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Pandemic Flu: A National Framework for Responding to an Influenza Pandemic [Great Britain]
"Influenza pandemics are natural phenomena which occurred three times in the last century. Their severity has ranged from something similar to seasonal influenza to a major threat, with many millions of people worldwide becoming ill and a proportion of these dying. No country can expect to escape the impact of a pandemic entirely, and when it arrives most people are likely to be exposed to an increased risk of catching the virus at some point. Influenza pandemics therefore pose a unique international and national challenge. As well as their potential to cause serious harm to human health, they threaten wider social and economic damage and disruption. […] In addition to collaborating actively in multi-national prevention, detection and research, the Government's aims at a national level are to ensure that the UK is prepared to limit the internal spread of a pandemic and to minimise health, economic and social harm as far as possible. This framework sets out the Government's strategic approach to achieving these aims and is intended for use by all those involved in planning for and responding to an influenza pandemic. It builds upon and supersedes the most recent version of the UK Health Departments' UK Influenza Pandemic Contingency Plan (published in October 2005), expanding it to cover a more comprehensive range of impacts and responses. The framework will also inform the development of community and organisational arrangements that are appropriate to local circumstances and are sufficiently consistent to ensure an equitable and sustainable national response. It includes information to support planning and, where necessary, provides signposts to additional sources of technical information and guidance."
Great Britain. Department of Health; Great Britain. Cabinet Office
2007-11
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Memorandum Report: Laboratory Preparedness for Pandemic Influenza
"This memorandum report provides information on laboratory pandemic influenza preparedness as requested in April 2007 by officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Office of Inspector General (GIG) surveyed State public health laboratory officials in June 2007 about the extent to which they conducted the eight critical tasks for public health laboratory testing as required by the Pandemic Influenza Guidance Supplement to the 2006 Public Health Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Agreement, Phase II (the Guidance)."
United States. Department of Health and Human Services
2007-10-24
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Children and Pandemic Flu: A Resource Sheet
This resource sheet summarizes information regarding children and pandemic flu. It includes an overview of pandemic flu, a summary of the importance of addressing children's needs in pandemic flu, and a comprehensive list of pandemic flu resources.
Children's National Medical Center (Washington, D.C.)
2007-10-21?
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UNCW Pandemic Flu Exercise: October 10, 2007: After Action Report [Wilmington, North Carolina]
"The UNCW [University of North Carolina Wilmington] Pandemic Flu tabletop exercise took place on October 10, 2007. This exercise was conducted to better prepare UNCW emergency responders for a widespread pandemic influenza situation. Participants were presented with a scenario and asked to respond in real time according to the UNCW Pandemic Influenza Response Plan. All participants received a copy of the plan prior to the exercise. The exercise scenario took participants through four modules. However, because of limited time, participants were only able to discuss two of the modules. During these two modules, participants identified many successes in UNCW's pandemic flu procedures as well as several challenges. Successes included the quick identification of a suspected avian flu case at UNCW, effective coordination with the New Hanover County Health Department, and excellent cooperation between the participating groups and departments. Issues included a lack of academic policies for pandemic flu situations, difficulties in communicating with UNCW community members working and studying abroad, and lack of the identification of essential functions at UNCW and succession plans to keep these essential functions filled."
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
2007-10-20
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Global Health: U.S. Agencies Support Programs to Build Overseas Capacity for Infectious Disease Surveillance, Statement of David Gootnick, Director International Affairs and Trade, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
"The rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 showed that disease outbreaks pose a threat beyond the borders of the country where they originate. The United States has initiated a broad effort to ensure that countries can detect outbreaks that may constitute a public health emergency of international concern. Three U.S. agencies--the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Department of Defense (DOD)--support programs aimed at building this broader capacity to detect a variety of infectious diseases. This testimony describes (1) the obligations, goals, and activities of these programs and (2) the U.S. agencies' monitoring of the programs' progress. To address these objectives, GAO [Government Accountability Office] reviewed budgets and other funding documents, examined strategic plans and program monitoring and progress reports, and interviewed U.S. agency officials. GAO did not review capacity-building efforts in programs that focus on specific diseases, namely polio, tuberculosis, malaria, avian influenza, or HIV/AIDS. This testimony is based on a report (GAO-07-1186) being released today in conjunction with the hearing. GAO did not make recommendations. The agencies whose programs we describe reviewed our report and generally concurred with our findings. We incorporated their technical comments as appropriate."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2007-10-04
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Agricultural Quarantine Inspection Program: Management Problems May Increase Vulnerability of U.S. Agricultute to Foreign Pests and Diseases, Statement of Lisa Shames, Director, Natural Resources and Environment, Testimony before the Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture, Committee on Agriculture, House of Representatives
"U.S. agriculture generates over $1 trillion in economic activity annually, but concerns exist about its vulnerability to foreign pests and diseases. Under the agricultural quarantine inspection (AQI) program, passengers and cargo are inspected at U.S. ports of entry to intercept prohibited material and pests. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 transferred responsibility for inspections from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Customs and Border Protection (CBP). APHIS retained some AQI related responsibilities, such as policy setting and training. This testimony is based on issued GAO [Government Accountability Office] reports and discusses (1) steps DHS and USDA took that were intended to strengthen the AQI program, (2) views of agriculture specialists of their work experiences since the transfer, and (3) management problems. As part of these reports, GAO surveyed a representative sample of agriculture specialists on their work experiences, analyzed inspection and interception data, and interviewed agency officials."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2007-10-03
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SEMP Biot #461: What is the WHO's 'Global Public Health Security' Initiative?
"The global health situation has changed dramatically since 1951 when the World Health Organization (WHO) issued its first set of regulations to prevent the international spread of six 'quarantinable' diseases--cholera, plague, relapsing fever, smallpox, typhus and yellow fever. New diseases in 1951 emerged only rarely, and antibiotics and vaccines helped reduce the heavy infectious disease load born by humanity for millennia. Most people travelled internationally by ship, and important news travelled by telegram."
Suburban Emergency Management Project (U.S.)
2007-10-01
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Unanticipated Consequences of a Pandemic Flu in New York City: A Neighborhood Focus Group Study
From the Executive Summary: "There is fairly consistent evidence that ethnic and minority communities have historically been more vulnerable to disasters, less trusting of public authority, and often so socially marginalized that it placed them in harm's way. In an effort to explore some of these issues we conducted a series of community-based focus groups among selected ethnic communities in order to understand how perceptions of neighborhood life during a pandemic - and community adaptation - might vary across the city. We conducted the focus groups in six distinct New York City neighborhoods, each meant to represent a particular ethnic sub-group: Jamaican-Americans in Wakefield, Bronx; Chinese-Americans in Chinatown; African-Americans in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn; Dominican-Americans in Washington Heights; Greek-Americans in Astoria, Queens; and South Indian-Americans in Flushing, Queens. Four of the focus groups were conducted in English, one was in Spanish, and one was in Mandarin, Chinese."
National Center for Disaster Preparedness; Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health
Fuller, Elizabeth J.; Abramson, David M. (David Michael), 1958-; Sury, Jonathan
2007-10
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Pandemic Influenza: What You Should Know Now
This fact sheet summarizes what the public should know about pandemic influenza. This includes what individuals can do now and what to expect during a pandemic influenza outbreak.
New Jersey. Department of Health and Senior Services
2007-10
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Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication: Pandemic Influenza [Revised October 2007]
"The purpose of this [document] is to provide the reader with vital communication concepts and tools to assist in preparing for and responding to a severe influenza pandemic in the United States. The focus of the book is on the possibility of a severe pandemic. Although the concepts do apply to less intense public health challenges, they may not need to be executed at the same level of intensity. This book is intended to be used as an addition to the CDC Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication coursebook (Reynolds, Galdo, Sokler, 2002) and the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication: By Leaders for Leaders coursebook (Reynolds, 2004). The concepts in this book do not replace, but, instead, build on the first two books. This book shares foundational concepts that will support your communication work and should be relevant even as the circumstances surrounding a severe pandemic may change. Nonetheless, the information in this book is current as of October 2007. As major events occur, especially related to countermeasures such as pandemic vaccine development, some assumptions may change."
United States. Department of Health and Human Services; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2007-10
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Pandemic Influenza Impact on Communications Networks Study: Communications and Information Technology Best Practices
"The communications and information technology (IT) best practices are separated into four categories: 1) Enterprise Network Best Practices - Guidance for businesses on preparing enterprise IT infrastructure to support an anticipated increase in telecommuting traffic during a pandemic 2) Telecommuter Best Practices - Guidance for business telecommuters on techniques to maintain business continuity while working from residential access networks 3) General Public Best Practices - Guidance for the general public on voluntary actions to help reduce potential congestion in residential access networks 4) Network Service Provider Best Practices - Guidance for network service providers on maintaining operations and existing service levels during a pandemic".
United States. Department of Homeland Security
2007-10
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Influenza Pandemic: Opportunities Exist to Address Critical Infrastructure Protection Challenges That Require Federal and Private Sector Coordination, Report to Congressional Requesters
"An outbreak of pandemic flu would require close cooperation between the public and private sectors to ensure the protection of our nation's critical infrastructure, such as drinking water and electricity. Because over 85 percent of the nation's critical infrastructure is owned and operated by the private sector, it is vital that both sectors effectively coordinate to successfully protect these assets. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is responsible for coordinating a national protection strategy and government and private sector councils have been created as a collaborating tool. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to assess how the federal and private sectors are working together at a national level to protect the nation's critical infrastructure in the event of a pandemic, the challenges they face, and opportunities for addressing these challenges. GAO reviewed 5 of the 17 critical infrastructure sectors. These 5 sectors are energy (electricity), food and agriculture, telecommunications, transportation (highway and motor carrier), and water."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2007-10
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Performance Audit: Pandemic Flu Preparedness
"This report provides a summary of what we learned from interviews with city staff about what the city is doing to prepare for a pandemic flu outbreak. We asked questions posed by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). The questions were about the city's preparedness efforts, partnerships with other entities, what lessons have been learned, what challenges have been identified, and whether the federal government could help address any of those challenges."
Kansas City (Mo.). Office of the Auditor
White, Gary
2007-10
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Influenza Pandemic: Federal Executive Boards' Ability to Contribute to Pandemic Preparedness, Statement of Bernice Steinhardt, Director, Strategic Issues, Testimony before the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate
"The federal executive boards (FEB) bring together federal agency and community leaders in major metropolitan areas outside Washington, D.C., to discuss issues of common interest, including pandemic influenza. This testimony addresses the FEBs' emergency support roles and responsibilities, their potential role in pandemic influenza preparedness, and some of the key challenges they face in providing emergency support services."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2007-09-28
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Global Health: U.S. Agencies Support Programs to Build Overseas Capacity for Infectious Disease Surveillance
"The rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 shows that disease outbreaks pose a threat beyond the borders of the country where they originate. Over the past decade, the United States has initiated a broad effort to ensure that countries can detect any disease outbreaks that may constitute a public health emergency of international concern. Three U.S. agencies--the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Department of Defense (DOD)--support programs aimed at building this broader capacity to detect a variety of infectious diseases. This report describes (1) the obligations, goals, and activities of these programs and (2) the U.S. agencies' monitoring of the programs' progress. To address these objectives, GAO reviewed budgets and other funding documents, examined strategic plans and program monitoring and progress reports, and interviewed U.S. agency officials. GAO did not review capacity-building efforts in programs that focus on specific diseases, namely polio, tuberculosis, malaria, avian influenza, or HIV/AIDS. GAO is not making any recommendations. The U.S. agencies whose programs we describe reviewed a draft of this report and generally concurred with our findings. They also provided technical comments, which we incorporated as appropriate."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2007-09-28
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Pandemic Influenza: An Analysis of State and Local Preparedness and Response Plans [September 24, 2007]
This Congressional Research Service report "describes an approach to the analysis of state pandemic plans, and presents the findings of that analysis. State plans that were available in July 2006 were analyzed in eight topical areas: (1) leadership and coordination; (2) surveillance and laboratory activities; (3) vaccine management; (4) antiviral drug management; (5) other disease control activities; (6) communications; (7) healthcare services; and (8) other essential services. A history of federal funding and requirements for state pandemic planning is provided in an Appendix. This analysis is not intended to grade or rank individual state pandemic plans or capabilities. Rather, its findings indicate that a number of challenges remain in assuring pandemic preparedness, and suggest areas that may merit added emphasis in future planning efforts."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lister, Sarah A.; Stockdale, Holly
2007-09-24
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USNORTHCOM Hosts First Tri-National Pandemic Influenza Conference [podcast]
In this podcast, an Army Sergeant First Class from the USNORTHCOM Public Affairs Office discusses the first USNORTHCOM Tri-National Pandemic Influenza Conference, held in conjunction with Canada and Mexico. Included are comments and thoughts from participants in the conference, including representatives from the CDC, Mexico's Ministry of Health, and Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs. The podcast discusses the importance of pandemic influenza preparedness and international cooperation. The podcast runs 4 minutes, 50 seconds long. Quicktime, ITunes, or Windows Media Player is required to play the file, which will begin playing immediately upon clicking the link.
United States. Northern Command
2007-09-06
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Correctional Facilities Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist
"Planning for pandemic influenza is critical for ensuring a sustainable health care delivery system within correctional facility settings. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has developed the following checklist to help prison and jail systems to self-assess and improve their preparedness for responding to pandemic influenza. Given the differences among systems, individual facilities should adapt this checklist to meet their unique needs. This checklist should be used as one tool in developing an overall pandemic influenza plan for correctional systems as well as individual facilities. Responsible officials should incorporate information from State, regional and local health departments and emergency management agencies/authorities into the system and individual facility pandemic influenza plan. An additional benefit of this planning is that it can be used for other types of disaster preparedness."
United States. Department of Health and Human Services
2007-09-04
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Law Enforcement Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist
"In the event of pandemic influenza, law enforcement agencies (e.g., State, local, and tribal Police Departments, Sheriff's Offices, Federal law enforcement officers, special jurisdiction police personnel) will play a critical role in maintaining the rule of law as well as protecting the health and safety of citizens in their respective jurisdictions. Planning for pandemic influenza is critical. [...] The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has developed the following checklist for law enforcement agencies. This checklist provides a general framework for developing a pandemic influenza plan. Each agency or organization will need to adapt this checklist according to its unique needs and circumstances. The key planning activities in this checklist are meant to complement and enhance your existing all-hazards emergency and operational continuity plans. Many of the activities identified in this checklist will also help you to prepare for other kinds of public health emergencies."
United States. Department of Health and Human Services
2007-09-02
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Challenges to Global Surveillance and Response to Infectious Disease Outbreaks of International Importance
"This article presents a notional scheme of global surveillance and response to infectious disease outbreaks and reviews 14 international surveillance and response programs. In combination, the scheme and the programs illustrate how, in an ideal world and in the real world, infectious disease outbreaks of public health significance could be detected and contained. Notable practices and achievements of the programs are cited; these may be useful when instituting new programs or redesigning existing ones. Insufficiencies are identified in four critical areas: health infrastructure; scientific methods and concepts of operation; essential human, technical, and financial resources; and international policies. These insufficiencies challenge global surveillance of and response to infectious disease outbreaks of international importance. This article is intended to help policymakers appreciate the complexity of the problem and assess the impact and cost-effectiveness of proposed solutions. An assessment of the potential contribution of appropriate diagnostic tests to surveillance and response is included."
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Center for Biosecurity
Hitchcock, Penny; Chamberlain, Allison; Van Wagoner, Megan . . .
2007-09?
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Can the Health-Care System Meet the Challenge of Pandemic Flu? Planning, Ethical, and Workforce Considerations
This document reviews a variety of planning considerations for health-care system responses to the pandemic flu. Topics include the impact of a pandemic on the health-care system, ethical considerations, the health-care workforce response, and communication concerns.
Association of Schools of Public Health
Levin, Peter J.; Gebbie, Eric N.; Qureshi, Kristine
2007-09?
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Compliance with Community Mitigation and Interventions in Pandemic Influenza: A Community Policing Strategy
From the thesis abstract: "A number of response plans and strategies have been published concerning preparation for an oncoming Pandemic Influenza. The majority of federal guidance and state planning with respect to pandemic preparation focuses excessively on the availability and distribution of effective vaccine and antiviral remedies -- pharmaceutical solutions. Effective vaccines, presently unavailable, will not be in production and available for application for at least eight months after the onset of an identified pandemic. Community mitigations and interventions such as school closures, event cancellations, limited travel, quarantine and work at home plans are traditional responses to slowing the spread of a virus. In order to effectively implement these time-tested strategies, voluntary community compliance with interventions becomes exceedingly important. The recent global experience with SARS and current mathematical modeling of virus spread characteristics support community mitigation efforts. The community policing model, having evolved over the last twenty years, provides a pre-existing framework to engage the public in grassroots pandemic education, awareness, planning and problem solving partnerships. The Incident Command System provides a structure for a collaborative, multi-agency approach to successfully implement a community awareness and compliance initiative. Community mitigations will save lives."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Alben, Timothy P., Sr.
2007-09
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2007 Oklahoma Pandemic Influenza Management Plan
"The Oklahoma Pandemic Influenza Management Plan was first published in July 2005 and continues to be a dynamic and interactive document. Following the release of the National Pandemic Influenza Plan by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in November 2005, the Oklahoma Pandemic Influenza Committee undertook the challenge of reviewing and augmenting the Oklahoma Pandemic Influenza Management Plan to address areas that needed to be enhanced. The 2006 Oklahoma Pandemic Influenza Management Plan was expanded from six to nine essential elements that are integral in the management of a potential influenza pandemic. [...] In the 2007 revision of the State's Pandemic Influenza Management Plan, the nine essential elements have been updated and another essential element, Workforce Psychosocial Support, has been added. The Oklahoma Pandemic Influenza Management Plan and its appendices were developed as guidance for a coordinated statewide, multi-sector response to pandemic influenza. Prevention and preparedness activities to facilitate the public health response and recovery components after a pandemic are also part of the plan guidance. The Oklahoma Pandemic Influenza Management Plan is public health-focused with the overall goal to minimize serious illness and deaths that may occur with a severe influenza pandemic. However, preparedness planning is also essential for businesses, schools and communities to address other impacts such as economic and social well-being. The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) in collaboration with numerous state, local and tribal partners continues efforts to promote planning and response activities and to enhance partnerships between state, regional, local and tribal partners."
Oklahoma. State Department of Health
2007-09
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Parkers Chapel School District: Pandemic Flu Plan
"This plan has been prepared to assist the school district in collaboration with Union County to better respond to the threat of an influenza pandemic. The provisions of this plan constitute general guidance to mitigate the widespread illness regarding school aged children during an influenza pandemic. Additional information on Arkansas's public health response to an influenza pandemic is in the 'Arkansas Influenza Pandemic Response Plan' developed by the Division of Health, Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services. Provisions of this plan are not intended to supersede or negate the provisions of any annex or other appendix to the state and county plans."
Parkers Chapel School District
2007-09
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Pandemic Flu: Get Prepared
This brochure summarizes how to prepare for the pandemic flu. Topics include how to prevent the pandemic flu, how to stay informed, and what to do if you get pandemic flu.
West Virginia. Bureau of Public Health
2007-08-28?
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Utah Pandemic Influenza Response Plan, Draft: Revised August 28, 2007
"The goals of this plan are, first, to minimize serious illness and death, and second, to limit societal disruption and economic losses. The plan is intended to coordinate with global and national plans developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). It outlines responsibilities and activities in six areas (Planning and Coordination; Public and Risk Communications; Surveillance, Investigation and Containment; Vaccine Management and Administration, Antiviral Medication Stockpiling and Use; Laboratory Testing, and Health Care and Emergency Response). It uses the three pandemic planning phases outlined by WHO (Inter-Pandemic, Pandemic Alert, and Pandemic Periods), the U.S. Federal Stages, and introduces Utah Pandemic Response Levels. This plan outlines activities and responsibilities for government public health agencies and builds upon preparedness assets developed at federal, state, and local levels of government and in the private sector. The Plan incorporates work by several advisory bodies, including a Pandemic Influenza Planning Committee (2005-2006), the Pandemic Influenza Workgroup (2006-ongoing), and the Governor's Pandemic Influenza Taskforce, which met in 2006-2007 and developed recommendations that are included in and will set the stage for the next phase of this planning process."
Utah. Department of Health
2007-08-28
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Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB): Emerging Public Health Threats and Quarantine and Isolation [August 28, 2007]
"The international saga of Andrew Speaker, a traveler thought to have XDR-TB, an extensively drug-resistant form of tuberculosis, placed a spotlight on existing mechanisms to contain contagious disease threats and raised numerous legal and public health issues. This report presents the factual situation presented by Andrew Speaker, existing law relating to quarantine and isolation, including state and federal laws and international agreements, and the relationship of quarantine and isolation to civil rights protections. Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection which usually attacks the lungs but can also damage other parts of the body. It is spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes, sings, or talks and another person breathes in the bacteria. The risk of becoming infected depends on various factors including the extent of the disease in the person with TB, the duration of the exposure, and ventilation. For example, when an infected individual travels on an airplane, the risk to other passengers is increased by proximity to the infected person, and the time spent on board. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that one in three people in the world is infected with dormant TB bacteria. Generally, these individuals become ill only when the bacteria become active, often as a result of lowered immunity, such as when an individual has AIDS. Generally, TB is treatable with antibiotics, but antibiotic resistance has been increasing as a result of the misuse or mismanagement of the medication."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Swendiman, Kathleen
2007-08-28
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LLIS Good Story: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's Geographic Information System Program for Disease Surveillance
From Summary: "The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's Geographic Information Systems (GIS) program tracks infectious diseases, identifies infection trends, and communicates necessary information to local public health officials and Colorado residents. The GIS program currently monitors infectious diseases such as plague, tularemia, and West Nile virus."
Lessons Learned Information Sharing (LLIS)
2007-08-17?
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Combatting Avian Flu in North America: The North American Plan for Avian and Pandemic Influenza
"The North American Plan for Avian and Pandemic Influenza was announced by the Presidents of the United States and Mexico and the Prime Minister of Canada on August 21, 2007 in Montebello, Canada. The Plan was developed as part of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP). This document summarizes the key objectives of the North American Plan."
United States. Department of State
2007-08-17
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Influenza Antiviral Drugs and Patent Law Issues [Updated August 16, 2007]
"The potential for a worldwide influenza pandemic caused by bird flu has generated public interest in the availability and affordability of influenza antiviral medications such as the prescription drug Tamiflu. The possibility of a pandemic flu outbreak has contributed to a surge in orders for Tamiflu, as countries attempt to stockpile sufficient countermeasures. In 2005, there was considerable concern that the owner of the exclusive right to manufacture the patented drug, the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche, Inc., lacked the production capacity to meet the needs of these governments worldwide. In response to the heightened demand for the drug, as well as faced with threatened abrogation of its patent rights by U.S. politicians and government officials in other countries, Roche significantly boosted Tamiflu production in 2006 and 2007 by voluntarily signing licensing agreements with 19 external contractors in 9 different countries to manufacture the drug. This expansion in manufacturing capacity has increased production of the drug to over 400 million treatments annually-an amount that, according to the company, is sufficient to fulfill its existing orders (as of April 2007) for Tamiflu from governments and corporations. In addition, Roche has donated 'rapid response' supplies of Tamiflu (more than 5 million treatment courses) to the World Health Organization for establishing regional stockpiles to help contain or slow the spread of a pandemic. Finally, Roche has agreed to arrange for special pricing for government orders and to reduce the price of Tamiflu for low income countries."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Yeh, Brian T.
2007-08-16
