Item 5. Agenda for the 41st EuFMD General Session

1. The STC proposal was supported in relation to funding of the two projects under EuFMD-FAR and the 3 topics for the General Session. 2. A literature review on the evidence for interaction between live virus vaccination programmes and FMD immunisation is needed and the Secretariat asked to take action under the guidance of the STC. Vaccine Strategic Reserves Network A short presentation (Appendix 9) was given by Dr Katherine Hickey, STP officer EuFMD. She explained that her work in New Zealand had included time as Chairperson of the International FMD Vaccine Strategic Reserves Network, formed between US, Canada, Mexico (NAFMDVB), Australia, NZ, the UK and TPI (Pirbright), although the UK no longer holds a national bank and Pirbright acts as a technical agency. She reminded the Executive Committee that earlier Sessions (Lyon 2013) had put on the workprogramme the need to contact European Vaccine Bank managers and discuss their interests in better network and to identify topics of common interest to assist them. Her experience with the IVSRN had been that the issues had moved from the management of banks to the policy setting in which vaccines would be used in emergencies – and raised the question to the Executive Committee of whether they saw the need for a creation of a EUFMD - FMD Vaccine Bank Manager Network or some form of collaboration of the European VBMs to the IVSRN? She emphasized that including emergency vaccination planning in CPs opens many issues not present with non-vaccination control policies; and here a specific group may facilitate work of CP. A good discussion followed with Alf Füssel supporting the position that many technical issues are resolved and the network could help address the more pressing and interesting policy issues on vaccination use. The mutual assistance framework in which EU co-operates with other normally free countries can assist Europe to gain the additional stocks in emergencies. Co-ordination in Europe and with ISVRN could assist especially to maintain diversity in the stocks held (other banks may hold “low priority antigens for Europe” which have higher priority in their risk region). Jean Luc Angot indicated that he supports the creation of such an interest group, that there is a need to ensure the OIE is involved although the issue of vaccine banks for 3rd parties is different from the case of the national reserves. This is also an issue for REMESA countries at the moment.

The Chairman summarised as follows

1. The EuFMD should make contact with the countries in EuFMD which hold national vaccine banks and identify their issues and interests where a collective network might be valuable. 2. That the wider issues associated with vaccination in emergencies may interest a larger group of countries, with the vaccine bank managers perhaps forming a core group. 3. The survey and paper provided to the 41st General Session on status of vaccine and antigen banks could be the opportunity to report on issues of common interest and identify priorities for the future workplan.

Item 5. Agenda for the 41st EuFMD General Session

The Provisional Agenda for the 41st Session was discussed (Appendix 10) and approved. The First day could again be an open day without restricted access as most items are for information and most decisions for MS alone decisions on the budget, elections, constitutional change are for decision on the second day.