Brussels, 09/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - With the adoption of a report in Strasbourg on Tuesday 8 March, the European Parliament (EP) was critical of the disproportionate response to the H1N1 flu in 2009-2010 and recommended greater coordination among member states and specific guarantees against conflicts of interest were a similar situation to arise in future. “This report is an important attempt to highlight the concerns that have been raised about the disproportionate response to swine flu in Europe, as well as the potential influence of pharmaceutical companies in response processes”, stated the rapporteur, Michèle Rivasi (Greens/EFA, France).
Member states' responses ranged from wholesale vaccination programmes to none at all. Billions of euro were spent in total. Pointing to the need to reassess vaccination strategies and prevention plans, Parliament urges better cooperation among member states, such as group purchases of vaccines. Taking the view that assessments of and communication about flu outbreaks must be more independent, MEPs called for safeguards to prevent conflicts of interest. They suggest, for example, that statements of interest by experts who advise European health authorities should be published. Under EU legislation, they pointed out, full liability for vaccines must lie with the manufacturer, not with member states. The resolution adopted asks the World Health Organisation to review its definition of a “pandemic”, to take into account the severity of the illness, not only the spread of a virus. To buttress the EU's own risk assessment capacity, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control should be equipped to assess risks independently as well as perform its other tasks, say MEPs. They stress the need for consistent communication among member states and with the European Commission to build confidence in public health measures designed to combat and prevent pandemics. (I.L./transl.rt)