LONDON - The UK government has signed a deal with GlaxoSmithKline and Baxter International that will allow it to provide vaccines for every Briton in order to protect against a possible flu pandemic caused by avian influenza.
The government has signed four-year deals worth £155 million with the companies. Under the terms of the deal, Glaxo and Baxter will supply 120 million doses of the pandemic flu vaccine. The vaccine will be based on the strain proposed by the World Health Organization.
“These contracts mean the UK is on the front foot if a flu pandemic occurs," said Dawn Primarolo, the health minister. The World Health Organization has already announced plans to add to the stockpile of flu vaccines in order to help poor countries combat any potential pandemic.
Other countries that have signed advance contracts in order to reserve flu vaccines for their populations include France, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark and Iceland. Glaxo itself has agreements in place with Switzerland, Iceland and Denmark.
Commenting on the UK agreement, Glaxo said, "GSK plans to supply a 'tailored' pandemic vaccine as and when the pandemic strain is identified and made available by the World Health Organization".
Bird flu has already killed 192 people across the world, according to WHO data. Scientists fear it might trigger a pandemic if the H5N1 virus mutates to an easily transmissible form between humans.
