WHO gets ready to declare a pandemic

06-11-2009 | AP

The move could trigger large-scale production of vaccines

Panama Star GENEVA. The World Health Organization is gearing up to declare a swine flu pandemic, a move that could trigger both the large-scale production of vaccines and questions about why the move was delayed for weeks as the virus continued to spread.

On Wednesday, WHO chief Dr Margaret Chan quizzed eight countries with large swine flu outbreaks to see if a pandemic, or global epidemic, should be declared. After Chan's teleconference, the agency announced that an emergency meeting would be held Thursday.

Since swine flu first emerged in Mexico and the US in April, it has spread to 74 countries. On Wednesday, WHO reported 28,737 cases including 141 deaths. Most cases are mild and require no treatment.

The world is in phase 5 of WHO's pandemic alert scale, meaning a global outbreak is imminent. Moving to phase 6, the highest level, means a pandemic has begun. If that declaration is made, it will push drug makers to fast-track production of a swine flu vaccine.

Chan says she personally believes that a pandemic is under way, but was seeking clear proof that swine flu is spreading rapidly from person to person outside the Americas.

At GlaxoSmithKline PLC, spokesman Stephen Rea said the company was already working with a key ingredient of the swine flu vaccine to see how quickly doses could be produced. Other major pharmaceuticals like Sanofi Pasteur have also been working on a swine flu vaccine since WHO gave them a "seed stock" of the virus last month created by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Rea said it could take up to six months before large amounts of a swine flu vaccine are available.