[health-vn] UN PREPARES FOR PRODUCTION OF INFLUENZA A(H1N1) VACCINE AS INFECTIONS RISE

[Vern Weitzel]

Subject: UN PREPARES FOR PRODUCTION OF INFLUENZA A(H1N1) VACCINE AS INFECTIONS RISE
Date: Wed, 6 May 2009 17:00:06 -0400
From: UNNews <UNNews at un.org>
To: <news9 at secint00.un.org>

UN PREPARES FOR PRODUCTION OF INFLUENZA A(H1N1) VACCINE AS INFECTIONS RISE
New York, May  6 2009  5:00PM
The number of influenza A(H1N1) infections continues to climb, the United 
Nations health agency, which is at the centre of the global response to the 
outbreak, reported today, as it moves forward with efforts to create a vaccine.

As of 15:00 GMT today, 23 countries have reported 1,658 cases of the infection 
with 30 deaths, with Mexico topping the list with 946 laboratory confirmed human 
cases, according to the World Health Organization 
(<"http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html">WHO).

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan, along with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, 
has convened a meeting in Geneva on 19 May with the heads of all companies 
making influenza vaccines to ensure developing countries have fair access to an 
inoculation against the new flu strain once it is developed.

“This will be a high-level discussion with the manufacturers, appealing to 
corporate responsibility and to working together toward increased equitable 
access,” said WHO Director of the Initiative for Vaccine Research Marie-Paule Kieny.

She added that in the meantime, discussions have already started with individual 
manufacturers for the UN Children’s Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) and 
the Pan American Health Organization (<"http://new.paho.org/hq/">PAHO) agencies 
to be able to quickly buy vaccines “as they come off the production line” for 
people in the most affected parts of the developing world.

WHO has also recommended that manufacturers have everything in place to start 
producing a vaccine to fight the new influenza A(H1N1) flu strain, said Ms. Kieny.

Next week, WHO is slated to hold a teleconference with its vaccine advisory 
committee to discuss whether there is enough evidence to recommend that 
producers “should start large-scale manufacturing of influenza A(H1N1) vaccine.”

Ms. Kieny noted that there is not enough evidence to recommend stopping or 
cutting back production of the seasonal vaccine. “Potentially a recommendation 
towards stopping production of seasonal vaccine may come in a few weeks if it 
does. This is not a done deal.”
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