Influenza Pandemic

European Vaccine Manufacturers (EVM)

EVM is committed to contributing to global public health and to addressing the challenges posed by the threat of an influenza pandemic worldwide. An influenza pandemic poses a major threat for the general population and a challenge for public health authorities and for the vaccine industry in terms of research and development, marketing authorisation and production capacity.

The influenza vaccine manufacturers located in EU territory (France, UK, Netherlands, Germany and Italy) represent 70% of the worldwide production of influenza vaccines (50% of that production is distributed outside the EU) and gives Europe an important role to play in order to guarantee equitable distribution of vaccines throughout the world.

• Review of the EVM Proposal for an Action Plan (PaP) to ensure availability of effective vaccines in the event of an influenza pandemic

• Vaccination strategies to control influenza pandemic (Annex to the EVM PaP)
  

EVM members R&D projects

• Explanatory note  
• Table listing R&D projects

EVM Lunch Workshop "How to provide sufficient influenza pandemic vaccines in time?" (Brussels, January 10, 2006)

• Workshop summary  
• Backgrounder
• Speakers' presentation

EVM Satellite Symposium on "Influenza Pandemic Preparedness: Reaching WHO Vaccination Coverage Objective" (ESWI 2nd European Influenza Conference, Malta, September 2005)

• Agenda
• Speakers' presentations
• Report

EVM Statement in view of the European Parliament debate on the strategy against an Influenza Pandemic

EVM Newsletters on Influenza Pandemic Preparedness

• Autumn 2006
• Spring 2005 
• Spring 2004
• Winter 2003

EVM Briefing Sheet 'Halting the Influenza Pandemic'

EVM Brochure 'Influenza Pandemic Prepardeness'

EVM Glossary on Influenza vaccines and antivirals

EVM press release (April 2004): EVM calls for enhanced cooperation against threat of influenza pandemic

ECDC

ECDC regularly update on the pandemic surveillance situation

European Parliament

EP resolution on pandemic influenza preparedness and response planning in the European Community adopted by the European Parliament on 14 June 2006, in Strasbourg

EP resolution on the strategy against an influenza pandemic adpoted by the European Parliament on 26 October 2005, in Strasbourg.

European Commission - DG Health & Consumer Protection

In November 2005, the European Commission has issued working documents on

• Community influenza Pandemic Preparedness and Response Planning in the European Community
• Strengthening coordination on generic preparedness planning for public health emergencies at EU level

DG SANCO Flu Media Seminar, Brussels, October 17, 2006

DG SANCO Flu Media Briefing, Brussels, July 7, 2006 - background information material for the press

For more information, visit the DG SANCO website

 

The European Influenza Surveillance Scheme (EISS) collates information on influenza activity from 31 reference laboratories, contributing to the annual determination of the influenza vaccine content and to European influenza pandemic preparedness.

 

Council of the European Union

The conclusion of EU Council was to give a mandate to the Health Security Council to initiate negotiations with industry.

European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA)

The EMEA has adopted two Guidelines establishing the criteria to produce a prototype vaccine, which will allow in the event of a pandemic to use an abbreviated procedure:

• Guideline on dossier structure and content for pandemic influenza vaccine marketing authorisation application
• Guideline on submission of marketing authorisation applications for pandemic influenza vaccines through the centralised procedure

World Health Organization (WHO)

The World Health Organisation has published a global Influenza Preparedness Plan

• WHO plan in English

The WHO has also issued the following documents:

Avian influenza: assessing the pandemic threat

Checklist for influenza pandemic preparedness planning

Guidelines on the use of vaccines and antivirals during influenza pandemic

Production of pilot lots of inactivated influenza vaccines from reassortants derived from avian influenza viruses (Interim biosafety risk assessment)

The World Health Assembly (WHA) adopted a Resolution on Prevention and control of influenza pandemics and annual epidemics noting that better use of vaccines for seasonal epidemics will help to ensure that manufacturing capacity meets demand in a future pandemic, and that pandemic preparedness plans will help to make the response to seasonal epidemics more rational and cost-effective and to prevent numerous deaths.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (USA)

• Pandemic Influenza Response and Preparedness Plan
• Flu news

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© European Vaccine Manufacturers (EVM) - a specialised group of EFPIA 2007