Belgium prepares itself for a potential global flu epidemic

The Council of Ministers on Friday decided that Belgium would participate in a European public contract to procure enough vaccine for the population in case of a global flu epidemic, said Health Minister Maggie De Block.

Belgium will sign a European framework agreement with two vaccine manufacturers. These must ensure the timely availability and distribution of pandemic flu vaccines in the event of an outbreak.

“With this contract, we can put up to six million doses of vaccine at a given time” said Minister De Block. Two million euros a year will be released.

Pandemic flu is not the classic seasonal flu. A pandemic influenza is an unplanned influenza epidemic that affects the world, such as the A / H1N1 flu in 2009, better known as the “Mexican flu”.

Making a vaccine stock makes no sense because no one knows in advance what the biological characteristics of the pandemic virus will be, the minister explained.