Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control briefing

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• published: 21 Jul 2015
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SHOTLIST 1. News conference given by (left to right) Ben Duncan, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) spokesperson; Dr Denis Coulombier, Head of the Preparedness and Response Unit ; and Professor Angus Nicoll, Senior Expert and Head of Influenza Programme 2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Professor Angus Nicoll, Senior Expert and Head of Influenza Programme: "It's quite possible with an influenza virus, a pandemic influenza virus, that it gets worse over time. We just have to wait and see for that. And then even if it is a mild pandemic, and of course that is what we all hope for, then we still will have the issue that influenza even in its mild seasonal form kills at least 40-thousand people in the EU every year and causes a lot of stress on the health systems and that is why what WHO recommends now in this guide is a series of actions that countries have to take." 3. Cutaway of news conference 4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Professor Angus Nicoll, Senior Expert and Head of Influenza Programme: ++part overlaid with wides of news conference++ "As yet a decision hasn't been made as to whether to actually start producing it (referring to Swine Flu vaccine) because the only way you can do that is stopping producing the seasonal one and until we know more about the severity of the disease that decision can't be made. But what is being done is to develop the vaccine as fast as possible and there is a large meeting today which one of our colleagues is at in London where all agencies in Europe are meeting to discuss that." 3. Cutaway of news conference showing camera 4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Professor Angus Nicoll, Senior Expert and Head of Influenza Programme: ++begins on wide of news conference++ "Travel restrictions can't influence a pandemic very much and that certainly is still our opinion and is the experience from all of the mathematical modelling we've done." 4. Wide of news conference STORYLINE The European Union's disease control agency said on Thursday that the number of European countries with confirmed cases of swine flu had risen to six as the Netherlands joined Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria and France. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said swine flu is on the brink of becoming a global pandemic. Professor Angus Nicoll, Senior Expert and Head of Influenza Programme said it was one possibility that a pandemic influenza virus might get "worse over time" but that even a mild pandemic could kill thousands in the EU and "put a lot of stress on the health systems." He said that countries had been advised by WHO to take certain actions including: surveillance to follow progress of the virus including community transmission; monitoring to asses the impact of the virus; identifying reliable sources of information and advice; proper briefing of officials within countries. Nicoll confirmed that a decision had not yet been made to begin producing a swine flu vaccine but that this was being discussed by key agencies. "The only way you can do that is stopping producing the seasonal one and until we know more about the severity of the disease that decision can't be made," he said. Nicoll added that a vaccine was expected to take three to four months to create. He added that travel restrictions would not have a great influence on a pandemic based on mathematic modelling. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/e333f582373c03c08e05eba31c163696 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork