The company’s heritage, to create vaccines that protect life, dates back more than a century. Sanofi pasteur is the largest company entirely dedicated to vaccines. Every day, the company invests more than EUR1 mln in research and development.
