Pandemic Influenza

(CIDRAP News) – A World Health Organization (WHO) working group on influenza virus sharing capped off a week of negotiations with a final agreement that establishes a framework for sharing vaccine strains alongside a system for improving the flow of pandemic vaccine and medications to developing countries.

(CIDRAP News) – Leaders from a World Health Organization (WHO) working group on virus sharing and vaccine issues related to pandemic preparedness today said they hope to reach an agreement by Friday (Apr 15) so that it could go to the World Health Assembly (WHA) for a vote in May.

Apr 4, 2011

(CIDRAP News) – The US government today announced the award of a $231 million, 5-year contract to an Australian company for advanced development of a single-dose, long-acting influenza drug in the neuraminidase inhibitor class.

The contract was awarded to Biota Scientific Management Pty, Ltd., of Melbourne, according to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Department of Health and Human Services.

(CIDRAP News) – The independent committee reviewing the World Health Organization's (WHO's) performance during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic today at a meeting in Geneva received feedback from countries and organizations on its preliminary report, which was released Mar 10 and generally defended the WHO's actions. The feed back mostly consisted of questions and clarifications.

Mar 25, 2011

(CIDRAP News) – Health officials in the United Kingdom today released proposed revisions to its pandemic preparedness strategy, which take into account lessons learned during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, such as a need for flexible plans covering a range of severity scenarios.

(CIDRAP News) – A trio of vaccine researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) says influenza A/H2N2 viruses, the subtype that caused the flu pandemic of 1957-58, could return and trigger a pandemic in much the same way the H1N1 subtype did in 2009.

(CIDRAP News) – An external committee reviewing the World Health Organization's (WHO's) performance during the H1N1 pandemic released a preview of its findings today, which defends the WHO against criticism that it overstated the pandemic threat and recommends that it take several steps to improve future response.