Luxembourg, 09/06/2009 (Agence Europe) - EU27 health ministers discussed on Tuesday 9 June in Luxembourg the strategy for vaccination of the European population against the A/H1N1 flu. European Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou called on ministers to define a strategy based in particular on common criteria for identifying priority target groups, “which could be different from those identified for seasonal flu”.
“I believe it is very important for member states to agree on arrangements for the production, availability and distribution of vaccines”, Ms Vassiliou said, justifying the identification of priority groups by the fact that there will not be a sufficient number of vaccine batches immediately available for the whole of the population. Although ministers did not enter into the details of a proposal that the Commission had put to them recently and for which technical arrangements must be discussed by July, the commissioner nonetheless trusts an agreement may be reached during the informal meeting under the Swedish EU Presidency in July. Ms Vassiliou said ministers had stressed that “solidarity can prevail in the EU and with the rest of the world”.
The pharmaceutical industry should be able to begin production of the vaccine in July. WHO experts, however, are still hesitant about giving the go-ahead to production of the vaccine because it would be to the detriment of other vaccines for seasonal flu. According to the latest update published by the WHO, the A/H1N1 flu virus has affected 25,288 people in 73 countries, with 139 deceased. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has recorded over 1,600 people affected in 26 of the 31 EFTA countries, said Czech Health Minister Dana Juraskova, who is confident in the EU27's ability to reach a common strategy under the Swedish Presidency. (O.J./transl.jl)