WHO pandemic influenza vaccine response: operational plan

Overview

Influenza pandemics can have significant consequences for human health and economic well-being worldwide. Vaccines are a critical component of pandemic response, but their timely production and availability require complex decision-making and coordination among multiple stakeholders. This operational plan establishes a structured framework to guide timely, transparent and evidence-informed decisions on vaccine preparedness and response to novel influenza viruses with pandemic potential.

Serving as primary global guidance for WHO, the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS), Member States, industry, regulatory authorities and other stakeholders, the plan focuses on the critical period from the detection of a virus with pandemic potential to the scale-up of vaccine production. It addresses two principal decisions: initiating the pandemic influenza vaccine response based on initial alerts and ongoing risk assessments, and recommending the scale-up of pandemic vaccine production. The framework also considers the development of candidate vaccine viruses, pandemic emergency determinations and the potential transition from seasonal to pandemic influenza vaccine manufacturing.