The World Health Organization cautioned in Geneva on 23 October 2006 that global influenza vaccine production falls billions of doses short of what would be needed to protect the world's roughly 6.7 billion people in the event of a pandemic.
Current annual output stands at about 350 million doses. Even with expansion efforts already underway, WHO officials said production capacity would reach only 780 million doses by 2009, far below the level required for full global coverage.
WHO vaccine research director Marie-Paule Kieny warned the gap "could lead to a global health crisis" if a pandemic strain emerged before capacity was significantly increased. Officials stressed that adequate seasonal flu manufacturing infrastructure must exist before industry could pivot to producing a pandemic-specific vaccine.
Acting WHO communicable diseases chief David Heymann called the situation urgent, noting the world remains unprepared and that capacity-building must begin immediately, whether a pandemic arrives within five, 10, or 30 years.
Seasonal influenza already causes up to five million severe cases and around 500,000 deaths annually. Scientists have expressed concern that the H5N1 avian influenza strain, linked to more than 150 human deaths since 2003, could trigger a pandemic with a far higher death toll.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in October 2006, in its own words.