WHO dismisses claims H1N1 pandemic was a fake
January 14, 2010
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THE CANADIAN PRESS
The World Health Organization's top flu expert has struck back at criticism about the agency's handling of the H1N1 pandemic.
Dr. Keiji Fukuda says claims that H1N1 is a fake pandemic are scientifically wrong and irresponsible.
Fukuda says the WHO will undertake a review of its handling of the pandemic and he expects the findings will be made public.
But he dismisses charges that the WHO declared the pandemic because of pressure from the pharmaceutical industry or that the agency hyped the threat posed by the new virus.
Fukuda says the WHO's assessment of the risk has been balanced and sober, and the agency worked hard to neither overplay or underplay what might lie ahead.
He says given the fact that the behaviour of a flu virus cannot be predicted, the approach taken was to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
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