To ask the Secretary of State for Health
(1) whether he has identified triggers at which point the use of antivirals in the event of an influenza pandemic becomes so great that the introduction of clinical prioritisation will be necessary;
(2) whether the Government intend to consult on proposals for the clinical prioritisation of antivirals in the event of the stockpile of antivirals becoming depleted, as stated on page 38 of his Department's National Framework for responding to an influenza pandemic.
The current antiviral stockpile should be sufficient to treat all who fall ill in a pandemic of similar proportions to previous ones in the 20th century but we recognise that prioritisation may need to be triggered if the clinical attack rate is higher than anticipated and/or antivirals are in greater demand than anticipated.
There is less likelihood of the need for prioritisation of antivirals as the stockpile is increased to reflect the potential for a higher clinical attack rate.
The Government have already consulted on the ethical principles underlying issues such as prioritisation, but their implications will need to be reviewed and updated in the light of emerging scientific and other information at the time of a pandemic. Further testing of the public's reactions to many issues in pandemic planning and decision-making will start with an engagement programme to facilitate this process, with the active participation of the public, beginning in the new year.
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