| ■ WHO Swine Flu Panel Included Members With Drug Industry Ties | 2010.08.10 |
| Of the 15 people on an expert panel that advised the World Health Organization about the swine flu pandemic, five members had received support from the pharmaceutical industry, including for flu vaccine research, the WHO disclosed Wednesday. Previously, some critics expressed concern that the panel might be tainted by drug industry influence that would affect decisions about massive orders of swine flu vaccines, Agence France-Presse reported. But the WHO repeatedly denied those accusations. The newly-released list of panel members is posted on the WHO's Web site. It reveals that members came from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin and North America. Most were scientific researchers and epidemiologists. There were also public health officials from Thailand and Chile, two specialists on international air travel and health, and a Senegalese diplomat, AFP reported. |