Improving influenza vaccine virus selection: Report of a WHO informal consultation held at WHO headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland, 14-16 June 2010

摘要

Since 1952, the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) has played a key role in monitoring the evolution and distribution of influenza viruses as well as making recommendations on virus strains to be used in human influenza vaccines. The GISRS also monitors, provides risk assessments of potential pandemic viruses and offers guidance on appropriate public health responses. A number of recent events including the expanded role of GISRS following the adoption of the International Health Regulations in 2005, growing awareness of the continued threat posed by H5N1 and reflection on the 2009 H1N1 pandemic marked a good opportunity to revisit vaccine virus selection, and in June 2010, a WHO informal consultation was held in Geneva, Switzerland, to critically review the process by which vaccine virus strains are selected.