Vaccination

Vaccination is an important element of a long term pandemic flu plan. However, there is no suitable pandemic vaccination available. It is not currently feasible to produce a vaccine to cover all possible influenza strains, so vaccines are produced to match a specific strain only.

A specific pandemic vaccination cannot be developed until a flu pandemic has broken out and scientists can isolate the exact strain of virus. Once this is done, at the start of a pandemic, the world would still need to wait for the vaccine to be manufactured, supplied and administered – this will take up valuable time and allow a 'flu pandemic to take hold.

Worryingly, the yearly global production capacity for vaccines currently sits at approximately just 11% of the world population. Vaccine shortages are therefore inevitable in a pandemic influeneza outbreak.

Doctors warn it will take as little as three months from the first outbreak of pandemic 'flu until the virus reaches the UK and infects our families. A vaccine will not be available, this is why the UK Government and governments around the world have stockpiled antiviral medication in a capsule form to try to help contain the early spread of infection.

Antiviral medication will be a key tool to contain the virus and reduce the number of people who will be hospitalised due to complications caused by the the pandemic flu virus. To find out more about antiviral medication please click here.