Veterinary and human vaccines industries join forces for better pandemic influenza preparedness
Brussels 13 March 2007
The International Federation for Animal Health (IFAH) representing the global animal health industry and the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations ( IFPMA) issue today a joint statement on pandemic influenza preparedness. Following WHO’s recommendations to increase vaccines supply throughout the world, both federations are committed to work together to optimise human vaccines production and assist the global community to efficiently prepare for an influenza pandemic.
IFAH and IFPMA aim to maximise their contribution to global pandemic preparedness and share the latest developments within their specific areas of expertise and experience to improve global pandemic preparedness, thus reducing the threat that an influenza pandemic poses to the global community.
Dr. Peter Jones, IFAH Executive Director, commented:
“Effective countermeasures against a human influenza pandemic start with protecting animal populations. IFAH welcomes this opportunity to work with our partners in the human vaccines industry to define and plan for the optimum preparedness strategy against the emergence of a human influenza pandemic.”
Dr. Harvey Bale, Director General of the IFPMA, said:
“Manufacturers of animal influenza vaccines need to be able to concentrate on their vital contribution while human influenza vaccine manufacturers work to develop more efficient prototype pandemic vaccines, which will allow more people to be protected.”
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Note to Editors:
IFAH, the International Federation for Animal Health, is the organisation representing manufacturers of veterinary medicines, vaccines and other animal health products in both developed and developing countries across five continents.
Its goal is to promote a harmonised, science-based regulatory and trade framework, and marketplace environment that supports an animal health industry which is economically viable and innovation driven, contributing to a healthy and safe food supply as well as a high level of animal health and welfare.
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For further information on IFAH, please visit http://www.ifahsec.org.
IFPMA, the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations, is the organization representing pharmaceutical, biotechnology and vaccine companies and their industry associations around the world. The IFPMA Influenza Vaccine Supply – International Task Force (IFPMA IVS ITF) was established in 2002 to provide governments and intergovernmental bodies with expert opinions and advice from research-based vaccine manufacturers that are developing vaccines to combat both seasonal and pandemic influenza (http://www.ifpma.org/influenza ).
IFPMA: Chemin Louis-Dunant 15, P.O. Box 195, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 338 3200 Fax: +41 22 338 3299
influenza@ifpma.org
For further information on the topic of this press release, please contact:
Bernd Halling,
IFAH Communications Director
Rue Defacqz, 1 - B-1000 Brussels
Tel.: +32 (0)2 543 7575
Fax : +32 (0)2 5370049
E-mail: b.halling@ifahsec.org
Text of the joint statement
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