The UK government has agreed a contract for more than five million doses of human H5 influenza vaccine to boost the country’s resilience in the event of a possible H5 influenza pandemic.
The vaccine, based on a current H5 avian influenza virus, will be manufactured by UK based healthcare company CSL Seqirus UK Limited. The purchase has been made as part of long-established plans to boost the UK’s access to vaccines for a wider range of pathogens of pandemic potential.
Dr Meera Chand, Emerging Infection Lead at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said: “It is important for us to be prepared against a range of different influenza viruses that may pose human health risks. Early access to vaccines saves lives. Adding H5 vaccines to the interventions already available to us will help us to be ready for a wider range of threats.
The influenza A(H5N1) virus has been causing a prolonged global outbreak, primarily in birds, over the past few years. It is only if this virus were to start spreading among humans, of which there is no evidence at this stage, that the human H5 influenza vaccine would be used.
The procurement will strengthen the UK’s preparedness for a H5 influenza originated pandemic by ensuring that vaccines are immediately available, while a pandemic specific vaccine is made ready. The UK Government already has an advance purchase agreement for pandemic vaccines if or when they are needed, that would be tailored to combat the specific pandemic flu strain identified at the time.
UKHSA actively monitors for human cases of avian influenza, while the Animal and Plant Health Agency targets surveillance at captive and wild birds and animals, through robust surveillance programmes. This coupled with genomic sequencing abilities are crucial to early detection, assessment and response to emerging health and biosecurity threats such as avian influenza.