UVIG calls for Government to invest now to meet pandemic flu needs

2 June 2005

The UK Vaccine Industry Group today urged the Government to invest in securing sufficient quantities of flu vaccines in order to meet its stated goal of protecting the British public in the event of a pandemic influenza outbreak.

In order for UVIG to supply the UK with sufficient doses of a licensed pandemic vaccine to meet the Government’s aim of vaccinating the entire UK population in as short a time as possible, the Government must recognise the need to:
• Provide financial assistance to vaccine manufacturers in their development of candidate pandemic flu vaccines
• Create the necessary environment for vaccine manufacturers to participate fully in pandemic preparedness planning, including regular discussions with industry
• Develop the flu vaccination policy in interpandemic (i.e. normal flu outbreak) years to increase capacity and improve efficiencies in process