Something I had not thought about

GSK predicts unrest if bird-flu mutates

By Katherine Griffiths, City Correspondent
Last Updated: 11:16pm GMT 12/11/2006

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Several governments around the world have promised to send in the army to protect GlaxoSmithKline manufacturing plants that produce bird flu vaccine should a pandemic break out, the drug maker's chief executive, Jean-Pierre Garnier, has said.

"People don't realise the disorder which comes from a scary event such as a true pandemic. It is not going to be the time to line up to your friendly pharmacist because there will be hundreds of people there. There will be panic episodes," Mr Garnier said.
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The Government is expected to make a decision in the next few weeks on what measures to take to protect the UK should bird flu mutate so that it can be passed from human to human, creating a global pandemic. As well as stocking up on antibiotics and face masks to reduce the risk of infection, the Department of Health is also expected to build a reserve of bird-flu vaccine.

GSK is one of several major pharmaceutical companies working on a vaccine against H5N1, the current strain of bird flu. It has signed a deal to supply its vaccine to Switzerland and an unnamed Asian country. It is in talks with other countries including the UK and US.

"We're hopeful the UK will come to a decision before the end of the year because other countries are knocking on our door," Mr Garnier said.

He said GSK could switch some of its factories making normal flu vaccine to the bird-flu drug. GSK has major flu drug plants in Germany and Canada. Mr Garnier said no countries had said they might requisition GSK factories in the event of a pandemic.