The Health Protection Agency has today published its flu pandemic plan, which sets out how the Agency will protect the public´s health in the event of a flu pandemic affecting the UK . The plan will operate alongside the Department of Health´s influenza pandemic contingency plan, which has also been published today.

Professor Maria Zambon, part of a team co-ordinating flu pandemic planning at the Agency said, “We are confident that we have good surveillance in place in the UK to detect any new flu viruses; and our local and regional health protection teams are alert to the possibility of patients who may be infected with a new strain of flu and the necessary precautions they should take.

“As part of our preparations we have also been working on the development of vaccines against pandemic flu. This work has been carried out in collaboration with colleagues at the National Institute of Biological Standards and Control and The University of Leicester. We are one of the few countries who have successfully completed clinical trials on a vaccine against H5 influenza strains.

“Another important aspect of our preparations is the development of reliable tests so that we can easily diagnose patients who may be infected with an H5 strain of flu. We are confident that we now have tests that would be able to do this quickly, and would also be able to tell us if people have been exposed to the virus but not necessarily suffered any symptoms.

“The Agency has also been working with the Department of Health and the World Health Organization to provide sophisticated modelling techniques to show how a pandemic might spread. We have also tested preparedness plans by running local and national flu exercises, and have been commissioned to run an EU-wide exercise which will involve all 25 member states.

Professor Pat Troop, Chief Executive of the Agency, said “Our plan will operate in support of the Department of Health´s plan which is also published today, and we welcome the steps taken by the Government to prepare the UK for a flu pandemic and in particular the investment into 14.6m courses of antiviral drugs.

“There are a number of uncertainties in preparing for a flu pandemic, such as the type of virus it will involve, the age-groups who will be more susceptible, and the number of people it will affect; despite this the Agency has carried out a great deal of work to ensure that our plans are as robust as they can be and that we have laid the foundations to enable an effective response both at a national and a local level. However, this doesn´t mean that all our pandemic planning is complete, there is still a wide programme of work being carried out across the Agency and the publishing of this plan is really the first step”

The HPA contingency plan is a working document and will continue to evolve in line with any new developments. The basic elements of the plan will cover the following during a pandemic;

• Providing regular and timely surveillance to ascertain the number of people suffering from flu
• Production of material for health professionals and the public
• Provision of expert advice about diagnosing cases, isolation to prevent further spread and treatment of patients
• Provision of expert advice about the use of antivirals
• Supporting the development of an effective pandemic vaccine
• Working alongside national and international partner organisations such as the Department of Health and the World Health Organisation.

Notes to Editors:

1. For further information please contact the press office on 0208 327 6055/7098/6647
2. For further information about flu pandemics go to: http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/avianinfluenza/avianflufaq.htm
3. To see the HPA Flu Pandemic Contingency plan please go to: http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/influenza/pub_menu.htm
4. To see the Department of Health Influenza Contingency Plan please go to: www.dh.gov.uk