Notes

Flu vaccination in the UK

The Department of Health currently recommends flu vaccination for all people aged 65 and over and people of any age with:

• Chronic respiratory disease, including asthma
• Chronic heart disease, including angina
• Chronic renal disease
• Diabetes
• Lowered immunity due to disease or treatment
• Anyone living in a residential or nursing home

Approximately, 12 to 13 million doses of flu vaccine are supplied to the UK market each year.

In total, the EU has current capacity to manufacture approximately 90 million doses of flu vaccine each year.

How serious is flu?

• In a usual (non-epidemic) year, death rates from influenza infection or its complications average 3,000 to 4,000¹. 

• During epidemics, this level is much higher - for example during the epidemic of 1989-90 there were almost 30,000 excess deaths in the UK attributable to flu²

• The number of people affected in a pandemic year is hard to predict but would be significantly greater.

• Deaths as a direct result of flu infection are often under-reported as flu is often not documented as the cause of death on the death certificate. Instead, the death may be attributed to its consequences e.g. myocardial infarction (heart attack) or pneumonia.

• Every year episodes of flu with cases numbering between 30 and 200 per 100,000 of the population are usual³.

• During the epidemic of the winter of 1989/90 weekly consultation rates for influenza-like illness reached a peak of 583 cases per 100,000 population⁴. In recent years, the highest rates observed were in 2001 when a peak of 69 cases per 100,000 occurred in mid-February⁴.

 Re ferences

    1.        Immunisation against infectious disease. HMSO. 1996. Section 20.

2. Ashley J, Smith T and Dunnell K. Death in Great Britain associated with the influenza epidemic of 1989/90. Population Trends: 65; 16-20.

3. Health Protection Agency. HPA Weekly National Influenza Report. Report No. 1: 29 September 2004 (week 40).

4. www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/ influenza/Activity0405/Graph02.pdf -

About UVIG

The UK Vaccine Industry Group (UVIG) operates within the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and aims to promote the positive benefits of vaccination as a key element in improving the health of the nation and, to represent the UK vaccine industry to all interested parties.  In addition, UVIG aims to facilitate the dissemination of balanced, factually correct information on all aspects of vaccination to those who need it, ensuring the UK population is given all the facts regarding the effectiveness of this public health intervention.

UVIG possesses enormous experience and expertise in research, development, communication and implementation, and welcomes opportunities to work alongside professional organisations, patient groups and NHS agencies in a more open and transparent manner.

UVIG members include: Sanofi Pasteur MSD, GlaxoSmithKline, Chiron Vaccines, Baxter Healthcare Solvay Healthcare and Wyeth Vaccines.

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Government announces stockpiling of anti-viral drug Tamiflu^® (oseltamivir) to prepare for the next influenza pandemic

Welwyn Garden City, Tuesday 1^st March 2005 : The Department of Health today launched its influenza pandemic plan: a guideline to assist health authorities and other agencies to prepare their contingency arrangements in the event of a national influenza outbreak. The stockpiling of 14.6 million courses of the oral antiviral Tamiflu (oseltamivir), active against all strains of influenza viruses including avian H5N1 which is currently circulating in the Far East and has killed over 40 people, is included as a critical element of the plan. Tamiflu is an antiviral drug that can treat and prevent influenza, but it is not a vaccine.

The establishment of national stockpiles of antiviral treatments was recommended by the World Health Organisation as part of its global pandemic preparedness guidelines, which was launched in 1999. [i] The WHO estimated that, in the event of a pandemic, it could take six to eight months to develop a new vaccine that is effective against the circulating influenza strain, and recognised that supplies of antivirals will be critical to manage the outbreak whilst a vaccine is being developed to prevent the spread of the virus.[ii].

 “The stockpiling of oseltamivir, that can both prevent the spread of influenza and reduce the risk of complications such as pneumonia and hospitalisations in those who have already contracted the virus, is a welcome addition to the treatment options available to us when the pandemic hits,” said Professor Jo hn Oxford, St Bartholomew’s and The London Hospital, Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, London.

Roche is pleased at the progress that has been made with the publication of the UK plan, and will continue to work as a responsible partner with the Department of Health to assist with the implementation of the pandemic plan. Roche anticipate that the UK Department of Health stockpile of Tamiflu will be built up over the next two years  

Professor Oxford concluded, “Since it is not a case of if the next influenza pandemic occurs, but when, I welcome the Department of Health’s pandemic plan. By planning carefully and effectively now, we can prepare to manage the impact of the pandemic. ”

For further information:                                                        

Susie Hackett    Roche Products Limited     Tel: 01707 367882

Notes to Editors

About Influenza

Influenza is a highly contagious viral infection which can have very serious complications, especially in ‘at-risk’ populations. These groups are more likely than the general population to experience complications following influenza, such as bronchitis, pneumonia, otitis media (ear infection) and sinusitis that may require hospitalisation.[v] The Department of Health has noted that peaks of winter mortality closely follow the pattern of influenza activity. It estimates that there may be as many as 12,000 deaths over and above the expected mortality rate each winter.[vi]

For more information on influenza, please visit. www.fluinfo.or

About Influenza Pandemics

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the body responsible for international influenza surveillance and planning, a pandemic occurs when a new strain of the virus appears against which the human population has no immunity, resulting in several, simultaneous epidemics worldwide with enormous numbers of deaths and illness.²

Influenza pandemics occur approximately every 40 years, and experts caution that it is a case of when, not if, the next pandemic will strike. Previous pandemics have spread quickly and resulted in worldwide loss of life. The most deadly of these in recent history was the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918, which claimed the lives of 30 million people. The mildest pandemic of the past century, which took place in Hong Kong in 1968, still claimed one and a half million lives in six weeks.

About Tamiflu

Tamiflu is the latest of the neuraminidase inhibitor (NI) class of medicines designed specifically to prevent the influenza virus from spreading and infecting other cells. In adults, if taken within 36 hours of the onset of influenza, Tamiflu reduces the severity of symptoms by up to 40% and the duration of illness by 30%.³ Tamiflu has been shown to significantly reduce the incidence of influenza-associated chest infections requiring antibiotic therapy by over 50% in adults.³ Treatment with Tamiflu also significantly reduce hospitalisations.[vii]

Tamiflu is also effective in children, reducing the severity and duration of influenza symptoms.[viii] The incidence of associated otitis media is reduced by 44% with Tamiflu as compared to standard care.¹² In addition, Tamiflu prevented influenza developing in 89% of adults and adolescents who have been in close contact with influenza-infected patients.[ix]

Tamiflu has a shelf life of 5 years.

Tamiflu was launched in the UK in January 2003. Tamiflu has been used to treat around 40 million influenza sufferers in over 40 countries worldwide.

(2 /3/05)