WHO flu experts reject business inf
www.77y4.cn leading experts who were involved in the world health organization's (who) decision to declare a flu pandemic rejected accusations wednesday of undue influence from the pharmaceutical industry.
the heads of panels of scientists advising the agency on vaccines and alerts said "meticulous care" was taken to avoid conflicts of interest and to keep a distance from the industry as much as possible.
david salisbury of the who's standing strategic advisory group of experts (sage) on immunization said candidates for the body were vetted before they joined, and those with conflicts of interest were excluded.
"there has been no declaration of conflict from any sage member in our proceeding on a(h1n1) vaccine," salisbury, director of immunization at britain's department of health, told a probe investigating the international response to the pandemic.
sage gave decisive technical advice to who director general margaret chan last year on whether to produce a special vaccine for the a(h1n1) virus, the timing of production and vaccine needs.
parliamentarians conducting a council of europe probe have criticized the transparency of decision-making during the pandemic, and especially the potential influence of the pharmaceutical industry.
salisbury said pharmaceutical industry representatives were invited to take part in sage consultations dealing with vaccine production capacity and development.
"to my knowledge, the industry has not done anything other than provide us with scientific information," he said.
source: global times/afpwww.77y4.cn
the heads of panels of scientists advising the agency on vaccines and alerts said "meticulous care" was taken to avoid conflicts of interest and to keep a distance from the industry as much as possible.
david salisbury of the who's standing strategic advisory group of experts (sage) on immunization said candidates for the body were vetted before they joined, and those with conflicts of interest were excluded.
"there has been no declaration of conflict from any sage member in our proceeding on a(h1n1) vaccine," salisbury, director of immunization at britain's department of health, told a probe investigating the international response to the pandemic.
sage gave decisive technical advice to who director general margaret chan last year on whether to produce a special vaccine for the a(h1n1) virus, the timing of production and vaccine needs.
parliamentarians conducting a council of europe probe have criticized the transparency of decision-making during the pandemic, and especially the potential influence of the pharmaceutical industry.
salisbury said pharmaceutical industry representatives were invited to take part in sage consultations dealing with vaccine production capacity and development.
"to my knowledge, the industry has not done anything other than provide us with scientific information," he said.
source: global times/afpwww.77y4.cn