Avian Flu Timelines
Key scientific and political milestones from around the world, charting the first appearance of H5N1 avian flu in Hong Kong in 1997 to its global spread today, and links to archives.
policy & politics
- 2004
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February
- Failure of mass culling
- United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization advises governments in affected areas that mass culling of birds is failing to halt the disease and that vaccination of targeted poultry flocks is required as well. (see 'Outbreak of chicken flu rattles Hong Kong').
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October
- Influenza vaccine production suspended
- UK authorities suspend manufacturing of this year's routine influenza vaccine at the Liverpool factory of Chiron, owing to sterility concerns. The move leads to vaccine shortage and highlights the need for alternative manufacturing sources.
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November
- WHO warns that the H5N1 bird flu virus might spark a pandemic
- WHO warns that the H5N1 bird flu virus might spark a flu pandemic that could kill millions of people, and is concerned that "much of the world is unprepared for a pandemic" and needs to enhance preparedness to reduce its potential impact.
- WHO officials meet with vaccine makers, public-health experts and government representatives in a bid to speed up the production of flu vaccines to avert a global pandemic. (see 'WHO calls for vaccine boost to prepare for flu pandemic').
- 2005
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March
- WHO releases preparedness plan
- The WHO releases its preparedness plan for the control of an influenza pandemic at the national level. (see 'WHO global influenza preparedness plan').
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May
- World poorly prepared for pandemic
- Scientist warns that better planning at both national and international levels will be needed if the world is to cope with an influenza pandemic. (see 'A weapon the world needs').
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July
- WHO warns of high costs of H5N1 control
- At the end of a three-day conference in Malaysia, World Health Organization officials announce that $150 million is needed to fight the spread of the disease in people and another $100 million to stop its spread in animals in Asia. (see 'Bird flu 2005: the ongoing story').
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August
- WHO stockpiles flu drugs
- WHO recommends that each regional office stockpile drugs against bird flu: a 5-day course of Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) for 30% of workers and their families. (see 'WHO urges regional offices to stockpile flu drug for staff').
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September
- Lack of access to vital data hampers progress in H5N1 response
- President George W. Bush calls for an international partnership that would require countries facing an influenza outbreak to share information and samples with the WHO. But experts say research would speed up if the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) influenza branch threw open its databases of virus sequences and immunological and epidemiological data. (see 'Bird flu 2005: the ongoing story').
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October
- WHO holds pandemic alert at phase 3
- The WHO reiterates that the level of pandemic alert remains unchanged at phase 3: a virus new to humans is causing infections, but does not spread easily from one person to another.
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November
- President George W. Bush announces bid for $7.1 billion in emergency funds
- President George W. Bush announces that he will bid for $7.1 billion in emergency funding from US Congress to prepare for a possible bird flu pandemic, including purchasing of vaccines and drugs, development of new technology, and overseas aid. (see 'US Aid: Bush Seeks $7 B for Flu' and 'CNN: Bush unveils $7.1 billion plan to prepare for flu pandemic').
- 2006
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January
- Donors pledge $1.9 billion to fight avian flu
- At the International Pledging Conference on Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza in Beijing, co-hosted by the Chinese government, the European Commission and the World Bank, donor countries and international health organizations pledge an impressive $1.9 billion to fight avian influenza and prepare for a pandemic. (see 'Chinese hesitancy on avian flu').
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March
- WHO releases guidelines to cope with avian flu pandemic
- The WHO releases a draft containment plan containing guidelines for national authorities to investigate a cluster of ill people, as well as for launching a full-blown containment effort including quarantine, closing of schools, churches, public transport and borders, and the large-scale distribution of antivirals. (see 'Despite doubts, containment plans for pandemic take shape').
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April
- Promises to release information on avian flu outbreaks
- OFFLU, the network on avian influenza of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), agrees to make public material on outbreaks in animals. But this will rely on the cooperation of affected countries. (see 'Boosting access to disease data').
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July
- G8 summit calls for better surveillance
- At the G8 summit in St. Petersberg, Russia, rich countries call for improved infectious disease surveillance through: "better coordination between the animal and human health communities, building laboratory capacities, and full transparency by all nations in sharing, on a timely basis, virus samples." (see 'WHO's in charge?').
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August
- Promises to share data
- Leading flu researchers sign up to share data
- The Indonesian government and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announce that they will share all flu genomic data
- Leading flu researchers sign up to the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID) under which countries and scientists agree to immediately share pre-publication samples and data. (see 'A global initiative on sharing avian flu data').
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October
- Calls for more vaccine production
- The WHO calls for a boost in influenza vaccine manufacturing capacity and use of new technologies to produce more potent and effective vaccines, as outlined in new guidelines: "The global pandemic Influenza action plan to increase vaccine supply".
- 2007
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March
- US government approves H5N1 vaccine
- The US government approves Sanofi-Pasteur's vaccine against H5N1 bird flu. Even though it is only partially effective, the vaccine could provide a limited protection to the population during the early stages of a pandemic, while a more effective vaccine is created. (see 'Flu Vaccine').
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March
- The US Food and Drug Administration releases its Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan
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April
- WHO awards grants to developing countries to produce influenza vaccines
- WHO awards grants to 6 developing countries to produce influenza vaccines. The awards will fund the establishment of facilities to manufacture routine seasonal flu vaccines which can then be used to produce avian flu vaccines if a pandemic occurs.
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May
- WHO approves plan to stockpile H5N1 vaccines
- WHO approves a resolution to stockpile vacccines for H5N1 and other influenza viruses of pandemic potential and to establish guidelines for their fair and equitable distribution at affordable prices. The resolution also calls for n ew terms of reference for the sharing of flu viruses by WHO collaborating centres and reference laboratories.
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June
- The WHO's International Health Regulations take effect from 15 June
- WHO member states are now legally obliged to respond and provide technical assistance for the containing, at source, any health threat of international concern, with emphasis on smallpox, polio, SARS, and novel flu strains, including H5N1. www.who.int/csr/ihr/en
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October
- The World Health Organization (WHO) releases a report on patenting issues related to influenza viruses, noting that a wild flu strain would be "inherently unpatentable".
