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30 Oct
2009, New Delhi: The WHO Regional Director for the SEA Region Dr.
Samlee Plianbangchang called for accelerating production of safe vaccines in
combating the H1N1 pandemic influenza. He was speaking at a two-day “Informal
Meeting on Regional Production of Pandemic Influenza Vaccine” organized by
WHO-SEARO from 29-30 October. “Existing influenza vaccines are ineffective
against the pandemic strain and there is, therefore, a need to develop and
produce a new vaccine that is both safe and effective,” he said.
The meeting, at the WHO Regional Office in Delhi, brought together
vaccine manufacturers from the Region face to face with government regulators
and other key government health officials, in an effort to fast track the
production of vaccines. Manufacturers from India
(four), Thailand and Indonesia
participated in the meeting. Bangladesh,
which is also keen to develop its own vaccine, also attended the meeting.
The meeting addressed at length on how to
expedite vaccine production, licensing and distribution while striving for
maximum cost-effectiveness and safety. Manufacturers also expressed concerns
about not having clarity on the number of doses that would be required. They
hoped the industry could be “de-risked” of losses in the event of production
exceeding demands and stocks lying idle, or the virus strains mutating with
the passage of time making the vaccines ineffective.
“We have learnt from past experience that
influenza pandemics have a tendency to attack populations in periodic waves
and that the second or third waves may cause much more severe morbidity and
mortality than the first,” Dr Plianbangchang warned. With winter approaching
the Region, particularly India
and Thailand,
are expecting to see a second wave of the H1N1 pandemic influenza which could
be much more severe that the first attack. Manufacturers at the meeting
expressed hope that the vaccine would be available to people in the next six
months.
The meeting ended with recommendations on
harmonizing various issues of procurement, licensing, regulatory and other
procedures to help manufacturers swiftly produce a vaccine that is both safe
and effective, and one that could be deployed without much loss of time. In
closing, Dr. Jai P Narain, Director, Communicable Diseases, WHO called on all
stakeholders to facilitate the early availability and deployment of the vaccine. “We are in the middle of a pandemic, and must
anticipate and prepare for the second wave which may come soon,” he warned.
For
any clarification or additional information, please contact Ms Vismita
Gupta-Smith, Public Information Advocacy Officer, at mobile : + 91 -
9871329861, e-mail guptasmithv@searo.who.int or Ashim Choudhury, Communications
Officer, WHO-SEARO; Mobile +91 9810493870
e-mail: dse_riskcom@searo.who.int
All press releases, fact sheets and other WHO media material may be found at: www.searo.who.int.
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