Margaret Chan stresses sharing virus samples as the basis for pandemic prevention

World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan stressed at the intergovernmental meeting on pandemic preparedness in Geneva on the 20th that sharing virus samples is the basis for influenza prevention and the only way to monitor the emergence of drug-resistant virus variantsOnly countries that share virus samples can analyze and compare them and reveal the variation of the virus, helping countries take earlyprecautions, Chan saidMrs Chan said that in preventing pandemics, access to vaccines in a more equitable manner was a top concern for countries that lacked adequate vaccine capacity themselvesShe hoped that the conference would also make progress in improving the accessibility of vaccinesChan also said that the world now has more knowledge about pandemics and the viruses that cause them, and the ability to produce vaccines is growingOn the whole, the response capacity to the outbreak has been greatly improved, and people should grasp the situationThe intergovernmental meeting on pandemic preparedness opened in Geneva on the 20th, during which delegates and experts will discuss issues such as sharing virus samples and promoting universal access to vaccines(Reporter Yang Wei)