Create vaccines for every animal influenza strain, says the incoming head of WHO

The newly appointed head scientist at the World Health Organization stated on Monday that governments should invest in vaccines for all influenza virus strains that exist in the animal kingdom as a precaution in the event of an outbreak in humans.

 

In the past year, avian flu outbreaks have caused record losses of poultry in nations ranging from the United States and Britain to France and Japan.

 

The WHO stated earlier this month that although the recent spread of H5N1 — also known as bird flu — to mammals needed to be watched, the risk to humans remained low.

 

The pharmaceutical industry should at least carry out some clinical trials for all influenza strains, according to the incoming WHO Chief Scientist Jeremy Farrar, so that global manufacturing won’t have to start from scratch in the event that it is required.

 

In a press conference, he stated, ‘My worry is that we’re watching something in slow motion that may never happen. But if it did occur, would we look back on what we are doing right now and regret not doing more?’