Health minister Tony Ryall and minister for Science and Innovation Wayne MappWednesday 05 October 2011, 12:02PM
Media release from health minister Tony Ryall and minister
for Science and Innovation Wayne Mapp
Health Minister Tony Ryall and the Minister for Science and
Innovation Dr Wayne Mapp, have congratulated ESR on their
successful international bid for a 5-year, multi-million dollar flu
research and surveillance project.
The project is paid for by the United States Centre for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), and is known as SHIVERS - the
Southern Hemisphere Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Research and
Surveillance.
Health Minister Tony Ryall says, "The result will be greater
knowledge about how the flu spreads, improved surveillance, and
vaccination targets. And we will be helping the northern
hemisphere plan for their flu season."
Dr Wayne Mapp says, "This successful bid is international
recognition of the quality of the New Zealand scientists working in
this area."
The project is led by ESR with collaboration from the Universities
of Auckland and Otago, the Auckland District Health Board and the
World Health Organization's Collaborating Centre at St Jude
Children's Hospital in the United States.
Mr Ryall and Dr Mapp say, "We had a glimpse of just how good the
New Zealand teams are during the response to the swine flu pandemic
in 2009, and this is an opportunity to make even greater advances
in flu planning."