What is the best line of defense in an influenza pandemic?
Vaccines are the best line of defense in reducing illnessand deaths during normal seasonal influenza. The vaccine has to change eachyear as the viruses circulating change. This can be done because the changescan be fairly reliably predicted. Vaccines can also play an important role inresponding to an influenza pandemic but because the virus will be entirely newand not predictable in the same way, a specific vaccine cannot be made inadvance. Preparatory work is being undertaken to be in the best possible positionto produce vaccine against a pandemic strain when the situation arises, butthey are unlikely to be available in the early stages.
