Modernizing Influenza Vaccines to Promote National Security & Public Health

Sep 24, 2019

Summary

Aims to update how flu vaccines are made in the U.S. to better protect people and national security from flu outbreaks.

What problem does this solve?

The current way of making flu vaccines is old, slow, and uses chicken eggs, which is not good enough for a fast-spreading flu pandemic. This order creates a task force and directs government agencies to find and use newer, faster ways to make more effective flu vaccines.

What does this order do?

Establishes a National Influenza Vaccine Task Force

Creates a new group, led by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to oversee the modernization of flu vaccines.

Requires a 5-year national plan

Directs the new Task Force to create a five-year plan to speed up the development of better vaccines and promote the use of more modern manufacturing technologies.

Reduces reliance on egg-based vaccines

Sets a national policy to move away from the slow, 70-year-old process of making vaccines in chicken eggs and toward faster, more flexible methods.

Directs DOD and VA to plan for new vaccines

Requires the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs to estimate the cost of switching their yearly flu shot purchases to newer, domestically made vaccines.

Promotes increased vaccination rates

Tasks the new group with finding ways to encourage more people to get the flu shot and to improve public understanding of influenza risks.

Accelerates research for better vaccines

Directs agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to speed up research on new vaccines that could protect against many types of flu viruses for several years.

Who does this affect?

Vaccine manufacturers
Federal agencies (HHS, DOD, VA)
The American public

What is the real world impact?

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Prepares the nation for a future pandemic

Strengthens the country's ability to respond to a severe influenza pandemic by creating faster and more flexible vaccine production methods. The old, egg-based system is too slow to handle a rapidly spreading virus.

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Reduces reliance on a vulnerable supply chain

Moves away from vaccine production that depends on a large supply of chicken eggs, which could be disrupted during a widespread animal or human health crisis. This promotes a more secure domestic manufacturing base.

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Spurs innovation in the vaccine industry

Uses government influence and funding to push private companies toward newer technologies like cell-based and recombinant vaccines. This could lead to more effective and longer-lasting flu shots for everyone.

When does this start?

This order takes effect immediately and sets several deadlines for a new task force and government agencies.

Task Force national plan submission

Within 120 days of September 19, 2019, the Task Force must submit a 5-year national plan to the President.

Annual plan updates

By June 1 of each of the next five years, the Task Force must submit an update on the plan's progress.