The purchase will boost the UK's access to vaccines for a wider range of pathogens of pandemic potential.
The UK Government has agreed a contract for more than five million doses of human H5 influenza vaccine to boost the country's resilience in the event of a possible H5 influenza pandemic.
The vaccine, based on a current H5 avian influenza virus, will be manufactured by UK based healthcare company CSL Seqirus UK Limited.
The purchase has been made as part of long-established plans to boost the UK's access to vaccines for a wider range of pathogens of pandemic potential.
Dr Meera Chand, Emerging Infection Lead at the UK Health Security Agency, said:
It is important for us to be prepared against a range of different influenza viruses that may pose human health risks. Early access to vaccines saves lives. Adding H5 vaccines to the interventions already available to us will help us to be ready for a wider range of threats.
The influenza A(H5N1) virus has been causing a prolonged global outbreak, primarily in birds, over the past few years. It is only if this virus were to start spreading among humans, of which there is no evidence at this stage, that the human H5 influenza vaccine would be used.
The procurement will strengthen the UK's preparedness for a H5 influenza originated pandemic by ensuring that vaccines are immediately available, while a pandemic specific vaccine is made ready. The UK Government already has an advance purchase agreement for pandemic vaccines if or when they are needed, that would be tailored to combat the specific pandemic flu strain identified at the time.
Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Andrew Gwynne said:
Together with UKHSA, we are committed to ensuring that the UK is prepared and ready to respond to any current and future health threats.
Adding the H5 vaccine to our stockpile is one part of our preparedness plans, improving our readiness to respond to a range of emerging health threats and protecting people's lives and livelihoods.
Marc Lacey, Global Head of Pandemic Preparedness and Response at CSL Seqirus, said:
As a global leader in outbreak and pandemic preparedness, CSL Seqirus is proud to partner with the UKHSA as part of its preparedness efforts against emerging influenza threats.
This agreement with the UK government demonstrates the ongoing importance of partnership in developing strong preparedness plans and ensuring rapid response capabilities against these health threats.
Dr Matt Chinn, Director of Scientific Operations at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), said:
APHA's influenza teams have been at the forefront of the UK's response to avian influenza viruses through sampling and testing both wild and farmed birds at the National Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza at Weybridge.
This work is of vital importance in preparing and responding to emerging pathogen threats to the UK, helping us to contribute to a better understanding of the disease and offering reassurance to the public.
UKHSA actively monitors for human cases of avian influenza, while APHA targets surveillance at captive and wild birds and animals, through their robust surveillance programmes. This coupled with their genomic sequencing abilities are crucial to early detection, assessment and response to emerging health and biosecurity threats such as avian influenza.
