Government prepares plan for flu pandemic

Health Secretary John Reid has announced plans to purchase nearly 15 million courses of an anti-viral drug, in order to prepare for a possible influenza pandemic.

The plans were announced as part of the government's Pandemic Influenza Contigency Plan. It has been launched in response to fears that a flu pandemic could be on the way, following the deaths of nearly 50 people in south East Asia from avian flu, which scientists suspect is being passed between humans for the first time ever.

The Department of Health is set to stockpile 14.6 million courses of oseltamivir (Tamiflu). The contingency plan also includes plans to reduce the spread of the disease, including school closures and the cancellation of events such as concerts of football matches. The government also recently gave the World Health Organisation £500,000 to help boost avian flu monitoring, thus improving the chances of receiving an early warning of a pandemic.

Pandemic flu, unlike ordinary flu, may cause serious illness in certain individuals and affect more people. Experts have suggested that around one in four people in the UK could be affected in the event of a pandemic and that the number of deaths could be 50,000 or higher.

Pandemics are caused when a new flu virus emerges which is different from strains already in circulation. This would mean that ordinary flu vaccines would not be effective and a new vaccine would need to be created. The government believes that Tamiflu would reduce the impact a pandemic would cause.

Commenting on the contingency plan, the Health Secretary said: "The plan we are publishing today, together with our procurement of these antivirals, puts the UK in the forefront of international preparedness for a possible flu pandemic. It makes sense to ensure we in the UK are as prepared as we can be and have drugs for use against an influenza pandemic here. That is why I have ordered 14.6 million courses of oseltamivir for delivery over the next two financial years. This will enable us to treat one in four of the UK population - the proportion which the WHO recommends we plan for."

Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson added: "We have already started work which should help speed up the production of a vaccine once a pandemic strain of flu has emerged. The Secretary of State's announcement of the procurement of a large stock of antiviral drugs will give us another potentially valuable countermeasure."

(KMcA/SP)