EU THROWS CASH AT FLU THREAT

The European Commission is keen to set aside 1 billion euro to buy vaccines and antivirals in the event of an influenza pandemic.

The proposal is to form part of the 2007-2012 framework agreement, the EU health and consumer safety commissioner, Mr Markos Kyprianou, told MEPs on Tuesday (April 13).

The cash would go toward setting up a European Union Solidarity Fund, he added.

"In case of the outbreak of an influenza pandemic it will be possible to resort to such a fund, according to the relevant eligibility criteria, in order to cover the contingent expenses of the member states for the purchase of vaccines", Mr Kyprianou said.

The world is the closest it has been since 1968 to an influenza pandemic, according to the EU and the World Health Organisation.

The disease broke out every 25 years or so in the past century, claiming millions of lives each time.

Just four member states currently have viable emergency procedures in the case of a new pandemic, according to the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA).

EPHA and the EU are both worried about distributing vaccines quickly, as it takes up to six months to develop a vaccine once the virus strain is detected.

The health alliance has also raised questions about distribution criteria, such as geographic location, ability to pay or a priority list, in the event of limited capacity.

There are just nine laboratories in the world capable of making the medicine, five of which are in Europe.

"The high level political commitment and extensive preparatory work invested in civil protection at EU level contrasts radically with the poor state of flu planning", Tamsin Rose, EPHA's executive director, indicated.

Mr Kyprianou said that monitoring and preparing member states for a pandemic will fall into the hands of the European Centre for Disease Control - a new agency which is set to start work in mid-2005.

The rise of Avian Influenza in the Far East in recent months has highlighted Europe's vulnerability to a flu pandemic in recent months, and was only averted it is believed by large scale culling of affected poultry.

Avian influenza infections are particularly feared as in humans they are characterised by high morbidity and mortality rates.