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Scientists comment on UKHSA announcing that the UK has secured doses of the human H5 influenza vaccine.
Dr Ed Hutchinson, Senior Lecturer, MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (MRC CVR), said:
“Although at the moment there’s no evidence of H5N1 spreading among humans in the UK the growing concern about the outbreak in cattle in the US means it’s sensible to take precautions.
“In the event they were needed, initial doses would not be for the whole population but may be valuable for key groups such as healthcare workers or farm workers.
“We know from recent data in the US that H5 vaccines continue to provide protection even as the virus evolves so this would be a valuable thing to acquire in advance.”
Dr David J Allen, Associate Professor in Virology at University of Surrey, said:
“H5 influenza is a subtype of the influenza virus that usually infects birds and is sometimes referred to as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). In 2020, a new type of the H5 influenza virus, (clade 2.3.4.4b) spread via migratory birds to parts of Africa, Asia and Europe, reaching North America in 2021 and South America in 2022. Most of the H5 influenza viruses detected and characterised since 2020 belong to clade 2.3.4.4b.
“Whilst H5 influenza viruses mainly infect birds, on rare occasions these viruses can infect humans. H5 influenza infections in humans can cause severe disease and can be fatal. Since 2021, 35 cases of H5 influenza in humans have been reported, at least 17 of which were associated with the emerging clade 2.3.4.4b viruses.
“Influenza viruses from birds and mammals can adapt to infect humans leading to pandemic events, for example as happened in 2009. Continued surveillance of circulating influenza viruses is crucial to understand the emergence of these viruses and the risk they pose to bird, animal and human populations.
“Having a robust preparedness plan in place is important make sure the UK is ready to respond to any change in the cases of influenza, including H5 subtypes, as acting quickly will be crucial to getting any influenza outbreak under control. There are many important parts to preparedness for influenza outbreaks and ensuring there is an available stock of the H5 influenza vaccine is a key measure to make sure at-risk individuals can be protected quickly in the event of an outbreak.”
Prof Ian Brown, Group Leader, The Pirbright Institute, said:
“The current global panzootic with H5 high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses in birds and animals is presenting on such scale that the risk to humans has increased. There are occasional spill over events to humans, principally to those who been occupationally exposed to infected birds and animals, with most human infections being mild. The H5 viruses presently lack the properties to efficiently infect the upper respiratory tract of humans and transmit between. However, a vaccine stockpile is an important preparedness step should H5 viruses mutate and expand their capability to infect and transmit between humans. If this scenario were to occur vaccine stockpiles would have an important role in the early control of substantially increased risk or a pandemic.”
Prof Sir Andrew Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, University of Oxford, said:
“Emergence of a new strain of influenza remains at the top of the list of pandemic threats and so providing resilience against potential risky flu types, like H5, is important for future pandemic and outbreak preparedness. H5 is only one of the multiple families of flu viruses that create such a risk, so we should not be complacent. But H5 is the one that we are most concerned about today as a result of the global spread of this virus amongst birds and various mammals, and worryingly across the United States amongst cattle this year. H5 is out there and we need to do all we can to be prepared.”
Prof Massimo Palmarini, Director of the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (CVR), said:
““H5 is spreading globally in birds (and has spilled over in a variety of mammalian species in some countries) so it is prudent that we get ready and prepare for what might happen in future — it might be that we never need it but it seems like a sensible thing to do to be prepared.”
UKHSA press release – UK secures H5 influenza vaccine to boost pandemic preparedness:
Declared interests
Dr Ed Hutchinson: I started working on the molecular biology of influenza viruses as a graduate student with Paul Digard at the University of Cambridge. In 2009 I moved to the University of Oxford to work on influenza with Ervin Fodor, as a postdoctoral researcher at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology and a Junior Research Fellow at Worcester College (2010-2014), and in 2016 I set up a research group at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research.
He has received honoraria for work in a steering group of the Centre for Open Science (Open Practices in Influenza Research; 2021-2022) and on an advisory board for Seqirus (2022). He has unpaid positions on the board of the European Scientific Working group on Influenza and other respiratory viruses (ESWI) and as a scientific adviser to PinPoint Medical.
https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/infectionimmunity/staff/edwardhutchinson/#
Dr David J Allen: I have previously worked for the predecessor organisations of UKHSA (i.e. Health Protection Agency and Public Health England) between 2009-2017.
Prof Ian Brown: I am a PI on UK research grants with a focus on avian influenza in birds. I do not receive funding myself directly from industry or pharma but am involved in international programmes to track and match circulating viruses in birds with vaccines being used in those sectors only. I am a member of the UK scientific committee ‘New and Emerging Respiratory Threats Assessment Group’ and participate in UKHSA led fora that assess the risk to human health from avian influenza viruses.
Prof Sir Andrew Pollard: Professor Pollard is chair of JCVI which provides independent scientific advice on vaccines to DHSC. The comment above is given as Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, not as JCVI chair.
Prof Massimo Palmarini: MP is a member of the Standing Committee on Pandemic Preparedness of the Scottish Government.