A(H1N1) Influenza Pandemic: Sanofi Pasteur’s Global Response

The scientific criteria for an influenza pandemic have been met. The world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic. Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General WHO – Many people found the SARS episode at the beginning of the 21st century very worrying at the time, but now a lot of people have forgotten about it. Then there was H5N1 and I think that since then, all the experts agree that it is no longer a question of if there will be a pandemic but when it will occur. Jacques Berger, President Sanofi Pasteur France – We feel prepared, we put together a plan that we are following and what’s really good for us, and for public health is that this is following a process that has been really well established and something we are used to doing. Philip Hosbach, Vice President, Public Affairs, Sanofi Pasteur USA – The Val de Reuil site is authorized to produce this type of strain, the so-called pandemic strain. Because we had already produced several H5N1 type strains, so, even if this pandemic strain is of a different type, we were ready, we have procedures and processes in place that meant we could mobilise our resources much more quickly. Franck Chassant, Head of Flu Vaccine Production, Val de Reuil, Sanofi Pasteur France – Visit pandimic.influenza.com