UK ‘on the front foot’ for flu pandemic preparation

The Department of Health has announced the awarding of advanced supply contracts for pandemic influenza vaccines with two firms in order to protect public health in the event of a pandemic.

As part of the government’s ongoing efforts to prepare for an influenza pandemic, it has signed contracts worth 155.4 million pounds over four years with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Baxter Healthcare.

These contracts facilitate the supply of influenza vaccines from these firms once a pandemic strain is identified and made available by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Dawn Primarolo, public health minister, said: “These contracts mean the UK is on the front-foot if a flu pandemic occurs and are the latest steps towards ensuring we are as fully prepared as possible

“We take the potential threat posed by pandemic flu very seriously and as the WHO has recognised, the UK is among the best prepared countries in the world.”

She added that the government was confident that – with Baxter and GSK dedicated to producing a vaccine tailored to specific pandemic influenza strains when identified – this deal marks another key step towards achieving preparedness for the event of an influenza pandemic.

In February 2007, the government tested its response to a potential pandemic with the deployment of Exercise Winter Willow.