WASHINGTON, DC - Continuing its work on flu preparedness, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, chaired by Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA), today held a hearing entitled, “U.S. Public Health Preparedness for Seasonal Influenza: Has the Response Improved?" Testifying were officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, and the National Institutes of Health.
The hearing built off of a February 2015 hearing, where the subcommittee explored whether other actions could have been taken to mitigate the negative impacts of the mismatched vaccine. The next month, bipartisan committee leaders followed up with five top agency officials to determine how the U.S. public health response could be improved. The subcommittee today continued those efforts and examined the plans and preparedness of federal public health agencies, in addition to receiving an update about what improvements have been made since the last flu season.
“The committee’s oversight work has made a difference," stated Chairman Murphy. “The department is now treating the seasonal flu as a higher priority. Tools and plans typically reserved for pandemic flu situations are being considered in the fight against the seasonal flu. An HHS influenza working group has compiled 13 issues and recommendations to improve the influenza vaccine development and manufacturing process. They are working to improve surveillance, utilize technology to speed vaccine production, and make more effective vaccines. But there is still much work to be done. The issues surrounding the flu vaccine are not new - we are still largely manufacturing flu vaccines and detecting flu virus changes with technology developed during the 1940s. At the same time, more and more new influenza viruses are emerging each year… Our current system is not as responsive and effective as it should be."
Dr. Carole Heilman, Director of the National Institutes of Health Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, echoed the desire to improve the vaccine during her testimony. “The recent mismatch reminds us of the need for a more broadly cross-protective or ‘universal’ influence vaccine that could generate long-lasting protection against several influenza strains over multiple seasons," she stated.
Last season’s mismatched vaccine had an overall effectiveness of only 19 percent. Although the official statistics for last flu season are not yet available, severe flu seasons typically experience 50,000 deaths, more than 400,000 hospitalizations, and an economic burden of about $87 billion.
“Our collective efforts are about keeping Americans healthy during the flu season," said full committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI). “From babies who are six-months old to the elderly, and everyone in between, folks in Michigan and across the country should have the peace of mind and faith that their flu shot will keep them healthy. Our bipartisan work continues."
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