Medical groups point to importance of vaccines in pandemic planning

This story from CIDRAP News called our attention to a joint statement released yesterday by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. In response to the government's pandemic flu national strategy released in May, the two groups urge that vaccines be the primary focus of pandemic planning and response efforts. The statement explains:

"Although the federal government’s pandemic plan addresses vaccination, IDSA and SHEA believe a more comprehensive, international approach is needed for vaccine development, production, and delivery throughout the world. 'The United States must take a leading role in fostering an international effort to develop vaccines against likely and eventual pandemic strains,' said Martin J. Blaser, MD, president of IDSA. 'We must do the legwork now so that we can produce and deploy those vaccines where we need them when a pandemic hits.'"

The statement appears as a result of formal comments and recommendations sent by the two organizations to the White House. The full document is available here as a PDF.